What is Open Research?
The idea behind Open Research (also known as 'Open Science' or 'Open Scholarship') is that the outputs of research should be open for the world to see. There are many benefits to opening up the research process, including:
- faster and more efficient progress
- greater inclusivity of academics anywhere in the world
- better public understanding and involvement in research
- more chances for research to impact the 'real world'
- more effective use of public funds
- reproducible research with increased trust
- better networking opportunities and career prospects for academics
What research outputs can be open?
Publications
Journal articles can easily be made open access, so anyone in the world can read them for free. At Cambridge, there is an Open Access team that will help you with the process.
Even academic books can be published open access, or become open access after an embargo period. Many publishers and Universities are working together to help academics share their work this way.
Research data
The data underpinning your research should be shared whenever possible, so that your conclusions are well-substantiated claims. Plus, others will be able to reuse your data in creative ways to answer novel questions. Data is cited like any other publications, so you will get credit whenever it is reused.
The Research Data team can help you manage and share your data.
Protocols and code
Sharing the steps that led you from hypothesis to conclusions can also be incredibly helpful to other researchers, and to yourself as you can demonstrate all the hard work you have done. Protocols, survey instruments, annotated code, and any other element of your research can be shared, reused, and cited.
Public engagement
Brining other stakeholders into the research process can give you new insights and help them feel engaged with the results. Public engagement is not just about explaining your research to others, it is about entering into a dialogue with those who are affected by your research. Ask questions, plan together, even collect data together in a citizen science project.
If you are feeling a little bored with your project, seeing someone else get enthusiastic about it can be a welcome boost! The Public Engagement team can help you think about how this may work for you.
University's position statement
The University of Cambridge is committed to open research. The Open Research Position Statement was approved in 2019 and sets out the expectations for both researchers and the institution.
The University encourages outputs of research, and where appropriate the accompanying data, to be ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary’.
- The University’s Open Research Position Statement, 2019
Image credits
Image credits
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