We are delighted to announce the publication of six Open Research case studies from researchers at the University of Reading, and the launch of our new Open Research Handbook.
Open Research case studies
The case studies, from University researchers and research students in the environmental sciences, psychology, and philosophy, discuss a variety of Open Research practices, including Open Access publishing, sharing of data and code, Open Source software distribution, conducting a replication study, using a public platform to pre-register a study design, and running a successful citizen science project.
Our authors explain how and why they used open practices in their research, the benefits realised as a result, and the challenges they encountered on the way. The majority of these case studies originated from entries in the Open Research Award competition which we held earlier this year, and include the winning entry, a description of a replication study in experimental philosophy conducted by Kathryn Francis, Nat Hansen and Philip Beaman.
We have published these case studies to show you how researchers at this University are using the tools of Open Research to improve the quality of their work, to make their results more reproducible, and to communicate their findings more accessibly and efficiently. These researchers have embraced the possibilities of Open Research not only because they believe it is right to do so, but because being open works for them – it makes their research more effective. We hope you will be inspired by the example of your colleagues and students harnessing the power of Open Research.
The following case studies have been released:
- Emily Black and Ross Maidment (Meteorology): TAMSAT-ALERT open drought monitoring tool
- Jon Blower (Institute for Environmental Analytics): Open Source software for environmental data visualisation
- Rebecca Emerton (Meteorology): open global flood forecasting tool
- Kathryn Francis, Nat Hansen and Philip Beaman (Psychology and Philosophy): pre-registration and a replication study for reproducible science
- Shannon Jones and Chris Scott (Meteorology): using citizen science to watch solar storms
- Inge Lasser (Centre for Integrative Neuroscience & Neurodynamics): fostering an Open Science culture in the CINN laboratories
We are looking for more case studies to publish, in any subject, from research-active staff and PhD students. If you have an Open Research case study to share, we would love to hear from you. Find out more on the case studies page of the Open Research Handbook.
Open Research Handbook
We understand that Open Research can seem overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start, what to do, what is the best tool for job, and who to go to for help. Which is why we have developed the University’s Open Research Handbook. The Handbook provides a practical guide to Open Research, explaining in detail how to use key open practices effectively, and pointing you to key tools and resources.
The Handbook includes sections on open licences, Open Access, open research data, open research software and code, preprints, open peer review, reproducibility, open collaboration and citizen science, creating an Open Research culture, and information about help and training. You can also find out how to submit an Open Research case study to us for publication.
Join the Open Research conversation!
The University is working hard to put into practice its commitment to the aims and principles of Open Research. The members of the Library’s Research Engagement team are passionate about making research at the University more open, more transparent and more reproducible, and we want to work with our academics and students in pursuit of these ends.
We wish to extend and deepen the Open Research conversation with our research community. Here are some things you can do now:
- We want more case studies! If you or a colleague or a student have an Open Research story to tell, we would love to hear about it. Published case studies will be featured in Open Research communications activities. Visit the case studies page of the Open Research Handbook to find out more.
- Organise a workshop. If you and your colleagues/students would like to explore aspects of open practice in more depth, or learn how to use particular tools for your research, let us know and we will be happy to organise something with you.
- Talk to us. We have developed these resources for you. Are they useful to you? Is there something missing you would like to see? Tell us what you think. We’re always happy to talk Open Research with you.
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