Open Research encompasses a range of practices that aim to ensure the widest possible public benefit from research. This includes making data and publications available under terms that permit reuse, whenever possible and appropriate. However, Open Research goes beyond open data and Open Access, and includes research designs and infrastructure that support participation, engagement, and transparency. We have a growing collection of videos that offer short introductory training and practical guidance. Below you will find the links to a series of bite-sized sessions that cover different aspects of the Open Research world.
Open Research at Brookes
Research funders increasingly require the bids they fund to incorporate suitable open research practices. Guidance for REF 2029 also emphasises open access publications, and other aspects of open research culture. That said, Open Research offers further benefits to researchers, their institutions, and the research community that are worth considering:
- A larger audience, leading to the potential for increased citation, usage, and impact
- Opportunities for wider collaboration, both through interdisciplinary conversations and public engagement
- An improved evidence base and academic rigour, through transparent and replicable methods and data reuse
Data may be covered by data protection laws — including sensitive data about participants, and commercially sensitive material. Typically such material cannot be shared, though in certain cases it may be possible to share derived data sets, for example, if these can be anonymised.
A publication that discloses an inventive, commercially useful, and otherwise novel work would compromise a future patent application, if it is published before the patent is secured. Academic publications related to patented work can be open, after the patent has been secured.
Some research projects do not lend themselves to specific open research methods (e.g., citizen science or pre-registration). Appropriate methods should be selected, and research quality is typically the paramount consideration.
The Wellcome Trust has published a blog post that talks about when and how sensitive data can (sometimes) be shared safely.
If you intend to share your work, the first step is to ensure that you have appropriate legal protections in place. The mechanisms of open licensing and rights retention are built on top of traditional exclusive rights, most prominently through copyright law, but also through patents, trademarks, and, where relevant, contracts.
For more information or to discuss a specific IP question, please refer to Oxford Brookes IP Policy or contact rieenquiries@brookes.ac.uk
As mentioned above, Open Research spans everything from data to methods to results. Open Access covers publications, typically reflected in the last stage only. The scholarly communications team has provided guidance on this topic.
Regarding other aspects, as appropriate to your topic and domain — and keeping in mind the limitations above — here are some key open research practices:
- Sharing your methods, code, and other materials publicly and early, in a way that allows others to build on them. Be “intelligently open”, by making sure that you present these materials in a way that is understandable and assessable by others
- Use a licence or waiver to allow anyone to freely re-use, modify, and re-share your research data
- Take further steps to ensure that your data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable (or “FAIR”)
- Join an Open Research community or project, and look for ways to involve others in your research
Contact us for more information: openresearch@brookes.ac.uk
Oxford Brookes is a member of the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) and a participant in UKRN’s Open Research Programme (running 2021 to 2026).
The UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) is a national peer-led consortium that aims to ensure the UK retains its place as a centre for world-leading research. It does this by:
Investigating factors that contribute to robust research
Promoting training activities, and disseminates best practice, including through the Open Research Programme
Working collaboratively with various external stakeholders to ensure coordination of efforts across the sector
Through the Open Research Programme, Brookes staff have the opportunity to participate in sharing effective practice across the sector. As a member organisation in the UK Reproducibility Network, we have a Local Network for Open and Reproducible Research that you can join to continue the conversation with others here at Brookes. For more information, please contact Joseph Corneli jcorneli@brookes.ac.uk, Open Research Project Manager in the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Enterprise.
- Open Research Across Disciplines (Source: UKRN)
- Registered Reports (Source: Centre for Open Science)
- Guidance on Open Access publishing for UKRI funded monographs, book chapters and edited collections (Source: UKRI)
- Science as an open enterprise (Source: Royal Society)
- UKRI - Open Research
- Wellcome Foundation - Open Research
- At-a-glance information about other funders (Source: Research Data Oxford University)