Welfare Science

Animal Welfare Open Data and Transparency

Open data sharing in animal welfare research accelerates progress by enabling wider analysis, replication, and translation of findings.

Key Facts

Most animal welfare research is published behind paywalls inaccessible to practitioners
Open access publishing is expanding in veterinary and welfare science
Data sharing enables meta-analyses that reveal patterns invisible in single studies
Transparency in welfare audit data enables consumer and industry accountability
Government welfare monitoring data is increasingly publicly available in some countries

Welfare Considerations

Welfare science that cannot be accessed by farmers, veterinarians, and policymakers cannot influence practice. Open data and open access publishing dramatically increase the reach and impact of welfare research, enabling findings to be translated into practice faster and more widely. Transparency in welfare monitoring data creates accountability that drives improvement.

What You Can Do

Support open access animal welfare research through donations and advocacy
Choose open access journals when publishing welfare research
Advocate for open welfare audit data from certification schemes
Use publicly available welfare monitoring data in advocacy work