Research Talk

In this episode, Kathryn Smith speaks with Sue Starbuck (Royal Holloway University of London) and Sophie Collet (University of Bristol) about how universities can collaborate to achieve efficiencies, strengthen processes, and tackle shared sector challenges.

The conversation draws on themes from the Collaboration for a Sustainable Future report and recent discussions at the ARMA Conference, covering both the potential of joint working and the practical barriers that need to be overcome.

Key discussion points include:

• How system complexity and inconsistent external requirements affect collaboration
• The role of alliances, associations, and shared templates in creating efficiencies
• Avoiding unnecessary duplication and making better use of shared resources
• The importance of trust, governance, and clear value propositions for collaborative projects
• How funding and central support can enable long-term change

Show notes

• Views shared by research talk guests do not necessarily represent the views of Jisc
• ARMA: ARMA – UK's professional association for research managers and administrators
• Brunswick templates: Brunswick Templates – ARMA
• SETsquared partnership: https://www.setsquared.co.uk
• SETsquared IMPACT-IP Programme: IMPACT-IP Programme - SETsquared
• GW4 alliance: Welcome to GW4 - GW4
• Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest news, guidance and events tailored to you
• Find out more about the Collaboration for a Sustainable Future report.

In this episode, Liesl Rowe, Ellie Clement and Peter Findlay talk about rights retention policies, focusing on what needs consideration when a policy has already been published by an institution. They also explore the vital importance of institutions working together to develop the policy landscape, rights retention and the research excellence framework (REF) and the fact that senior leadership support is essential to getting a policy to work.

Key discussion points include:

· Institutional drivers for ensuring clarity about creator ownership

· Pushback from publishers

· Monitoring & reviewing of repositories and workflows

· Resistance to the new policy from authors and working with authors to implement the policy

· The longer-term impacts of the policy at the university and in the wider sector in terms of open research practices.

Show notes

· Views shared by research talk guests do not necessarily represent the views of Jisc

· Find out more about developing and managing institutional rights retention policies

· Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest news, guidance and events tailored to you

In this episode of Research Talk, host Tim Fellows, product manager for the UKRI funded Octopus open research publishing platform, is joined by James Canton, deputy director of public policy and engagement at the economic and social research council (ESRC), and Nicola Buckley, chair of the universities policy engagement network (UPEN) sub-committee and Associate director of the policy fellowships programme at the university of Cambridge. Together, they explore the UK government's areas of research interest (ARI) database and its collaboration with Octopus.ac and the Government Office for Science to facilitate the sharing of research priorities.

James and Nicola provide insights into the evolution of ARIs as a tool for bridging policymakers and researchers, emphasising their role in shaping impactful, evidence-based policies. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in making research accessible to policymakers, as well as the significance of open research practices in strengthening research-policy engagement.

Key discussion points include:

· The origin and purpose of ARIs in informing public policy.

· How Octopus integrates ARIs to foster researcher engagement with government priorities.

· The importance of open research and accessibility in policy-making.

· The evolving role of UKRI in supporting research-policy collaborations.

· The future of research engagement in the policy landscape.

Join us for an insightful conversation on how open research and innovative platforms like Octopus are reshaping the way research informs policy and drives societal impact.

Show notes

· Views shared by research talk guests do not necessarily represent the views of Jisc

· Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest news, guidance and events tailored to you

· Find out more about Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

· Learn more about the Octopus open research publishing platform

· Discover UKRI's strategic themes

· Learn about the 44 policy fellows working in government and the What Works Network

In this episode of Research Talk, Emily Wild is joined by Dr. Amelia Morris and Professor Marcus Munafo to discuss the hurdles and opportunities in sharing research openly at different stages of an academic career.

Amelia Morris reflects on the barriers facing early career researchers, such as the high costs of academic publishing and job insecurity, while Marcus shares how open research practices are reshaping academia and supporting emerging scholars.

In this thought-provoking episode of Research Talk, the guests also discuss the systemic issues facing academia, such as marketisation and the pressures of a publish-or-perish culture. Their discussion emphasises the need to better support early career researchers to ensure the future of open research. Together, they uncover solutions that empower early career researchers in navigating the evolving academic landscape.

Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired and rethink the future of research!

Show notes

· Views shared by research talk guests do not necessarily represent the views of Jisc

· Find out more about Dr Amelia Morris and her work here

· Read up on Professor Marcus Munafo and his work here

· Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest news, guidance and events tailored to you

· If you want to come on the show, or have any questions, you can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

In this episode of Research Talk, Liz Bal leads a discussion on the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF), exploring its evolution, current practices, and future directions.

