Open data and sharing of methods have become valuable practices of research. Producing knowledge and sharing open data are not isolated from the core functions of higher education institutions but are a part of the external activities of the scholarly community. In order to make use of open data, tools and resources are needed to identify and utilize the data for purposes such as evidence-based decision making. It is primarily about engagement of scholars and their core tasks. It is evident that engagement seems to be realised in different ways, depending on each scholar’s discipline, type of higher education institution and the stage of their career. This presentation is based on data collected at the end of 2018 to determine engagement in external activities.