Open Science for Welfare: Reflections on the FOSSR Digital Infrastructure

Journal title WELFARE E ERGONOMIA
Author/s Caterina Ambrosio, Ciro Clemente De Falco, Luciana Taddei
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 13 P. 41-53 File size 130 KB
DOI 10.3280/WE2026-0001004
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In recent years, the growing emphasis on big data has fostered the belief that virtually any social, economic, or political phenomenon can be analysed through data. This enthusiasm, intertwined with the rise of open data, has encouraged the use of social big data derived from social media platforms to investigate a wide range of social dynamics, often at relatively low cost. However, these data sources also present significant limitations, including limited representativeness, lack of socio-demographic information, restricted accessibility, and risks of underrepresentation associated with the digital divide. In response to these challenges, the literature increasingly highlights the need to integrate big data with other sources, such as official statistical surveys, probabilistic panels, and European research infrastructures. This contribution takes the form of a case study developed according to a purposeful selection logic, identifying SHARE-ERIC, EU-SILC, and the LISS panel as established experiences of longitudinal research infrastructures for policy design and the development of evidence-based public policies. Added to this is the FOSSR project, which offers a new analytical perspective for evidence-based welfare. The paper shows that neither the exclusive use of panel data nor of big data alone is sufficient to guide welfare policies, and it highlights the crucial role that an ecosystem of panel research infrastructures integrated with big data and advanced analytical tools can play.

Keywords: open science; big data; research infrastructures; welfare.

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Caterina Ambrosio, Ciro Clemente De Falco, Luciana Taddei, L’Open Science per il Welfare: riflessioni sull’infrastruttura digitale FOSSR in "WELFARE E ERGONOMIA" 1/2026, pp 41-53, DOI: 10.3280/WE2026-0001004