Open science can help researchers prepare for the next pandemic by making findings, data, methods and tools easier to find, reuse and build on across institutions and borders. It works best when information is shared promptly and in usable formats—and when the countries and communities generating that information have the capacity and fair access to benefit from it.
What open science means for pandemic preparation
Open science is broader than free access to journal articles. UNESCO describes it as making scientific knowledge openly available, accessible and reusable. That can include publications, data, educational resources, software and hardware, research infrastructure, and engagement with society and Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems. The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science was adopted by 194 countries in 2021 (UNESCO).
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For pandemic preparedness, the practical question is whether researchers and public-health teams can find and use relevant evidence when it matters. A paper that is free to read is useful, but preparedness can also depend on access to the underlying data, methods, software, and systems needed to validate or extend its findings.
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How openness can strengthen readiness
Make findings and data available for reuse
Timely access can help research teams and response organizations draw on existing findings rather than face avoidable barriers to evidence. During the early COVID-19 response, 117 organizations signed a January 2020 statement supporting immediate open access to peer-reviewed publications for at least the outbreak’s duration, preprint availability, and rapid sharing with WHO. The OECD also reported that CORD-19 then contained 57,000 entries, including 41,000 machine-readable full-text articles; those are historical figures, not current totals (OECD).
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Such access can make it easier to review evidence across fields and institutions. But availability alone does not guarantee that a dataset is complete, understandable, or safe and lawful to reuse; those conditions need to be addressed alongside access.
Connect researchers across institutions and countries
Shared platforms and research networks let teams contribute different expertise and coordinate work. UNESCO’s account of the early COVID-19 response describes research consortia forming rapidly alongside publication and sequencing activity. It also reports that more than 1,000 research articles were made open access following a WHO appeal; this is an early-response figure, not a current count (UNESCO).
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Open collaboration can help researchers compare observations and build on one another’s work. Its value depends on sustained coordination, clear responsibilities, and the ability of participating institutions to contribute—not simply on creating a shared online space.
Support pathogen monitoring with genomic data
Sharing pathogen genome data can help public-health teams detect and respond to outbreaks. Genomic surveillance can show how a pathogen changes over time and inform risk assessment, but sequences need useful accompanying information and must be supported by broader laboratory and surveillance systems. WHO’s guidance emphasizes the public-health purpose and the need for responsible sharing (WHO guidance on sharing genomic sequencing data).
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WHO reported that 54% of countries had genomic-surveillance capacity in March 2021 and 68% by January 2022. It also reported that 43% more countries published sequence data in January 2022 than a year earlier. These are historical snapshots and a year-over-year comparison, not current estimates (WHO, 30 March 2022).
Build knowledge that applies across pathogen families
Preparedness can benefit from research that develops knowledge and tools useful beyond a single pathogen. In 2024, WHO and CEPI reported that more than 200 scientists from over 50 countries evaluated 28 virus families and one core group of bacteria, encompassing 1,652 pathogens. The work considered transmission, virulence, and the availability of diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. WHO described plans to establish a Collaborative Open Research Consortium for each pathogen family, involving researchers, developers, funders, regulators, and trial experts, with equitable participation as an explicit aim (WHO and CEPI, 1 August 2024).
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What COVID-19 showed about the limits of sharing
Data must be findable, usable and well described
Open access can fall short when information is dispersed, difficult to find, or not sufficiently interoperable and reusable. The OECD noted that rapid curation remained difficult during COVID-19. A dataset may be technically available yet hard to apply if its format, documentation, or reuse conditions are unclear (OECD).
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Sharing depends on the capacity to generate data
Data cannot be shared if researchers lack the means to produce them. The case study describes gaps in sequencing capability, particularly in lower-resource countries, that limited understanding of viral mutation and spread. It also points to the need for more than equipment: effective capacity includes access to reagents, skilled staff, open code, and software (UK case study).
If some regions contribute less because they lack infrastructure, global datasets can miss important evidence. Preparedness therefore calls for investment in local research and surveillance capability as well as mechanisms that make resulting data useful to others.
Governance and equity are part of effective openness
WHO’s principles for sharing pathogen genomic data frame sharing as ethical, equitable, efficient, and effective (WHO guidance). That means setting clear expectations about access and reuse, using suitable metadata and standards, and considering who generates data and who benefits from them. Equitable participation is not separate from research quality: it helps ensure that preparedness reflects evidence and expertise from a wider range of places.
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What researchers and institutions can prioritize now
Open science becomes useful preparedness when it connects data sharing to the systems that produce, interpret, and act on evidence. Researchers, funders, and public-health institutions can assess plans against these practical questions:
- Timeliness: Can relevant findings and data be shared quickly enough to inform monitoring and response?
- Completeness and context: Are records accompanied by the metadata needed to interpret and compare them?
- Interoperability and reuse: Can others work with the formats, standards, and access conditions without unnecessary barriers?
- Local capability: Do participating regions have laboratories, trained staff, reagents, analytical tools, and sustained support to generate and interpret evidence?
- Governance and fairness: Are access, reuse, participation, and benefits addressed clearly and equitably?
- Connection to action: Can research inform surveillance, diagnostics, clinical trials, and the development of countermeasures?
These priorities reflect a central lesson of the COVID-19 response: sharing can accelerate collaboration, but the information must be timely and usable, and the capacity to produce it must be more widely distributed. Open science is most valuable for pandemic preparation when it strengthens the whole chain from research to public-health action.
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