Cost-benefit of open research infrastructures: the case of the Portuguese repositories network RCAAP

Open Science is transforming research and knowledge sharing by promoting transparency, collaboration, innovation, and scientific progress. Despite its integration into major policy frameworks and funding programs like Horizon Europe, there is a pressing need for evidence on its economic impacts to validate the investment made by funders and institutions. This presentation highlights the findings of a cost-benefit analysis of the Portuguese network of open access repositories, RCAAP, conducted as part of the PathOS project. PathOS aims to assess the effects of OS through impact pathway analysis, literature reviews, causal effect narratives, and CBA. RCAAP serves as Portugal's central system for discovering and retrieving scientific content, hosting hundreds of thousands of outputs. Its goals include enhancing the visibility and accessibility of Portuguese research, facilitating access to research outputs, and integrating Portugal into international OA initiatives. The CBA of RCAAP analyzed its infrastructure, services, and usage data collected via desk research, surveys, and interviews. The study compared the benefits of RCAAP's operation with a counterfactual scenario in which RCAAP does not exist. Findings revealed substantial net benefits, including cost savings in storage, infrastructure, and labor for institutions and reduced access costs for users. These results underscore the significant economic and research impact of OS practices.