| Summary: | In less than one decade the open-access data journal Earth System Science Data (ESSD, a member of the Copernicus Open Access Publisher family) grew from a start-up venture into one of the highest-rated journals in global environmental science. Stimulated by data needs of the International Polar Year 2007-2008, ESSD now serves a very broad community of data providers and users, ensuring that users get free and easy access to quality data products and that providers gain full public credit for preparing, describing and sharing those products. Adopting technology and practices from research journals, ESSD moved data publication from an abstract concept to a working enterprise; several publishers now support similar data-sharing journals. As it confronts increasing challenges and barriers, ESSD serves as a prominent voice for and an example of emphatic fully-free fully-open global data access. Data journals such as ESSD clearly meet a strong community need.
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