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Stronger together: Fostering collaboration between the University of Twente’s Digital Competence Center, the Open Science Community Twente, & 4TU.ResearchData
In 2022, the University of Twente’s Digital Competence Center (UT DCC), the Open Science Community Twente (OSCT) and 4TU.ResearchData are joining forces to co-organise events and thematic sessions for researchers, lecturers, and support staff in their shared journey towards open science.
As we navigate the transition from ’science 1.0 to science 2.0’, it’s true to say that open science is no longer a niche endeavour. Funders, policy makers, institutions, and journals worldwide are increasingly demanding researchers to adopt open research practices. Moreover, there are an overwhelming number of open science initiatives being developed and communicated via online events to inform and inspire researchers, lecturers, and support staff. Collectively, this can place a burden of choice on them...
The Network of Open Science Communities (INOSC) of which we are part of published a paper "Towards wide-scale adoption of open science practices: The role of open science communities"
Abstract: Despite the increasing availability of Open Science (OS) infrastructure and the rise in policies to change behaviour, OS practices are not yet the norm. While pioneering researchers are developing OS practices, the majority sticks to status quo. To transition to common practice, we must engage a critical proportion of the academic community. In this transition, OS Communities (OSCs) play a key role. OSCs are bottom-up learning groups of scholars that discuss OS within and across disciplines. They make OS knowledge more accessible and facilitate communication among scholars and policymakers. Over the past two years, eleven OSCs were founded at several Dutch university cities. In other countries, similar OSCs are starting up. In this article, we discuss the pivotal role OSCs play in the large-scale transition to OS. We emphasize that, despite the grassroot character of OSCs, support from universities is critical for OSCs to be viable, effective, and sustainable.
Why we care about Open Science
Open Science (OS) is on the rise and will change the research landscape in the next years. Many initiatives have the goal to make the entire research process more transparent and re-usable to increase the benefit of research for society. The University of Twente (UT) took note of these developments. Consequently, OS plays a key role in Shaping2030, UT's mission, vision, and strategy for 2020-2030. But don't worry, you'll never walk alone. The Open Science Community Twente is ready to help to make our research more reproducible and accessible at all stages of the research cycle, from planning to publishing and beyond.
Who we are
We are the Open Science Community Twente, an inter-disciplinary, bottom-up community to promote, learn, share, and discuss OS practices, such as
- Open Access publishing and Preprints
- Open Data, Open Code, and Open Source Software
- Preregistration of scientific studies
- Reproducibility and Replicability
- Open Peer Review
- Rewards and incentives
- Citizen science
- Open Education
- Diversity of knowledge
- OS infrastructures
Together with the other OSCs in Europe, we aim at making OS the new norm.
image credit: Anita Eerland
What we do
Our overarching goal is to assist UT in accomplishing the transition towards OS. To facilitate the broader adoption of OS practices, we
- make OS more visible and accessible within and outside UT,
- organize events, seminars, and workshops,
- facilitate knowledge exchange amongst peers,
- support member initiatives focused on OS, and
- connect with international OS communities.
Target group
Although our main target groups are researchers, Ph.D. candidates, and students from UT and Saxion University, the community is not built for researchers only. We welcome everyone who is involved, for example, in policies or teaching, and would like to get started with OS or bring the existing knowledge to the next level. If you are interested in OS and looking for information, this is the place to be! The OSCT provides a space where people interested in OS can come together to
- ask questions,
- look for support,
- share (positive and negative) experiences,
- acquire skills to make their work more open,
- and connect with other enthusiasts.
So, don't hesitate to ask a question.
What's next? Sign up for our monthly newsletter, and we will let you know!
You can't wait and would like to get involved? Why not become a member just right now? No matter if you have little or expert knowledge about OS, just come with an open mind and be curious about the broad spectrum of OS topics.