Open Science Bites

In this episode, health scientist Andrea Fokkens shares her experience with open research and the freely accessible database Praten over gezondheid (Health Talk), which she submitted for the University of Groningen’s Open Research Award. She explains how health experience stories can make research accessible to a broad audience and help break taboos. We also explore what it’s like to apply for a non-competitive award that uses a modified lottery system, and what it feels like when your name isn’t drawn.

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Case study: Praten over gezondheid: a publicly open database of health experiences. Andrea Fokkens (Faculty of Medical Sciences), Manna Alma (Faculty of Medical Sciences), and Alina Rozeboom (TGO GZW UMCG)

In this episode, postdoc Ana Vilotijevic shares her experience with open research and the registered report she submitted for the University of Groningen’s Open Research Award. She explains how preregistration and registered reports can shift the focus in science from exciting results to asking good questions and doing rigorous research. We also explore what it’s like to apply for a non-competitive award that uses a modified lottery system, and what it feels like when your name isn’t drawn.

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Case study: Nothing To Hide, Just Registered Reporting. Ana Vilotijevic, MSc. (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences)

In this episode, two initiators of the University of Groningen’s Open Research Award, Giulia Trentacosti and Maurits Masselink, share the story behind the award and how they designed it to recognize and celebrate open research practices. They explain why they chose a non-competitive approach, using a modified lottery system to select the recipients of the award. We explore the ideas behind this approach, how the award works in practice, and what it means for researchers to take part in an award where everyone who meets the criteria has an equal chance of being selected.

Reproducibility is a cornerstone of good science, but it rarely advances a career, says Felipe Romero, assistant professor and philosopher of science. In this episode, he talks about why repeating studies is undervalued, how reproducibility has advanced in recent years, and what needs to change for reproducibility to become part of everyday scientific practice.

Unlike quantitative studies where replication is more straightforward, qualitative research presents unique challenges. In this episode, Dr. Sarahanne Field, assistant professor at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, shares how she is reimagining reproducibility for qualitative research. She explores practical approaches to making research processes visible, addresses challenges in ethical data sharing of transcripts, and emphasizes the importance of clear methodological reporting in qualitative studies.

More information

• University of Groningen profile page Sarahanne Field
• Qualitative Research Group Groningen

In this episode, epidemiologist Dr Michiel de Boer (University Medical Center Groningen and chair of the steering group of the Netherlands Reproducibility Network reveals how reproducibility is transforming research quality.

Michiel shares practical insights on why reproducibility and pre-registration can save time in the long run, simple tools for making your research more transparent, pitfalls when trying to reproduce others' work and balancing institutional requirements with efficient workflows.

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• Netherlands Reproducibility Network

In this episode, Bettina van Hoven, Associate Professor of Cultural Geography at the University College Groningen, emphasizes the importance of relationships and collaboration in research. For the project Being and Becoming Disabled, she closely collaborated with people with disabilities as co-researchers, focusing on accessibility in urban spaces, such as the city of Groningen, aiming to shift societal perspectives.

More information

• www.thisabledcity.com

Medical data is almost always interpreted by adult researchers, even when it comes to data derived from young patients. For her research project, paediatrician Laura Postma involved twelve nursing students in analyzing and interpreting qualitative interview data from young patients. Laura and two of these students, Loes van Hoogdalem and Noor Saathof, reflect on their experiences together.

In this episode, Stefano Bertorini, PhD student at the Campus Fryslân at the University of Groningen, shares his views on and experiences with public engagement. For his research project, Stefano developed workshops to engage with Dutch farmers, to listen to their experiences and to accompany them develop new business models in regenerative agriculture.

Learn more:

• Centre for Sustainable Agriculture Transition
• Doughnut Economics Action Lab workshop
• Public Engagement Seed Fund (now closed)
• TED talk about "Doughnut Economics"

Alberto Godioli, Associate Professor in European Culture and Literature at the University of Groningen, shares his views on and experiences with public engagement. For his NWO-funded research project "Humor in Court'', Alberto is developing a policy-oriented toolkit for judges, a cartoon exhibition and a website with accessible analyses of recent humor-related legal cases.

More information

Online platform about the relationship between humor and the law: https://www.forhum.org/

NWO project "Humor in Court": https://www.rug.nl/staff/a.godioli/projects

Public engagement at the University of Groningen: https://www.rug.nl/research/openscience/practices-support/public-engagement/