scholarly journals Open Science approaches at the University of Edinburgh

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Scholarly Communications ◽  
University Of Edinburgh ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University

Watch the VIDEO.The University of Edinburgh is a large, research-intensive, civic university at the heart of Scotland’s capital. As a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), the Universitas 21 consortium and the Russell Group, we value and cultivate partnerships and collaborations as second nature, and seek to be recognised among the world’s top universities. These are interesting times for us, not least from Open (and data-driven) Science perspectives. In May 2018 the LERU Rectors Assembly assembled in Edinburgh, where they collectively endorsed LERU’s Roadmap for Open Science; a movement which requires considerable alterations to traditional researcher behaviours, and increasingly balancing intellectual investment and ownership of research with “the common good.” More recently, in August the UK Prime Minister and the Scottish First Minister met at the University to launch the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, a £1.3bn investment package designed to increase the contribution of research, data analytics expertise and graduate skills to the region’s economy, ultimately aiming to make Edinburgh “the data capital of Europe.” The timing of these developments provides a challenge, however, as Edinburgh, Scotland and the rest of the UK prepare to leave the European Union in the Spring of 2019. In an ideal world Science and Scholarship would be independent of political shifts, focused as they are on ideals of universal truth, but the means via which research is funded, performed and disseminated are necessarily grounded in political reality. Edinburgh’s default responses to the changes and challenges we face are to influence them positively – or mitigate them proactively – wherever we can, and to prepare ourselves for their impact where we cannot do otherwise. The University’s newly integrated Research Data Support (RDS) team is a cornerstone of our institutional Digital Research Services. We aim to provide holistic, responsive, tailored and researcher-focused support to the University community, helping collectively meet contemporary expectations in scholarly communications, including Open Science requirements to make data (and code) available alongside publications to enable their conclusions to be reproduced. The RDS has published a Roadmap for ongoing development, and alongside other infrastructural and support units such as the Scholarly Communications and Research Information Systems functions – and together with the externally focused infrastructure, advocacy and skills development centres that Edinburgh hosts, such as the Digital Curation Centre and the Software Sustainability Institute – we are a key component of the University’s broader Open Science strategy. In this presentation we will describe and discuss Edinburgh’s Open Science environment and approaches, within the broader landscape of changing expectations, political risks and scientific and societal opportunities. We will discuss the benefits and challenges of Open approaches within and beyond the Sciences, and the challenges involved in turning the European Commission’s “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” dictum into reality, including outreach and skills development activities. Finally we will look at the University’s current RDS Roadmap, and consider how this might develop and adapt in the exciting (and potentially turbulent) years ahead.

El informe sobre las implicaciones de la independencia de Escocia y su adhesión a la Unión Europea

2014 ◽  
pp. 981-1016
Author(s):  
Carlos COELLO MARTÍN ◽  
Fernando GONZÁLEZ BOTIJA
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Alternative Possibility ◽  
British Government ◽  
International Organisations ◽  
New States ◽  
University Of Edinburgh ◽  
Scottish Independence ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
The Eu

