Open research, open scholarship, and open science are all relatively interchangeable terms that refer to international efforts "to foster greater transparency and trust for the benefit of scientific research" (European Commission).
The most widespread open research practice is providing open access to publications and research data, particularly when the underpinning research has been funded by public bodies, such as the members of cOAlition S (which includes Taighde Éireann/Science Foundation Ireland, 20 other national funders, and several charitable funders and other organisations) and the National Institutes of Health in the US.
In Ireland, the National Action Plan for Open Research identifies three themes for our vision of achieving "a research system fully aligned with open research principles and practices" by 2030; namely, (1) establishing a culture of open research, (2) achieving 100% open access to research publications, and (3) enabling FAIR research data and other outputs.
"By 2030, a culture of open research will be embedded at every level of the Irish research system. The re-orientation of research recognition and rewards towards responsible research evaluation and open research metrics and practices will be well underway or complete, and approaches to research assessment will be broadly aligned at a system level across all stakeholders. Researchers at all career levels will have opportunities to learn open research skills, with clear incentives to do so. Across the system, there will be widely available specialist open research support for researchers, provided by dedicated support professionals, who have access to accredited training and clear career progression routes. Embedding open research through responsible research evaluation and assessment, national training and education, and increased specialist support, will promote and support the quality and impact of Irish research". (National Action Plan for Open Research, p. 6)
Some common open practices include using persistent identifiers, providing open access to data, and creating and using open educational resources. You can find more about how we support these activities at the University of Galway in the links at the bottom of this page.
If you want to make your work even more robust, rigorous, and sustainable, further components include:
Many things are better with friends, and this is especially true of open research. In Galway, we have a number of ways for you to join our communities.
Open Scholarship Community Galway: local branch (including Atlantic Technological University) of the International Open Science and Scholarship Communities network, with 2300 members across 18 countries
ReproducibiliTea journal club: hybrid meetings to discuss a pre-selected paper – this is an ideal way to start your journey to open research. Volunteer introducers and reading suggestions are always welcome!
Digital Humanities Research Group: seminars offered by the DHRG covering digital projects undertaken by Galway researchers (mailing list and registration available via the link)
MakerSpace: all staff and students have access to free 3D printing, drones, VR headsets, tripods, and more in the MakerSpace. Come to a workshop and see how you could incorporate these resources into your next project! Students will receive full training on all the equipment when they volunteer to facilitate workshops and help to maintain the space.
Open Research Café: informal meetings in person for researchers and support staff to share experiences and ask questions
Please email Jen Smith, Open Research Librarian, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about other groups in Galway.
University of Galway staff are also active in national and international networks, including:
Health Research Board (HRB) Open Research National Steering Group: The HRB Open Research platform is an innovative way for all HRB-funded researchers to publish their results and source data quickly, with open peer review. The steering group comprises individuals who have a strong interest in open research and improving the dissemination of research findings.
ENLIGHT Open Science Ambassadors: ENLIGHT (European university Network to promote equitable quality of Life, sustaInability, and Global engagement through Higher education Transformation) is an alliance of ten European universities that shares a deep commitment to social responsibility. University of Galway is one of the partners, and a key work package from the first round of the project is the Open Science Toolkit.
Center for Open Science (COS) Ambassadors: The mission of the COS is to "increase openness, integrity, and reproducibility of research". They are responsible for the Open Science Framework (OSF) that facilitates open research collaboration.
University of Galway librarians have a wealth of experience in supporting good research practice across the institution.
Please see the following guides for more information:
The Library proactively supports and enhances the learning, teaching, and research activities of the University. The Library acts as a catalyst for your success as University of Galway’s hub for scholarly information discovery, sharing, and publication.
Library
University of Galway
University Road,
Galway, Ireland
T. +353 91 493399
