[EN] Beyond Open Research - Imperial College London
Sep 2, 2024
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Dr. Hamid Khan leads a transformative project at Imperial College focused on promoting open research, while Prof. Julie McCann is the Faculty of Engineering’s Vice-Dean. They delve into how workshops enhance data transparency and research quality, stressing the importance of ethical considerations in datasets. The conversation explores shifting assessment metrics from quantity to quality, reimagining university rankings, and the need for better collaboration across faculties. Their insights promise to reshape the academic landscape for more open and impactful research.
The Beyond Open Research project promotes a unified approach to research by integrating transparency and accessibility across diverse departments and stakeholders.
Public engagement is essential in shaping research practices, particularly concerning the reliability of research in AI applications within healthcare settings.
Deep dives
The Concept of Beyond Open Research
The Beyond Open Research project at Imperial College aims to enhance the understanding of quality and reliability in research beyond just the principles of open research. It emphasizes the importance of integrating transparency, equity, and accessibility into research practices while recognizing that many good practices may be disjointed across various departments. The project seeks to unify these efforts by engaging diverse stakeholders involved in improving research quality, which often go unrecognized. Acknowledging the autonomy of different faculties, the initiative aims to foster greater coherence in adopting open research principles across the institution.
Engaging Diverse Communities in Research
The project organizes workshops to bring together researchers, technical staff, and the public to explore the implications of open research. A significant focus was placed on involving the public, especially patients from the local NHS Trust, to discuss their concerns about the reliability of research, particularly in the context of AI applications in healthcare. This public engagement is seen as crucial for ensuring that the research culture aligns with the interests and needs of society. The inclusion of public perspectives offers valuable insights that may help refine research practices to better serve community needs.
Identifying Barriers and Co-Creating Solutions
The workshops address challenges around data transparency and the promotion of research integrity, aiming to co-create practical solutions to identified issues. Participants collaboratively discuss concepts like the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) and the need for quality assessments in the use of research data. Additionally, the workshops highlight the importance of recognizing transparency and quality in the broader research culture, questioning the traditional metrics that prioritize publication quantity. The third workshop specifically facilitated collaboration between researchers and community members, stressing the value of shared insights in driving change.
Beyond Open Research and Future Directions
The Beyond Open Research initiative seeks to move away from a publish-or-perish mentality by promoting the recognition of diverse research outputs, such as software and datasets. With ongoing discussions around the Hidden Research Excellence Framework, the goal is to broaden the criteria for assessing research contributions beyond traditional publications. The initiative emphasizes the need for continuous community engagement and seeks further funding to support its objectives in fostering a supportive research environment. Ultimately, the vision is to create a culture of research that prioritizes quality, collaboration, and the public interest, establishing new metrics that reflect these values.
ENGLISH EDITION: Beyond Open Research is a project at Imperial College London (UK), that tries to change research culture more open and transparent. I met with Dr Hamid Khan, who was leading the project and Prof Julie McCann, Vice-Dean for the Faculty of Engineering to find out more about exactly how they want to go "beyond" open research.