Essex teams with North West universities to launch Open Research Week

The University of Essex Library Services have collaborated with the Library teams at the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Edge Hill University to deliver Open Research Week 2024.

Open Research Week 2024 will take place Monday 26 February to Friday 1 March and will celebrate and promote open research through a week-long programme of free, online sessions, to be delivered collaboratively by colleagues from the organising HEIs and a range of external speakers.

This is the fourth Open Research Week in its current format and previous speakers have included representatives from UNESCO, The Wellcome Trust, UKRN, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, however, Open Research Week is a community-driven project and focuses on researchers.

Pro-Vice Chancellor Research Professor Chris Greer, who will be opening Open Research Week 2024, said: “Open Research Week is a fantastic way for Essex researchers to engage with a wide variety of open research practices. Joining this community dedicated to open research provides an opportunity to gain new ideas around extending the principles of openness to the whole research cycle.” 

The University of Essex is committed to an open research mission which aims to produce new knowledge from research that is open, ambitious, creative, and collaborative. 

As an organising institution, Essex will lead the national discussion on open research, drawing upon experiences from outside of the institution to strengthen our position and incorporate new practices that contribute toward our open research mission.

Open Research Development Librarian Hannah Crago said: “This is the first year the University of Essex have been involved in organising Open Research Week, and it’s great to part of the team. Whilst we have contributed in previous years, presenting on the Essex Student Journal, by coming together with colleagues at other Universities we are able to reach a wider audience and have a broader impact on the Open Research landscape.”

Open Research Week provides an opportunity for participants to develop new knowledge, learn from the experiences of others, and explore new areas of open research. Participants will be encouraged to contribute to discussion on open research themes, ask questions, challenge assumptions, and share expertise and experiences. 

The week’s events provide an opportunity for participants to join a community of colleagues who are championing open research, and looking to make a real difference in the way the scholarly ecosystem operates.

Open Research Week is primarily aimed at researchers and research support staff, but anyone with an interest in the topics covered can attend. 

This year’s programme includes sessions on research culture, citizen science, and open research in Europe. Details of the full programme, including links to book are available on the Open Research Week webpage.