New case studies released alongside updated primer on open research in different disciplines
Today UKRN releases both an updated version of its primer on open research in different disciplines, and a new set of accompanying case studies, hosted on dedicated UKRN pages for each discipline.
The case studies – 23 so far – are based on interviews conducted during summer 2022 with active researchers across the UK and beyond. They describe a wide range of research practices across diverse fields of research, from art and design to condensed matter physics, and outline both why and how openness is relevant.
They cover topics such as open access and open data and software, but also co-production, pre-registration, preprints, ethics, the roles of infrastructure, and of other actors such as funders, standards bodies and community groups.
Left to right: Nicola Knight, Samantha Kanza, Professor Jeremy Frey
“… you need huge amounts of data, but it’s got to be quality data, you’ve got to understand about that data, all aspects. Where did it come from? What was it measured on? What are the issues? What are the uncertainties? That means traceability is really important, we’ve got to understand the whole pathway to that data, which means it’s no good just getting hold of a number that’s the answer, you need to know a lot more about it than that, and that means you’ve got to have that transparency…”
Professor Jeremy Frey, University of Southampton
To illustrate the richness of those interviews, necessarily condensed in the written case studies, we are also releasing the full interview that two early career chemists, Samantha Kanza and Nicola Knight, did with Professor Jeremy Frey at the University of Southampton. Having been a leader in open chemistry research for decades, Professor Frey provides a truly expert and detailed account – Audio of interview with Professor Jeremy Frey
We hope these case studies will both demonstrate the relevance of openness and transparency across all research fields, and provide insight into the varying modalities of this relevance.
Could you add to our collection?
We know about some other collections of similar openly licensed case studies produced by universities across the UK, and we would be keen to add links to these as they become available to create a very rich resource for those promoting and supporting open research.
Please email ukrn-admin@bristol.ac.uk to add your case studies to UKRN webpages.