Supporting Membership: UB and Medical Library join OpenAlex

The University Library (UB) and the Medical Library have become supporting members of OpenAlex, a free-to-use, open database that provides access to over 480 million scholarly publications across all disciplines. This step underscores the University of Groningen’s (UG) commitment to open science and aligns with the intentions of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information.

An open and inclusive source of research information
OpenAlex is a global, inclusive database that indexes publications in multiple languages and formats, including preprints and non-English works. Unlike licensed databases, its data is available under a CC0 license, enabling free reuse. It offers a user-friendly search interface, API access, open ROR affiliations including geodata, and advanced filtering options such as by topic, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and open-access status.

Applications at the UG
OpenAlex is already being deployed to improve data quality in the UG Current Research Information System (CRIS) and will also be used in our exploration of more open, accountable research assessment by providing transparent, reproducible data for evaluation and assessment. Although it serves as a complement to tools such as Web of Science (license expires on January 1, 2027) and Scopus, it does not yet fully replace these for specialized applications such as systematic literature reviews. The UB and MB are seeking collaboration with OpenAlex to improve the quality of metadata in the database.

Access and support
You can access OpenAlex at openalex.org or via the E-Resources list on our website. For support, contact eduteam-library rug.nl or literaturesearch umcg.nl.