LABURPENA: Gobernu britainiarrak azterketa bat argitaratu du Eskozia burujabe batek ekarriko lituzkeen ondorioei buruz. Dokumentu horri erantsita doa bi irakasleren azterketa (James Crawford eta Alan Boyle, Edinburgoko Unibertsitatekoak), Eskoziaren burujabetza-erreferendumari buruzko alderdi juridikoak jorratuz. Bertan ondorioztatzen denez, Eskozia burujabe egiten bada, estatu berritzat hartuko da nazioarteko Zuzenbidearen ikuspegitik, eta gainerako estatuak oraingo Erresuma Batua ordeztuko luke, bere erakundeei eutsiz, eta bi estatu berri agertzearen ideia baztertuz. Horregatik, gainerako Erresuma Batuak orain kide den nazioarteko erakundeen kide izaten jarraituko luke, eta Eskoziak bere atxikipena eskatu beharko luke estatu berri gisa. Hala gertatuko litzateke, adibidez, Europar Batasunarekin. RESUMEN: El Gobierno britanico ha publicado un documento de analisis sobre las implicaciones que conllevaria una Escocia independiente. Como anexo a dicho documento se encuentra el estudio de dos profesores (James Crawford y Alan Boyle de la Universidad de Edimburgo) que analizan los aspectos juridicos del referendum sobre la independencia de Escocia. En ese estudio se concluye que si Escocia llega a ser independiente, se considerara como un nuevo Estado desde el punto de vista del Derecho internacional y el resto del actual Estado sucedera al actual Reino Unido, conservando sus instituciones, rechazandose la idea de que aparezcan dos nuevos Estados. Por ello el resto del Reino Unido continuaria como miembro de las organizaciones internacionales de las que es actualmente miembro, mientras que Escocia tendria que solicitar su adhesion como un nuevo Estado. Este seria el caso de la Union Europea. ABSTRACT: The British Government has published a major analysis paper on the implications of Scottish independence: ≪Scotland Analysis: Devolution and the Implications of Scottish Independence≫. The paper annexes an Opinion written by Professor James Crawford along with Professor Alan Boyle of the University of Edinburgh, entitled ‘Opinion: Referendum on the Independence of Scotland – International Law Aspects’. The Opinion concludes that if Scotland becomes independent, it will be considered a new state as a matter of international law and the remainder of the UK will continue the legal identity of the UK and retain its existing institutions generally uninterrupted. It rejects the alternative possibility that Scotland and the remainder of the UK will both be considered new states. The Opinion also concludes that one consequence of this is that the remainder of the UK will continue its membership of international organisations, whereas Scotland will have to join many of them as a new state. In particular, Scotland will have to join the EU as a new member state.

scholarly journals FAIR and Open Research Metadata as Leverage for Digital Libraries: The Flemish Case

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadia Vancauwenbergh
Keyword(s):  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Digital Repository ◽  
Meta Data ◽  
Content Creation ◽  
Open Research ◽  
Content Consumption ◽  
Digital Objects

Since the advent of the digital age, academic libraries have been transforming from traditional libraries to digital libraries. While digitisation of published materials has been taking place in most libraries, research data is not yet a common good. However, in an era where the Open Science movement affectuates the modus operandi of the entire research ecosystem, it is paramount for digital libraries to include information on other digital objects such as research data. In fact, FAIR and Open research (meta)data can truly act as a leverage for digital libraries and broaden the scope of the library from a place for content consumption to a place for content creation. In order to take on this role, digital libraries must cooperate with ICT and the research community to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to store research (meta)data and that the librarians have the digital skill set for handling FAIR and Open research (meta)data. Throughout the chapter, we will elaborate on the essentials for creating a digital repository, with emphasis on the underlying metadata scheme using the Flemish application profile for research data as example. In addition, we will highlight the essential roles for operating digital libraries containing research data.

scholarly journals Adapting to a Dynamic Higher Education Environment – How the University of Glasgow Library Is Taking Up the Challenge

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Susan Ashworth
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Research Assessment ◽  
Institutional Repository ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
Scholarly Communications ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University

