When the Working Group on Open Data in Science was launched back in 2009, our activities were focused very much around open data. Flagship projects included the Panton Principles for open data in science and the web service Is It Open Data?.

However, over the last three years our membership has grown (the open-science mailing list currently has over 350 subscribers) and diversified as momentum behind the movement towards open science has grown for open data but also open access, citizen science and open research.

To reflect this change, a recent proposal went through the open-science list without objection for an official name change. The new title of Open Science Working Group better incorporates the range of our activities which now extend to citizen science projects such as pyBOSSA and open access activities alongside the newly formed @ccess group.

We look forward to continue working to build tools and guidelines to promote open science under our more inclusive banner!