Steven Hill discusses the strategic needs and priorities of REF 2029, highlighting shifts towards emphasising research culture and open practices. Rachel Bruce elaborates on the impact of UKRI's open access policy and the broader implications for open research. Dr. Alex Freeman provides insights from a researcher's perspective, emphasising the need for a more comprehensive approach to open research beyond just open access.

The conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by REF, including the proposed changes to the assessment of research culture and the broader implications for the research community.

Topics Covered:

· Strategic priorities of REF 2029

· The role of open access and open research in the REF

· The evolution of research assessment practices

· The impact of REF on research culture in the UK

· The balance between cost and benefits of REF

Show notes

· Views shared by research talk guests do not necessarily represent the views of Jisc

· Read more about Ref 2029

· Discover Octopus, the new publishing platform for scholarly research

· Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest news, guidance and events tailored to you

In this episode, we dive into the transformative world of open access monographs with Anna Hughes, Dr Joe Deville and Lucy Barnes.

Our guests Dr. Joe Deville, Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University, and Lucy Barnes, Senior Editor and Outreach Coordinator at Open Book Publishers bring a wealth of experience in open access publishing, from managing community-led initiatives to driving policy development in Europe.

They share insights on the COPIM project, which develops community-governed infrastructures for open access book publishing, and address misconceptions about open access, such as the feasibility of physical book sales and the inclusion of images. Their discussion highlights the critical role of collaboration among academics, publishers, and librarians in reshaping the future of scholarly publishing.

Exploring the findings from the University of Bristol's research culture report, Dr Pen-Yuan Hsing's work on research culture, and identifying markers for change. Join our host, Emily Wild as she interviews this episode's guest Dr Pen-Yuan Hsing, a senior research associate at the University of Bristol. Pen's research is in open source, open research, and citizen science, with previous work in ecology and biodiversity conservation. In this episode, Emily speaks with Pen about his work on open research, and the potential for change moving forwards. Pen shares insights from a recent research culture report commissioned by Octopus.ac, discussing motivations for open research and barriers preventing researchers from sharing more. They delve into findings from interviews and surveys, highlighting the challenges of time constraints and fear of "scooping" among researchers. Pen suggests possible solutions, such as evidence-based assessment procedures and expanding open peer review processes, emphasising the importance of making research assessment more transparent and inclusive across disciplines.

Anna Vernon hosts an exploration of the recently launched review of transitional agreements with community experts Chris Banks and Professor Stephen Curry. In this episode, our guests discuss the review of transitional open access agreements. They focus on reactions to the review, what the review means for the research sector, and the feasibility of achieving a more open research culture. All views from the speakers are their own personal views and do not reflect the views of Jisc.

Emily Wild hosts a discussion on research culture and assessment with Alex Freeman, creator of Octopus, and Simon Hettrick, chair of the Hidden REF. In this episode, our guests discuss the need for change in research assessment and how this can be achieved. Delving into the limitations of traditional methods, the conversation introduces the innovative Hidden REF initiative, championing a shift towards broader recognition of diverse contributions to research beyond the confines of conventional academic outputs. Join the guests as they navigate the complexities of the current research assessment landscape and offer a glimpse into the promising future envisioned by the Hidden REF campaign. Alex explores the Octopus platform and its role in reshaping research sharing and assessment. The conversation delves into the difficulties of assessing nontraditional outputs and the concerns raised by researchers about the peer review process for such outputs. The hosts reflect on the potential for iterative changes leading to a better research assessment landscape, with a focus on the REF 2029 submission cycle.

We've reached the final episode of our "Is AI for me?" miniseries, in which Ruth Ahnert joins guest host Peter Findlay to discuss the relationship between humans and machines. In the final instalment of our miniseries "Is AI for me? Perspectives from the humanities", we're joined by Ruth Ahnert, professor of literary history and digital humanities at Queen Mary, University of London. A Turing Fellow and co-author of Collaborative Historical Research in the Age of Big Data, Ruth's academic career started as an "analogue" humanities scholar. Since then, she has collaborated with data scientists, and her work has increasingly engaged with computational methods. In this episode, Ruth and Peter explore the relationship between humans and machines, how the latter can aid critical thinking and how source evaluation of data can help us understand the outcomes of AI processes. They go on to talk about 'Living with Machines', a five-year research project conducted by the Alan Turing Institute, delving into some of the findings that show humanist approaches are influencing how scientists tackle complex problems. Ruth talks about large-scale data and the shift towards its use in the humanities. They close this final episode, touching on the transferable skills for the workplace that humanities students develop by mastering digital methods and a critical grasp of cutting-edge technologies.