How open is open? : Data practices in human-centered mobility research

The XMO Lab at the Geoinformation Research Unit at TU Wien builds its research on a strong commitment to open science, with open data forming the foundation of many of our projects. We extensively rely on openly available resources such as OpenStreetMap and governmental open data to study mobility behavior, urban development, and human-environment interaction. These data sources enable reproducibility, transparency, and scalability across diverse urban contexts. At the same time, a significant part of our work involves collecting human-subject data, including eye-tracking, motion, and behavioral observations in real-world and experimental settings. While we aim to make these datasets as accessible as possible, ethical and privacy considerations impose important limitations. We apply anonymization and data minimization strategies; however, certain data types cannot be fully shared without risking re-identification or violating consent agreements. In this talk, we reflect on our current open science practices, including data sharing, reproducible workflows, and methodological transparency. We also critically discuss the boundaries of openness in human-centered research, highlighting the trade-offs between scientific transparency and ethical responsibility. Our goal is to contribute to a better understanding of what “open” can and should mean in data-intensive mobility research.