Open Research Conversations: Spring 2025
Our lunchtime Open Research Conversations are free, online and open to all. Each focuses on a specific aspect of open research and features talks from 2-3 speakers followed by questions and discussion. Book your place below:
Wednesday 12th February 2025, 12-1pm
Spotlight on Data Journals
Data journals offer researchers an opportunity to increase the impact of their openly available data by further documenting a dataset and highlighting the possibilities for its exploration and reuse.
In this Open Research Conversation, we’ll explore the phenomenon of data journals from a number of different perspectives and disciplinary contexts. (University of Manchester) will explore her role as editorial board member for the Research Data Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences, while ±¬ÁϹ«Éç researchers Tecla Bonci (Mechanical Engineering) and Jacob MacDonald (Urban Studies and Planning) discuss their own experiences of publishing in data journals.
Key areas of discussion will include the significance of data journals in Humanities and Social Science as well as STEM disciplines, the aspects and use cases of a dataset that publication in a data journal allows academic authors to showcase, and the impacts that can result in terms of visibility, transparency and collaboration.
Wednesday 5th March 2025, 12-1pm
Open research across different epistemic cultures: principles, practices, dis/junctions
The conceptual framework of open research has historically been shaped around quantitative, confirmatory research informed by a positivist epistemological stance. As a result, some have raised questions about its applicability - and those of key tenets including reproducibility and open data - to a broader range of research contexts, with different methods and epistemological approaches.
Just how applicable are the accepted tenets of ‘open science’ or ‘open research’ to broader understandings of research practice? To what extent must they be modified, revised or rewritten in the context of (for example) interpretivist qualitative research, or research in Arts, Humanities and Social Science disciplines? Alternatively, in what ways might ‘best practice’ in such disciplines already embody open research values in ways that go unrecognised within dominant discourses of open science?
Our speakers for this session will be (Utrecht University) (Maastricht University), and (University of Bath).
Wednesday 23rd April 2025, 12-1pm
Early career researchers and open research
Open research practices are increasingly becoming the norm among an emerging generation of researchers, who have the potential to act as agents of change in embedding open practices into the workflows of a research group, subject area or lab. This said, to what extent is it fair or reasonable to expect early career colleagues to carry the burden of transforming the way we conduct research? Early career researchers experience time and career pressures that more established researchers may not, and are arguably less empowered to take ‘risks’ (such as publishing in sustainable and ethical yet ‘low impact factor’ venues) than more established colleagues.
In this Open Research Conversation, we explore the experiences and perspectives of early career colleagues with open research. Speakers include Eleanor Hyde (±¬ÁϹ«Éç), an ECR in the field of Cognitive Psychology; (University of Galway), who will discuss her work on the barriers and enablers to practising open research for early career colleagues, and (±¬ÁϹ«Éç), a current PGR student and open research practitioner in Biosciences.
Wednesday 11th June 2025, 3-4pm
Open data, indigenous data sovereignty and the CARE principles
This session will explore the tensions that exist between the movement towards open data and Indigenous Peoples’ rights to ownership and control over data emerging from their communities.
What frameworks exist to support indigenous data sovereignty, and what tensions and challenges remain? In what ways can the co/production of knowledge relating to indigenous communities proceed ethically and ensure the CARE principles of Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility and Ethics are exercised? What questions does this debate pose to the concept of open data as an inherent good, and how might this idea need to be modified?
We’ll hear from (New York University), whose work addresses intellectual and cultural property law, Indigenous rights and the protection of Indigenous/traditional knowledge and cultural heritage; , head of the at the British Museum, and (Cardiff University), one of the co-directors of the Data Justice Lab and co-founder of the ‘Big Data from the South’ Initiative.
View details of past Open Research Conversations on our events page (scroll down).