(7 Apr 2026) As transparent, reusable research data becomes increasingly central to research integrity, reproducibility and funder requirements, IOP Publishing has launched a new, free, open data training course designed to give early career researchers (ECRs) the practical skills and confidence they need to share and manage research data effectively.
The course has been developed in direct response to demand from the physical and environmental science communities. In 2024, IOP Publishing released a major study analysing data sharing practices across more than 30,000 published articles. It showed that although more researchers want to share their data, many still encounter a wide range of practical, ethical and technical barriers.
The course provides clear, hands on guidance to making research data openly available and demonstrates how strong data practices can enhance the visibility, credibility and impact of researchers’ work. Areas of focus include ethical considerations, repository selection, licensing and long term data stewardship.
Delivered entirely online and free of charge, the course enables learners to progress at their own pace, with content presented in bite-size modules. Participants receive a course certificate when passing all modules. Since the course is offered through the IOP Excellence training portal, learners can also take the popular, free Peer Review Excellence training which is offered through the same platform.
The release in full is here.
