We are pleased to announce that our guidebook for Local Network Leads is now available as a preprint.
Local Networks provide a mechanism through which the aims of the UKRN can be promoted within a research institution. This can include organising journal clubs and visiting speakers, disseminating guidance, running training workshops, establishing open research working groups and advocating for the wider adoption of best practice within the institution.
Our Local Networks Leads are key to this, they provide the point of contact for UKRN and represent the grassroots network of researchers within their institution. But what do they actually do? And how? Huge amounts of tacit knowledge are held within our LNL community and the Community Project team have worked with LNLs to harness this and create a guidebook for the benefit of all LNLs.
The guidebook can help new and current LNLs better understand the role of an LNL and its many benefits, and plan objectives and activities. There are also top tips, insights and personal reflections from current LNLs. It is packed full of information and ideas, and we hope it will become a useful resource for our LNL community.
The guidebook is a dynamic document that will be reviewed and updated annually. The next review date is March 2025.
We thank everyone who has contributed to the document, in particular our lead author Dr Samuel Westwood, King’s College London.