Open Science Badges provide quick and easy visual information about whether a publication or project follows the principles of Open Science. The badges serve as an incentive to share Open Data and other research material and to carry out pre-registration. The use of Open Science Badges increases the proportion of Open Data and other freely accessible materials. At the same time, Open Science Badges also strengthen trust in researchers, as shown by the study “Do Open Science Badges Increase Trust in Scientists among Undergraduates, Scientists, and the Public?”.

The Open Science Badges of the Center for Open Science are one example. The badges show the pre-registration of a research design, the existence of Open Data and the open accessibility of materials. A special badge is displayed if there is protected access to open data, i.e. if critical data is stored in a repository and is only accessible after a standardised authorisation procedure. Pre-Registration Plus indicates that there is an analysis plan that corresponds directly to the registered analysis.