Make your research more open
Bitesize advice on how to make your research more open.
What is Open Access?
"Open Access literature (OA) is digital, online, free of charge [for any user], and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions"
(Peter Suber)
Below is a short animation developed by the UK Reproducibility Network introducing the open research practice of open access.
Why publish Open Access?
Dissemination of research as Open Access helps to:
- maximise the visibility and dissemination of your research findings
- increase speed of dissemination of research findings
- widen access to research for reuse by others
- offer access to a broader audience, including academia, businesses, charitable organisations, policymakers, and the wider global society
Routes to Open Access
- Route 1: Publish in a fully Open Access journal or platform
- Route 2: Publish in a subscription journal and deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript in Europe PMC and make it openly available at the time of publication
- Route 3: Publish in a subscription journal through a Read & Publish deal available via the Library
Read more here.
Support within the College
- College Research Office: CMVMopenaccess@ed.ac.uk
- CMVM Open Access and Pure support
Library support
- Scholarly Communications Team: openaccess@ed.ac.uk
Further information
CMVM Open Access SharePoint site
What is open research data?
Open research data is data that can be freely accessed, reused and redistributed, e.g. for academic research and teaching purposes.
Below is a short primer in research data sharing created by the UK Reproducibility Network.
What are the FAIR Data Principles?
The FAIR Data Principles represent a community-developed set of guidelines and best practices to ensure that data or metadata are:
- Findable - easy to find for both humans and computers
- Accessible - accompanied by clear instructions for access and authorisation
- Interoperable - compatible with other data and/or tools
- Reusable - suitably described to allow further reuse
Find out more here.
Why share data openly?
Openly sharing data exposes it for inspection and further scientific verification - this increases quality and transparency of research process.
Library support
Further information
Research Data Management Policy
Data Sharing: a Primer from UKRN
Registry of Research Data Repositories
What is a preprint?
A preprint is an early version of a scholarly article that has not necessarily undergone peer review, made publicly accessible online via a preprint server or a preprint publisher's platform.
Below is a a recording of a 45 minute introductory webinar on preprints created by the Center for Open Science (COS). It covers what preprints/postprints are, the benefits of preprints, and address some common concerns researcher may have.
What is a preprint server?
A preprint server is an online service that allows authors to upload, describe and disseminate preprints. Most disseminate works as freely available open access files with no barriers to access.
Popular preprint servers include arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, PsyArXiv and OSF Preprints.
Why publish preprints?
- it allows you to get your research findings out quickly and increases their visibility
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it establishes the priority of new ideas with publicly time stamped certification and registration
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a preprint DOI can be cited in grant applications and CVs, and cited in advance of publication
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as preprints are open to comments and feedback, this can improve your manuscript and lead to new collaborations
Learn more
FOSTER's Short course on sharing preprints explains what preprints are, their pros and cons, and how sharing preprints can help your career.
What is a pre-registration?
Pre-registration is specifying your research plan and registering in in a public repository, e.g. the Open Science Framework, prior to undertaking the study. As such, pre-registration is a time-stamped record of the study plan, including its design, methods and analysis, undertaken before any data is collected or made accessible.
What is a Registered Report?
Registered Report is a type of journal article that involves peer-review of the study plan (stage 1) before data are collected. If the proposed study is accepted for publication, the study results are published regardless of the outcome, after a stage 2 peer-review to verify that the study plan has been followed.
To find out more, watch the short video below produced by the UK Reproducibility Network.
Why pre-register?
Pre-registration can:
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reduce questionable research practices such as HARKing (Hypothesising After the Results are Known) and p-hacking (collecting or selecting data or conducting statistical analyses until nonsignificant results become significant)
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prevent biases such as selective reporting of outcomes or statistical analyses because the expected outcomes and planned analyses are time-stamped and publicly available
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reduce so called publication bias that happens when studies that do not produce a statistically significant result are less likely to be published than those that do produce a statistically significant result
Learn more
What is open-source research software?
Open-source research software is a type of software where the full source code is available for reuse, scrutiny and adaptation under an open licence. This means it can be inspected, modified and enhanced by anyone.
Watch the short video below produced by the UK Reproducibility Network to find out more:
Why make codes and research software open?
Sharing codes and research software:
- encourages collaboration between developers and code users which can contribute to further code enhancements
- supports reproducibility of research results
- makes research more efficient by reducing duplication of efforts
Learn more:
UKRN's primer explains how to make codes and software open and provide a list of systems for developing, sharing and using open code
What does it mean to use research metrics responsibly?
Responsible use of research metrics refers to the practice of fair and appropriate use of numerical measures and analysis alongside more qualitative information in the assessment of research.
Examples of metrics are bibliometrics (citation and analysis), altmetrics, application and award data, research income, training data, etc.
According to the Metric Tide report, responsible metrics should be considered in terms of:
- Robustness - basing metrics on the best possible data in terms of accuracy and scope;
- Humility - recognising that quantitative evaluation should support (but not supplant) qualitative assessment;
- Transparency - keeping data collection and analytical processes open to scrutiny;
- Diversity - using different indicators to support diversity across the research system;
- Reflexivity - updating our use and understanding of metrics, taking into account their potential effects;
University of Edinburgh's commitment to responsible metrics:
University of Edinburgh is a signatory of:
- the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) which provides a roadmap for global reform in research assessment for universities, funders and individual researchers
- the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), a European initiative with an international span that establishes a common direction for research assessment reform
In addition to this, the University's Statement on the Responsible Use of Research Metrics provides a set of agreed principles on the use of quantitative data/metrics on research activities in all research evaluation and assessment undertaken by the University:
- use a range of consistent and discipline-appropriate quantitative and qualitative measures to support effective decision-making in research evaluation;
- clearly communicate research evaluation methods;
- use suitable indicators and scrutinise them regularly;
- use appropriate quantitative metrics, either normalised or presented with suitable context;
- maintain transparent data collection, linkage and reporting
Learn more:
University Statement on the Responsible Use of Research Metrics
Resources on Responsible Metrics and Good Research Assessment (University staff only)
San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment
The metric tide: review of metrics in research assessment
Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA)
Leiden Manifesto for Research Metrics
Overview of the UK Forum for Responsible Research Metrics
World Conferences on Research Integrity Hong Kong principles