Everything open

Libraries and regional and national Research and Education Networks (RENs) in West and Central Africa have endorsed a template for a Terms of Reference (ToR) for joint activities through which the library and REN communities can advance open science and open access in the region.

Open science is about increasing the re-use of research, and making sure that publicly funded research is accessible to all. It sounds straightforward, but there are some issues that we need to iron out first, and this is where FAIR comes in.

Research data and publications, learning and teaching materials and software are all increasingly 'open', but what does this really mean, and where could it lead?

This report looks at the opportunities that working in the open creates, summarises support from Jisc in this area, and suggests three big ideas for what we could do the future.

In the report we look at the areas of research and education that are being transformed by open practices, and explain key concepts around licensing of publications, educational resources, data and software. We also look at some examples of where open approaches have been particularly successful, and consider the implications for institutions of moving to a culture where open practices are the default mode of operation.

Open research is about more than open access. It is about making all aspects of the research process open to all possible interested parties. Ahead of a workshop and hackathon later this week, Bianca Elena Ivanof and Caspar Addyman outline some steps towards being a successful academic in the 21st century; from writing clearly and engaging with the public to opening up your research to your peers.

Over the past twenty years, school districts have become much more prescriptive about what happens in their classrooms. Teachers no longer open up a textbook and start on page one and progress through the book until they get to the end (or the school year comes to a close). Many districts not only provide a scope and sequence so a teacher knows what to teach and in what order, but in many cases, they also provide lesson plans so that every student gets the content taught in the same manner. The creation of OER for these districts is the next logical step in tailoring the state standards for their student’s needs.