Workshop by the NRIF and the National Open Research Forum

“Responsible research in an open research environment”

A Joint Workshop by the National Research Integrity Forum and  the National Open Research Forum

Friday 8^th March 2019 at The Clock Tower, Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough Street Dublin 1

This workshop explored the linked topics of Research Integrity and Open Research and their contribution to the overall Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) agenda. It brought together the members of the National Open Research Forum, the National Research Integrity Forum and other stakeholders from the national research and innovation system to discuss synergies between Research Integrity and Open Research. The focus was on Research Integrity in an Open Research environment: how does Research Integrity contribute to Open Research and how can Open Research requirements support or challenge Research Integrity processes?

Welcome Addresses

• Anita Maguire, Chair of the National Research Integrity Forum
• Dr Gemma Irvine, Co-Chair of the National Open Research Forum

Session Chair: Dr Conor O’Carroll, SciPol

“Openness revisited. Research integrity in an open research environment”
Research Integrity Keynote by Professor Göran Hermerén

Professor Emeritus of Medical Ethics, Lund University and Chair of the ALLEA  Permanent Working Group on Science and Ethics

Göran Hermerén Presentation >

“The Growing Roots of Open Science”

Open Research Keynote by Professor Eva Méndez

Deputy Vice President for Research Policy Open Science at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Chair of the European Commission Open Science Policy Platform

Eva Méndez Presentation >

Panel Discussion on Open Research and Research Integrity

• Göran Hermerén
• Eva Méndez
• Anita Maguire (NRIF Chair)
• Dr Patricia Clarke (NORF Co-Chair)

Workshop – Exploring the Interface between Research Integrity and Open Research

Session Chairs: Dr Natalie Harrower, Director Digital Repository of Ireland, Royal Irish Academy. NORF member and Chair of ALLEA e-Humanities working group and Siobhán Sleeman (Research Policy Analyst, HEA and member of both NORF and NRIF)

Participants assembled in groups to discuss the interface of Research Integrity and Open Research across four key themes: Culture Change and Incentives, Measurement and Assessment, Resources, and Responsibilities. The outcome of the discussions can be found in the event report <link to event report>. The key recommendations which arose from the discussions are:

1. Funders and management teams in research performing organisations (RPOs) should seek to embed Open Research  in recruitment, promotion and grant assessment processes
2. All stakeholders should champion the benefits of Open Research
3. A centralised national infrastructure, or a number of certified disciplinary infrastructures, should be supported for data preservation and open access publishing, complemented by specialist teams to assist.
4. Suitable training (including Train-the-Trainer programmes) for researchers and to develop a cohort of professional data stewards should be made available for all RPOs to benefit from.
5. The cost of Open Access publishing should be tracked at national level using data provided by the RPOs.
6. Research funders and HEIs should be encouraged to sign-up to DORA (The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment).
7. The use of responsible metrics should be promoted – a core set of robust, internationally comparable metrics should be agreed and monitored by research funders, HEIs and policy makers.
8. All stakeholders with responsibilities for progressing the Open Research agenda should ensure alignment of policies and practices, as far as possible, to ensure the research system as a whole moves in a common direction.
9. Researchers need to be involved at all stages of adopting and road-mapping Open Research in Ireland

The NORF and the NRIF would like to thank those who sponsored the event:

The Health Research Board, the Higher Education Authority, the Department of Education and Skills, the Technological Higher Education Association and the Irish Universities Association.