Open Research

The aim of open research is to make knowledge openly available, accessible, and reusable for everyone. 

We support researchers at Edge Hill in improving the discoverability and accessibility of their work.

As a term, open research is interchangeable with open scholarship and open science (commonly used elsewhere in the world).

Read the University's Open Research statement

Open research explained

“Open science is a set of principles and practices that aim to make scientific research from all fields accessible to everyone for the benefits of scientists and society as a whole. Open science is about making sure not only that scientific knowledge is accessible but also that the production of that knowledge itself is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.”

UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science

Kelsey Bezaire and Dr Helen Gray (Newcastle University) have produced a comic about open research to help researchers understand the principles and practices, including addressing common questions and barriers to implementation, regardless of discipline.

The University of Glasgow’s video is a good review of the practices that you can adopt before, during and after a project.

Benefits of open research

Sharing publications, software, code, data and protocols benefits research and society in the following ways:

• Improves research integrity, preventing data manipulation or misrepresentation, and giving greater confidence in published findings.
• Increases citation rates by enabling researchers’ work to reach the widest audience and removing cost barriers.
• Enhances collaboration opportunities.
• Enables greater efficiencies (and value for money) as research does not need to be repeated.
• Maximises research impact.
• Increases researchers’ profiles and visibility both within and outside their discipline.
• Compliance with funder policies can enhance future funding opportunities and career opportunities.

UK Reproducibility Network

The UKRN is a national peer-led consortium, with a broad disciplinary representation, whose aim is to develop approaches that improve the trustworthiness and quality of research.

Edge Hill is an institutional member of the UKRN and has two Institutional Leads who have responsibility for research improvement and research integrity. They are Leon Culbertson, Dean of the Graduate School, and Nik Bessis, Professor of Computer Science.

We also have a Local UKRN Lead, Michel Belyk, Senior Lecturer in Psychology.

Further support