The University of Glasgow Library is continuously developing space and services to meet the need of students and researchers in an evolving higher education landscape. We are an evidence-based organisation and have used tools such as ethnography, surveys and focus groups to understand how users interact with the physical and virtual library. We have also introduced new roles and created new partnerships across the University, particularly in the context of the United Kingdom Government’s policy on open access and funder requirements for the management of research data. This paper will focus on how the University of Glasgow Library is adapting to both the dynamic scholarly communications environment and the demands of our national research exercise and evidence from users and changing student needs. Every six years in the UK, there is a national research assessment exercise called the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and measurement of the performance of research outputs is a key part of that exercise. From 1st April 2016, in order to be eligible for the next REF, the accepted final version of journal articles and conference proceedings must have been deposited into an institutional repository within three months of the date of acceptance and made open access. Many research funders, such as the Wellcome Trust, also have policies on open access. The Library, in close partnership with the University’s Research Office, has taken the lead in publicising these policies to ensure that researchers are aware of their responsibilities. It has also developed new functionality in Enlighten, our institutional repository service to support compliance. In 2015, the Library commissioned an in-depth ethnographic study to help us more readily understand the changing needs of students and how they use library space. An overview of the results of this work and our next steps will demonstrate how we are “enabling progress”.

scholarly journals The 2014 DAF Survey at the University of Sheffield

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 210-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cox ◽  
Laurian Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Data Sharing ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Data Practices ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Local Research

The Data Asset Framework methodology has evolved to provide a model for institutional surveys of researchers’ data practices and attitudes. At least 13 such studies have been published in the UK and internationally. The aim of this paper is to analyse the results from the 2014 DAF survey at the University of Sheffield and to reflect on the comparability of this with previous published studies. 432 researchers responded to the survey representing 8% of the target population. Researchers at Sheffield collect multiple types of data and a significant number have accumulated very large amounts of data. Data was backed up on a diverse basis. Only 25% of respondents had a DMP. Eighteen months after its creation most respondents were still not aware of the local research data management policy. Fortunately, most respondents were favourable to the idea of training in many aspects of RDM. Researchers had generally had no experience of sharing data, but attitudes were positive, both in terms of a significant minority seeing a lack of data sharing as an obstacle to the progress of research and also desire to reuse the data of others and share their own with a broad group of researchers. Comparison of the Sheffield results with those of other institutions is difficult particularly because of the divergence of questions asked in the different studies. Nevertheless, in terms of data practices and identifying training priorities there are common patterns. This institutional survey showed less positive attitudes to data sharing than the results of cross-institutional studies, such as conducted by Tenopir et al. (2011).

scholarly journals An interview with Jamie Davies

Development ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 148 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seema Grewal
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
British Society ◽  
University Of Edinburgh ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Young Researchers

Jamie Davies is Professor of Experimental Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh. Spanning the fields of developmental biology, tissue engineering and synthetic biology, his research aims to understand the mechanisms by which cells organise themselves into tissues, focussing on the kidney. In addition to his research, Jamie is involved in science communication and public engagement, having written several books for specialist and non-specialist readers, and having given numerous public lectures and broadcasts. In April 2021, Jamie was awarded the inaugural Wolpert Medal from the British Society for Developmental Biology (BSDB), which is presented to outstanding developmental biologists who have made a significant contribution to teaching and communicating developmental biology in the UK. We spoke to Jamie to ask him about his cross-disciplinary research interests, his thoughts on public engagement and his advice for young researchers.

scholarly journals Teaching Open Science

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene N. Andreassen ◽  
Erik Lieungh
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Open Access Publishing ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Learning Support ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
The University

In this episode, we are discussing how to teach open science to PhD students. Helene N. Andreassen, head of Library Teaching and Learning Support at the University Library of UiT the Arctic University of Norway shares her experiences with the integration of open science in a special, tailor-made course for PhD's that have just started their project. An interdisciplinary, discussion-based course, "Take Control of Your PhD Journey: From (P)reflection to Publishing" consists of a series of seminars on research data management, open access publishing and other subject matters pertaining to open science. First published online February 26, 2020.

scholarly journals A brief synthesis of corrections, including retractions, of the Hungarian literature

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Research Ethics ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
The State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Hungarian Literature ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
The Eu

