Attitudes to Open Research

The University of Liverpool is a leading institution for open research, illustrated through its membership of the UK Reproducibility Network, and management of possibly the largest internal fund for OA publishing in the UK. To maintain its position as an open research leader, the University of Liverpool commissioned Research Consulting to gauge the understanding of and engagement with open research practices among its academic staff and researchers.

The review aimed to identify examples of good practice within the institution, structural barriers currently restricting open research practices, and to highlight where additional services might be needed to support open research. The findings of this review could also be used to inform the development of REF environment statements in upcoming assessments.

The study involved interviews with senior leadership, research support staff, and academic research staff at the institution. In addition, we conducted focus groups with academic representatives from each of the University’s Faculties. The findings of our work were presented to University staff during an interactive project workshop.

Key outputs included a tailored SWOT analysis, and a summary of areas for further investigation by the Open Research Team, including an indication of the value and efforts associated with implementing each option, as ranked by participants during the interim findings workshop.