Open Data in educational research: Possibilities, challenges, and reflections

Open Data is an essential practice within the Open Science movement and is increasingly addressed in research policy and journal guidelines. However, its adoption in educational research remains limited. We show that the prevalence of Open Data in four key German-language educational research journals is indeed limited (5.84% between 2020 and 2024). Accordingly, we argue that educational research should debate Open Data more openly. The aim of this article is therefore to inform researchers on Open Data to stimulate that debate. To this end, we situate Open Data within the specific epistemological, methodological, and ethical context of educational research and assess its potential and limitations. We discuss key dimensions relevant to evaluating Open Data, including differentiated access models, licensing options, FAIR principles, infrastructural requirements, and challenges associated with qualitative data. Against this background, arguments in favour of Open Data—such as cumulative knowledge building, transparency, and efficiency—are contrasted with potential unintended consequences, including methodological risks, epistemological tensions, interactions with publication practices, and implications for research pluralism. Drawing on the literature and reflective considerations, we put forward a nuanced position in which Open Data is a valuable Open Science practice in educational research, while emphasizing the need for context-sensitive, ethically grounded, and voluntary implementation rather than uniform mandates.