Carnegie Mellon University Libraries has launched the Open Index Project, a new initiative designed to make the evolution of open knowledge easier to discover and understand. Over the last few decades, open access publishing, open data, open source and other open practices have changed how knowledge moves from discovery to dissemination and reuse. At the same time, the landscape surrounding openness has continued to change.
The Open Index Project collects and contextualizes important moments across the field, creating a resource for those interested in understanding how it has developed over time.
STEM Librarians Chasz Griego and Huajin Wang led the development of the Open Index Project, with contributions from other members of the Open at CMU team.
“Open initiatives span every discipline and region, which makes their collective impact hard to grasp,” said Griego. “We created the Open Index Project because so much impactful work is underway, and the information about it is overwhelming to synthesize. The open movement is a worldwide community effort, and we want every leader and practitioner to have resources that not only gather the many reports and milestones defining its impact, but also support decisions that may reach other regions or disciplines.”
Launched during Open Access Week, the project features two initial resources: the Open Index Tracker and Open Index Timeline.
Explore the Open Index Tracker
The Open Index Tracker is an interactive dataset that brings together key resources and milestones in open knowledge. Users can filter entries by open area or category to explore resources such as dashboards and landmark reports. Each entry provides a concise summary and context for understanding its significance.
Explore the Open Index Tracker
Follow the evolution through the Open Index Timeline
Drawn from the Tracker, the Open Index Timeline offers a visual way to explore selected milestones and landmark reports chronologically. The dynamic resource highlights shifts in open research, open access, open science and related practices, providing context for how the open landscape has changed over roughly the past two decades.
Explore the Open Index Timeline
Building toward the Open Index Report
The Tracker and Timeline also provide a foundation for the next phase of the project.
Coming in 2027, the inaugural Open Index Report will draw on the Tracker and additional analysis to examine significant trends across the open ecosystem. The Report will consider the various forces shaping openness and explore what these developments may mean for the future of research.
“By placing key milestones that shaped today's open knowledge landscape in historical context, the Tracker and Timeline establish a foundation for further analysis to come in the Open Index Report,” said Wang. “We hope this project equips leaders and researchers with reference points and insights needed for deeper conversations around investments in open knowledge.”
The Open Index Project builds on Carnegie Mellon University Libraries’ long-standing commitment to open knowledge. The Libraries established one of the first comprehensive Open Science programs in an academic library and expanded that work with the creation of an Open Source Programs Office. Through the Tracker, Timeline and forthcoming Report, the Libraries aim to support broader conversations about the trajectory of openness and the future of research and education.
Explore the Open Index Project
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