Theme: Open Science & Scholarship in Practice 
Date: Thursday, June 20th, 2024 1-5pm, followed by Poster display and networking
Location: UCL Institute of Advanced Studies, IAS Common Ground room (G11), South Wing, Wilkins Building 

We are delighted to announce the forthcoming UCL Open Science Conference 2024, scheduled for June 20, 2024. We are inviting submissions for papers and posters showcasing innovative practices, research, and initiatives at UCL that exemplify the application of Open Science and Scholarship principles. This internally focused event aims to showcase the dynamic landscape of Open Science at UCL and explore its practical applications in scholarship and research, including Open Access Publishing, Open Data and Software, Transparency, Reproducibility, Open Educational Resources, Citizen Science, Co-Production, Public Engagement, and other open practices and methodologies. Early career researchers and PhD students from all disciplines are particularly encouraged to participate.

Attendees of the UCL Open Science Conference 2023 participating in a workshop

Conference Format: 

Our conference will adopt a hybrid format, offering both in-person and online participation options, with a preference for in-person attendance. The afternoon will feature approximately four thematic sessions, followed by a poster session and networking opportunities. Session recordings will be available for viewing after the conference. 

Call for papers

Submission Guidelines: 

We invite all colleagues at UCL to submit paper proposals related to Open Science and Scholarship in Practice, some example themes are below. Papers could include original research, case studies, practical implementations, and reflections on Open Science initiatives. Submissions should adhere to the following guidelines: 

• Abstracts: Maximum 300 words
• Presentation Length: 15 minutes (including time for questions)
• Deadline for Abstract Submission: F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶, A̶p̶r̶i̶l̶ 2̶6̶  Friday, May 3. (Deadline Extended!) 

Please submit your abstract proposals using this form.  

Potential Subthemes: 

• Case Studies and Best Practices in Open Science and Scholarship
• Open Methodologies, Transparency, and Reproducibility in Research Practices
• Open Science Supporting Career Development and Progression
• Innovative Open Data and Software Initiatives
• Promoting and Advancing Open Access Publishing within UCL
• Citizen Science, Co-Production, and Public Engagement Case Studies
• Open Educational Resources to Support Teaching and Learning Experiences

Call for Posters

Session Format: 

The poster session will take place in person during the evening following the afternoon conference. Posters will be displayed for networking and engagement opportunities. Additionally, posters will be published online after the conference, potentially through the Research Data Repository. All attendees are encouraged to participate in the poster session, offering a platform to present their work and engage in interdisciplinary discussions. 

Submission Guidelines: 

All attendees are invited to propose posters showcasing their work related to Open Science and Scholarship in Practice. Posters may include research findings, project summaries, methodological approaches, and initiatives pertaining to Open Science and Scholarship. 

Deadline: Friday, May 24 

Please submit your poster proposals using this form.

Next Steps

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unplash

Notifications of acceptance will be sent in the week ending May 10th for Papers and June 7th for Posters. 

Recordings of the UCL Open Science Conference 2023, are available on this blog post from May 2023.

For additional information about the conference or the calls, feel free to reach out to us at openscience@ucl.ac.uk. 

Watch this space for more news and information about the upcoming UCL Open Science Conference 2024!  

Guest post by Dr Christiana McMahon,  Research Data Support Officer

In June 2019, the Research Data Management team from Library Services and the Research Data Group from the Centre for Advanced Research Computing embarked on an exciting journey: the launch of the UCL Research Data Repository. As we approach our fifth anniversary, we find ourselves reflecting on the progress we’ve made, what we’ve achieved and what could be improved. To better understand the impact and gather insights from our UCL community, we invite you to complete this survey here. Join us in celebrating this important milestone!

Since its inception, the Research Data Repository has been a pivotal tool for openness and accessibility, offering UCL staff and research students a platform to archive, publish, and share their research outputs as widely and openly as possible. From datasets to figures, presentations to software, the repository has become a hub of scholarly exchange and collaboration. The journey thus far has been marked by significant milestones. Since 2019, we’ve seen over 385,000 downloads and 610,000 views, underscoring the repository’s impact and reach within the academic community.

Figure 1 Graph to show total number of items published using the Research Data Repository

The Research Data Repository enables users to:

• archive and preserve research outputs on a longer-term basis at UCL;
• facilitate the discovery and sharing of work by publishing metadata records;
• assign a digital object identifier (DOI) to permanently link to and identify a record in the online catalogue as part of a full data citation enabling others to reference published works;
• comply with the UCL Research Data policy and other applicable research policies.

Three highlights from the Research Data Repository:

The most viewed record is: Silvester, Christopher; Hillson, Simon (2019). Photographs used for Structure from Motion 3D Dental model generation Part 2. University College London. Figure. https://doi.org/10.5522/04/9939419

The most downloaded record is: Acton, Sophie; Kriston-Vizi, Janos; Singh, Tanya; Martinez, Victor (2019). RNA seq – PDPN/CLEC-2 transcription in FRCs. University College London. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.5522/04/9976112.v1

The most cited record is: Manescu, Petru; Shaw, Mike; Elmi, Muna; Zajiczek, Lydia; Claveau, Remy; Pawar, Vijay; et al. (2020). Giemsa Stained Thick Blood Films for Clinical Microscopy Malaria Diagnosis with Deep Neural Networks Dataset.. University College London. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.5522/04/12173568.v1

These milestones demonstrate the repository’s impact and reach within the academic community, serving as a testament to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated researchers and staff.

Figure 2: Stages of Research Data Lifecycle

Why is the Research Data Repository essential to supporting academic communities across UCL?

It mostly stems from wanting researchers to manage and share their outputs in line with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable)  and embrace open science and scholarship practices. Essentially, by depositing outputs into the Research Data Repository and creating associated metadata records, other researchers and members of the public are better placed to find, understand, combine, and reuse the outputs of our research without major technical barriers. In turn, this can help to enhance transparency of the research process, promote enhanced research integrity, and ultimately maximise the value of research findings.

Going forward:

To continue building and developing the service, we are asking staff and research students to tell us what they think. What works well? What could be improved? Which functionalities would you like to see added or enhanced?

The survey closes on Friday, March 22nd, so get in touch and tell us what you think!

Survey link: https://forms.microsoft.com/e/U20yJPAi0W

More information about the Research Data Repository can be found in Open Science & Research Support dedicated webpage.

Any questions or queries about the Research Data Repository can be sent to: researchdatarepository@ucl.ac.uk.

General research data management queries can be sent to: lib-researchsupport@ucl.ac.uk.

Any questions or queries about open science can be directed to: openscience@ucl.ac.uk.

Get involved!

The UCL Office for Open Science and Scholarship invites you to contribute to the open science and scholarship movement. Stay connected for updates, events, and opportunities. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, and join our mailing list to be part of the conversation!