Support Us

Support OpenCitations

OpenCitations provides open access to fundamental factual information by charging nothing for such access or for related services. This sets us apart from many other OpenScience infrastructures but also means that OpenCitations’ activities generate no income to sustain our operations. OpenCitations relies on guidance and support from the scholarly community to maintain and increase its technical infrastructure and to sustain its team. You can help ensure a strong and stable future for OpenCitations by providing your support through membership or seeking for a major involvement through the Trustee Network.

Looking for the reasons why to support OpenCitations? Read our FAQs.

Want to undertake the supporting process? Contact us at membership@opencitations.net.

Become a member

Legal entities may apply to become Members of OpenCitations at any time, each by sending a written request to the Director and Vice Director of OpenCitations, in which the candidate declares:

its details, legal nature, legal address, and duly legal representative;

its wish to become a Member of and to collaborate with OpenCitations;

its commitment to the principles of Open Science as summarized by the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021): https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379949;

its commitment to contribute to and support the implementation of OpenCitations and its activities, according to the categories of membership participation in OpenCitations.

After a positive decision by the Director and Vice Director of OpenCitations, returned by written communication via email, the legal representative of the candidate signs the Participation Agreement and sends it back to the Directors of OpenCitations, at the email address membership@opencitations.net.

The legal representative of the candidate Member shall also sign a declaration of conflicts of interests, in which it documents any interests that compete with the purposes of OpenCitations.

After the Participation Agreement has been signed also by OpenCitations and the Hosting Member of OpenCitations, it is returned by email to the candidate, who formally becomes a new member of OpenCitations. Information to submit the agreed financial contribution is provided as well

Upon receiving the financial contribution, OpenCitations delivers appropriate receipts to the new member

OpenCitations membership has an annual duration and offers different benefits, depending on the membership level.

The levels of OpenCitations membership are:

Financial contribution of at least € 500 and no more than € 8,000 per year at the start of each membership year. Such contributions vary according to the size and type of the Party, as set out in the Rules of Membership. A Supporting Member shall:

have voting rights, through its representative, on the OpenCitations Council;
have voting rights to elect candidates to serve on the International Advisory Board for OpenCitations ;
have its name and membership level displayed on the OpenCitations website;
have access to a yearly webinar giving updates of OpenCitations activities and plans for the future;
receive the biannual reports summarizing the progress and status of OpenCitations;
have access to general information from OpenCitations, including the annual financial reports.

Annual financial contribution greater than €8,000 per year.

A Strategic Member has all the rights and duties of the Supporting Member. In addition, it shall:

participate in an annual survey and share feedback on the OpenCitations infrastructure and services;
have the right for one representative to participate without registration fee in the biennial Workshop on Open Citations and Open Scholarly Metadata organized by OpenCitations;

be entitled to a single seat with voting rights on the I.A. Board and therefore be entitled to help define all the strategies, activities and official documents of OpenCitations.

Legal Public Entities willing to support OpenCitations with at least 40,000 euros per year may be entitled to join as members of the OpenCitations Trustee Network (OTN) by signing a specific agreement with the Hosting Member for at least two years.

The OTN supervises the scientific strategy of OpenCitations and may propose updates and future policies. The OTN is also responsible for monitoring that the work carried out by OpenCitations has been done in accordance with the principles of the statutes and mission and can propose corrective measures if necessary to the International Advisory Board.

The Trustee Network shall:

Monitor with the Director of OpenCitations the annual activities and finances, verifying the appropriate documentation;
Report annually to the I.A. Board;
Approve or reject renewal applications from the Hosting Member, after discussion with the I.A. Board;

Nominate the new Hosting Member, with the voting of I.A. Board.

Informational overview on the Hosting Member of OpenCitations

Please note: the Hosting Membership is not an eligible option of the membership application to OpenCitations.

The Hosting Member is a public, non-profit legal organisation that supports OpenCitations by providing essential resources, services, and staff. Its role is to ensure the smooth administrative, financial, technological, and infrastructural functioning of OpenCitations.

This organisation is responsible for managing the budget, handling day-to-day administration, and legally representing OpenCitations. It also has the right to appoint the Director of OpenCitations from among its own personnel.

The Hosting Member actively takes part in OpenCitations’ governance. Through its appointed representative, it has voting rights in the Council and is also entitled to a seat on the International Advisory (I.A.) Board. In addition, it oversees and manages OpenCitations’ operational activities, except for those decisions that are explicitly reserved for other governance bodies under the Rules.

The appointment of a Hosting Member lasts for eight years and can be renewed. To do so, the current Hosting Member must submit a renewal request at the end of the seventh year. The Trustee Network then evaluates the request, discusses it within the I.A. Board, and decides whether to approve or reject it within three months.

Currently, the Hosting Member of OpenCitations is the University of Bologna.

Documentation

Rules Of Membership

Participation Agreement