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Open research

Information is provided on a number of different ways you can embed open practices into your research.

Upcoming Research Spotlight webinars

A collection of computer and laptop screens showing online meetings.

We run regular online presentations by guest speakers on different aspects of research. Recordings of past webinars are also available.

RMIT's Open Scholarship Policy - What it means for you as a researcher.

Hosted by Anne Lennox and Tristan Badham from the Library's Research Support and Services team, the session will delve into the core aspects of open research and gain a comprehensive understanding of the university's enterprise-wide policy.  

This session aims to heighten awareness and illuminate the crucial role researchers play in advancing open scholarship. Explore the policy's implications for your work and discover how you can actively contribute to the university's commitment to open research practices.  

Date & Time:  February 21, 2.20pm to 3.30pm


Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay

What is open research?

Open research is “scholarly research that is collaborative, transparent and reproducible and whose outputs are publicly available” (European Commission, 2018, p. 4)

Open research applies to the entire research cycle, not just open access publishing. Open research extends to all disciplines and types of research, inclusive of protocols, data, code, software, publications, and more. Many elements of the research lifecycle can be made open, transparent, and reproducible.

Reference

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2018). OSPP-REC : Open Science Policy Platform Recommendations, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5b05b687-907e-11e8-8bc1-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

Open research principles

The principles of open research will be reflected in the policies of public funders and organisations that promote greater public access to research. The principles apply to all researchers and all disciplines, and are:

  • Accessible outputs - making the outputs of research, including publications, data, software, and other research materials freely accessible
  • Transparent processes - using online tools and services to increase the transparency of research processes and methodologies
  • Reproducible - making scientific research more reproducible by increasing the amount and quality of information placed on the public record
  • Faster dissemination - using alternative models of publication and peer review to make the dissemination and certification of research faster and more transparent
  • Open collaboration - Using open collaborative methods to increase efficiency and widen participation in research

Open licenses

'Open means anyone can freely access, use, modify, and share for any purpose' (The Open Definition)

The outputs of research, including publications, research data and software code, should be shared under an open licence wherever possible, in order to maximise opportunities for their consultation and re-use by others.

Examples of open licences include:

The Creative Commons licence suite includes versions with Non-Commercial and No-Derivatives terms. These are not open licences, because of the restrictions the terms place on re-use. But if the material cannot be made available under an open licence, it is still wise to publish under a standard licence that offers the closest approximation. CC BY-NC may not be an open licence, but it grants broad permission for use in research and teaching and other non-commercial activities.

Reference

"Open definition" by Open Knowledge Foundation is licensed under CC BY 4.0

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