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3.1 Open Science publication strategy

Description

In this unit you will learn to:

  • Design an Open Science publishing strategy for the dissemination of research results

Learning resources

Open Science Publishing Strategy

In our training so far we have looked at:

  • Open Science and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
  • Research data management
  • FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
  • Data documentation

These areas form the basis of our approach to the effective management and dissemination of research data. But how do we prioritise, or organise our publication strategy according to Open Science that goes beyond data but is inclusive of them. Data are not produced individually, but rather they should be part of a wider publication strategy that involves various aspects of the research effort. To that end a publication strategy and open science tool was created by Jeroen Bosman and Bianca Kramer.

The publication strategy planning tool is divided into five sections: Why, What, When, How, and Where. Each section helps researchers outline their publishing goals and strategies.

  1. WHY: Lists reasons for publishing, such as establishing priority on findings, promoting visibility, and fostering careers.
  2. WHAT: Types of publications, including data papers, systematic reviews, and blogs.
  3. WHEN: Timing for publishing, such as during open drafting or after peer review.
  4. HOW: Methods and practices, including peer review types and adding plain language summaries.
  5. WHERE: Venues for publishing, like open access journals and institutional repositories.

Each item includes checkboxes for selection. Starting from the first column, once you select a choice, then it provides some suggestions as to what else it should be possibly included your publication strategy moving forward and at different times.

The value of this tool is not to use it as is, but rather to adapt to the specific domain for training. It provides the foundation for a conversation of what should be included in open science publishing strategy, but the tool is only half-complete without insights and feedback from researchers as individuals or research teams.

Feedback from the pilot exercise about the strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

  • Provides comprehensive information on options and issues that may not have been considered previously.
  • Serves as a good conversation starter.
  • Useful and adaptable to different settings.
  • Interactive and informative, encouraging discussion about different reasons and methods of publication.

Weaknesses:.

  • Uses specific terminology that may not be universally understood.
  • Lacks space to assign responsibilities and track task completion dates.
  • Difficult to apply a "one size fits all" approach across disciplines.
  • Lack of specific elements such as monographs, digital scholarly editions and preprints.
  • Some terminologies and categorisations may not be fully aligned with Open Science practices.

Examples of Open Science publishing platforms

ResearchEquals

ResearchEquals is an open science platform designed by researchers to facilitate sharing and collaboration in the research community. It supports different research outputs such as data, code and protocols, allowing researchers to publish and discover modules throughout the research lifecycle. The platform emphasises transparency, reproducibility and accessibility, making it easier for researchers to build on each other's work and contribute to the advancement of science.

Octopus

Octopus is an innovative publishing platform for scientific research, funded by UKRI. It allows researchers to publish their work in full detail free of charge, facilitating peer review and quality assessment. Octopus supports eight publication types aligned with the research process, increasing transparency and recognition. The platform promotes open access, incentivises best practice and aims to improve research culture by addressing issues such as lack of collaboration and questionable research practices.

References

Bosman, J. & Kramer, B. (2022) Publication strategy and Open Science. Retrieved July 17, 2024 from https://tinyurl.com/publishing-strategy