The new Oastler Building from the turning circle of the nearby road.

Open Research

The University of Huddersfield and its funders are committed to supporting Open Research within a global research environment. The approach supports open access publication of research and datasets, is informed by the Concordat on Open Research Data, and aims to make research more transparent, collaborative, and accessible. In support of Open Research the University has an Open Access Policy and a Research Data Management Policy.

Open Access ensures that scholarly publications are made available online to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for access. Publications can include articles in academic journals, conference papers, theses, book chapters or monographs. The goal of open access is to make research results openly available so that others can build upon them.  Many funding bodies and other policy-making organisations require that publicly funded research should not be published behind paywalls, and have policies to that effect. The Huddersfield Research Portal provides free full-text access to many of the University’s research outputs, where copyright law permits.

Open Data is about making the data that underpins research publicly available for validation, reuse, and further discovery. Open sharing of research data, where appropriate, can significantly increase the reach and impact of research. The Huddersfield Research Portal provides access to datasets resulting from research carried out at the University of Huddersfield. To maximise accessibility and reuse, we endeavour to store locally held datasets in open, accessible file formats, with clear documentation and licensing to guide reuse.

An open approach to research also encourages collaboration across disciplines and institutions. This encompasses developing relationships with and working alongside other researchers, often from other disciplines.

Public engagement is another important aspect of open research. It is about ensuring that the public – often the ultimate funder of research – is made aware of and can understand, access, and benefit from research outcomes. 

For example, in both 2016 and 2017, around 3000 members of the public engaged in European Researchers’ Night hosted by the University and were able to take part in workshops, demonstrations, talks and live research projects. The many science topics included colour chemistry, the use of molecules in developing a cure for cancer, and the secret world of microbes.  There was also a live virtual tour of the famous CERN facility and an exploration of human evolution. 

Concordat Principles

This Concordat sets out ten principles with which all those engaged with research should be able to work: 

  1. Open access to research data is an enabler of high-quality research, a facilitator of innovation and safeguards good research practice 
  2. There are sound reasons why the openness of research data may need to be restricted but any restrictions must be justified and justifiable 
  3. Open access to research data carries a significant cost, which should be respected by all parties 
  4. The right of the creators of research data to reasonable first use is recognised 
  5. Use of others’ data should always conform to legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks including appropriate acknowledgement 
  6. Good data management is fundamental to all stages of the research process and should be established at the outset 
  7. Data curation is vital to make data useful for others and for long-term preservation of data 
  8. Data supporting publications should be accessible by the publication date and should be in a citeable form 
  9. Support for the development of appropriate data skills is recognised as a responsibility for all stakeholders 
  10. Regular reviews of progress towards open research data should be undertaken 

 

By committing to the principles outlined in this concordat, the research community can demonstrate that they: 

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