A lot is happening in the world of Open Research at the moment! Here are a few words on what is important to us in the Library at Lancaster University.
Open Science versus Open Research?
Let’s start with the slightly confusing terminology. One of the “Goals of research and innovation policy” of the European Commission is Open Science which defined as “an approach to the scientific process that focuses on spreading knowledge as soon as it is available using digital and collaborative technology.” Moving to the useful FOSTER site they have an Introductory Course on Open Science which is very good and concise summary.
Meanwhile, the Wellcome Trust is advocating for Open Research, a way of “unleashing” the full potential of research. The publisher SpringerNature claims to be “a pioneer in the field of Open Research”.
Open Science = Open Research? It seems to be the case. Our colleagues at Cambridge state that both terms are interchangeable. We at Lancaster University will stick with Open Research as it seems to be the more comprehensive term including all fields of research.
