The third edition of the HAL Partners’ Assembly was held for the first time in person at ENSSIB (Villeurbanne) on 8 and 9 November, 2023 bringing together more than 80 participants.
Since 2021, the Partners’ Assembly has provided a forum for the exchange of information on HAL’s past, present and future activities, and its representatives have passed on this information to their respective organisations.
This new face-to-face condition meeting was an opportunity to share special moments with insitutions representatives, to present HAL’s 2023 assessments and the platform’s objectives for 2024.
The program for November 8, 2023
In his opening address, Sébastien Chevalier, Head of Department, Coordination des stratégies de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche (MESR), began by setting out the public policy framework for open science, research infrastructures and HAL’s role in this context.
This was followed by a round-table discussion on the governance of the CCSD, involving the 5 elected members of the Partners Assembly (Nicolas Fressengeas, Chérifa Boukacem, Nicolas Alarcon, Marie-Madeleine Géroudet and Françoise Rousseau), Odile Hologne, Chair of the CCSD Steering Committee, and Nathalie Fargier, Director of the CCSD.
Nathalie Fargier and Yannick Barborini, HAL Design and Development Manager and Technical Director of the HALiance project, then looked back at HAL’s 2023 main achievements and the next milestones for the platform.
This first day ended with a talk by Hélène Bégnis, in charge of HAL’s user network, on the past and future life of the Assembly.
The life of the Assembly in 2023
Constantly growing, the Assembly of Partners has welcomed 14 new institution representatives since 2021. By the end of 2023, the Assembly consists 144 member establishments. The majority of these structures belong to universities, while the second half is shared between grandes écoles and institutions.
Cyle “Open Science Policies for Institutions
Following a workshop presented at the 2022 Assembly’s session, the CCSD developed a cycle of “Open Science Policies for Institutions” events, in collaboration with Nicolas Alarcon, an elected member of the Assembly. This cycle was deployed in three workshops throughout 2023, each involving two to three Assembly representatives from the following structures:
- University Paris-Saclay
- University of Burgundy
- Agroparistech
- Aix-Marseille University
- Lumière Lyon 2 University
- Nantes University
The main aim of these workshops was to explore open science policies within institutions, and to understand HAL’s place in this context. Each session enabled speakers to present concrete examples of the implementation of open science policies, focusing on the use of the open archive at their institution.
The three workshops attracted a 100 participants, providing a platform for practice exchanges and cooperation. Indeed, at the end of each intervention, participants had the opportunity to dialogue with the representatives, encouraging the sharing of best practices and experiences of open science policies within the different structures. An initiative that strengthens collaboration and reflection within the HAL communities.
Towards a second revision of the HAL portals CGU
Following feedbacks on the first revision of the HAL portals’ General Terms of Use (GTU) during the 2022 session, the 2023 Assembly initiated objectives of a second revision of its clauses.
This second revision will mainly involve updating existing clauses to take account of any changes in current legislation, as well as adding modifications proposed by member structures.
In collaboration with volunteer establishments, new clauses will be integrated or adjusted. This revision also includes the addition of a specific appendix to the RGPD, and a clause establishing the framework for mutualizing the technical, documentary and legal validation of HAL deposits. This last aspect, concerning the evolution of moderation, was the subject of a working group in 2022, defining its scope.
Open for signature in autumn 2024, these new, revised GCU will come into force in January 2025.
Programming the Assembly’s activities in 2024
In addition to setting up a consultation on the revision of the HAL portals CGU, the CCSD is working to diversify the themes and workshop methods proposed as part of the animation of the Partners Assembly for the year 2024. To ensure that the program of actions proposed to them in 2024 meets their expectations, the CCSD directly consulted the event’s participants. Three main themes emerged from the survey:
- The technical and legal validation of deposits before they go online (organization, benefits, etc.), previously referred to as “moderation”.
- Establishments’ Open Science policies and HAL’s place among them
- HAL in the European Alliances
In addition, the representatives present had the opportunity to submit further suggestions for themes to be addressed and to express their specific expectations for the coming year. Topics such as research data, scientific integrity and data quality, among others, emerged as significant concerns within the HAL communities. This participative approach aims to shape a program of workshops, events and meetings that are enriching and relevant for all HAL network partners.
The second day of the 2023 Partners Assembly was devoted to a scientific day on the theme of scientific integrity and the role of open archives in this context. More on this soon.