This collection comprises scholarly essays, review articles, practice papers and research articles that discuss issues around Open Science, including topics raised in ‘Open Science for a Global Transformation’ and in ‘Open Science for a Global Transformation’the draft UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. The guest editors invite the global research data community, such as the readership of the Data Science Journal and those engaged with the Data Together organisations and other data and information organisations, to seize this opportunity and to contribute to a scholarly debate in relation to the process for the ‘UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science’ . This will both provide a resource which can be fed into the direct process of consultation and feedback, and offer a longer-lasting collection of public and reasoned views and debate on the age-defining issue of Open Science. We are particularly interested in articles documenting regional dimensions, exploring neglected issues, critiques and arguments to improve the Recommendation, and discussions of issues to address in order to ensure positive and equitable outcomes from Open Science implementation. There will also be opportunities for further discussion at the ‘International (Virtual) FAIR Convergence Symposium in December 2020’and other events such as the Virtual RDA Plenary meeting in November 2020.