Hungary is geographically central in the European Union (EU). Being linguistically and culturally distinct, Hungary is ideally positioned and somewhat unique, being surrounded by seven other nations. In academics, the challenges facing Hungarian scholars are no different than other scholars in the EU, or globally. In the past few years, research ethics has become more stringent, in part as a result of fortified post-publication peer review. This letter provides one perspective about the state of Hungarian research and academia relative to other EU nations through the prism of research ethics, and in the form of literature corrections, including retractions. Using the Retraction Watch database, 24 retractions, corrections or expressions of concern were observed. One third of those emerged from the University of Debrecen. Five of the corrections were in Elsevier journals, followed by four in Springer Nature journals. Compared with the remaining 26 EU nations, excluding the UK (i.e., considering Brexit), Hungary ranks 17th in terms of number of corrections (range: Malta = 2; Germany = 751). These numbers suggest either that research ethics may be more stringent in Hungary, or that the Hungarian literature has not been sufficiently scrutinized through post-publication peer review.

scholarly journals 'You've been frameworked': evaluating an approach to digital and information literacy at the Open University

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Reedy ◽  
Robin Goodfellow
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Staff Engagement

This article explores the effectiveness of the Open University's (OU's) Digital and information literacy (DIL) framework (Reedy and Goodfellow, 2012) in promoting the integration of digital skills into modules and qualifications - a key strategic priority for the university - and in contributing to cultural change in the digital practices of teachers and learners - a key aim for the UK HE sector as a whole. We trace the history of digital and information literacy in the OU curriculum and elsewhere, leading up to the development of the framework. Four sets of interviews tell the story of academic and library staff engagement with it. These case studies are supplemented by two further interviews giving the perspective of OU middle managers responsible respectively for learning design and digital and information literacy development. We evaluate the success of the framework, and suggest how it might be further developed in future. Conclusions point strongly towards the need to involve students in shaping their own skills development, as found in other recent research (for example, Jisc, 2011a; 2011b).

scholarly journals Towards a Unified University Infrastructure: The Data Management Roll-Out at the University of Oxford

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. J. Wilson ◽  
Paul Jeffreys
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Institutional Level ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
University Of Oxford ◽  
The University ◽  
And Training ◽  
Roll Out

Since presenting a paper at the International Digital Curation Conference 2010 conference entitled ‘An Institutional Approach to Developing Research Data Management Infrastructure’, the University of Oxford has come a long way in developing research data management (RDM) policy, tools and training to address the various phases of the research data lifecycle. Work has now begun on integrating these various elements into a unified infrastructure for the whole university, under the aegis of the Data Management Roll-out at Oxford (Damaro) Project.This paper will explain the process and motivation behind the project, and describes our vision for the future. It will also introduce the new tools and processes created by the university to tie the individual RDM components together. Chief among these is the ‘DataFinder’ – a hierarchically-structured metadata cataloguing system which will enable researchers to search for and locate research datasets hosted in a variety of different datastores from institutional repositories, through Web 2 services, to filing cabinets standing in department offices. DataFinder will be able to pull and associate research metadata from research information databases and data management plans, and is intended to be CERIF compatible. DataFinder is being designed so that it can be deployed at different levels within different contexts, with higher-level instances harvesting information from lower-level instances enabling, for example, an academic department to deploy one instance of DataFinder, which can then be harvested by another at an institutional level, which can then in turn be harvested by another at a national level.The paper will also consider the requirements of embedding tools and training within an institution and address the difficulties of ensuring the sustainability of an RDM infrastructure at a time when funding for such endeavours is limited. Our research shows that researchers (and indeed departments) are at present not exposed to the true costs of their (often suboptimal) data management solutions, whereas when data management services are centrally provided the full costs are visible and off-putting. There is, therefore, the need to sell the benefits of centrally-provided infrastructure to researchers. Furthermore, there is a distinction between training and services that can be most effectively provided at the institutional level, and those which need to be provided at the divisional or departmental level in order to be relevant and applicable to researchers. This is being addressed in principle by Oxford’s research data management policy, and in practice by the planning and piloting aspects of the Damaro Project.

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