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Research Support Advent Calendar 2025

By Naomi, on 1 December 2025

It’s time. For the third year in a row, we have a wonderful Advent Calendar of Research Support for you to enjoy!

We will be sharing a link each day on our Bluesky account, as well as our Linkedin account, but don’t worry if you’re not on Bluesky or Linkedin – the interactive calendar is embedded below for you to access at your own pace, or you can access it directly on your browser. We will also update this blog post throughout the month with an accessible version of the content.

We hope you find something here that will interest, inform and inspire you during this month of advent.

The front cover of the book published by UCL Press. It is dark blue, and in yellow text is written 'The collected works of Jeremy Bentham' at the top of the cover, then 'Essays on logic, ethics and universal grammar' in the middle, and in small yellow text at the bottom 'edited by Philip Schofield', below which is the UCL Press logo, also in yellow.

Cover image from UCL Press website.

1 December: Unwrap timeless ideas this festive season with Bentham’s open access Essays on Logic, Ethics and Universal Grammar, which publishes today. These thought-provoking essays explore reasoning, morality, and language- perfect for cosy winter reflections and sparking deep conversations by the fire!

 

 

 

A green bauble hanging from the branches of a Christmas tree which fills the entire image. Printed on the bauble is an image of the UCL portico as well as the UCL logo.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore.

 

 

2 December: Nothing says Season’s Greetings like writing and sharing your data management plan!

 

 

 

A cartoon of Father Christmas holding a scroll with the copyright symbol on it.

Image AI-generated using prompts from Christine Daoutis.

3 December: Father Christmas has been collecting data again this year…But is his list protected by copyright? Take our online copyright Christmas quiz.

A grey background covered with half a clock which has the large hand pointing just past 3 o'clock and the short hand just past 4 o'clock. In front of this is the title 'The Chronopolitics of Life' with the subheading 'Rethinking temporalities in health and biomedicine beyond the life course' below which is a list of the editors - Nolwenn Buhler, Nils Graber, Victoria Boydell and Cinzia Greco.

Cover image from UCL Press.

 

 

 

 

 

4 December: End the year with a powerful read.

Publishing today, The Chronopolitics of Life is the final book of the year from UCL Press. This open access work explores how time shapes life, politics and power, offering fresh insights for reflective winter reading and inspiring conversations as the year comes to a close.

 

A central view of the portico looking up at it from the ground. The pillars are lit up in different colours, from blue on the right, going through purple, pink, orange, gold, green and ending with turquoise on the left. In front of this colourful façade is a beautiful Christmas tree lit up in warm white lights. Everything in the foreground of the image is in darkness which gives a more impressive effect to the lights.

Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez on UCL imagestore.

 

5 December: Read about the gift of rights retention, which is now included in UCL’s updated Publications Policy, and the actions for UCL authors.

 

 

Two people sit in front of computers in a room decorated with lots of plants. One of the people, a man wearing a navy t-shirt, is pointing at their screen, showing the other person, a woman wearing a light green jumper, something on the screen.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

 

6 December: Retraction Watch is a searchable database of retracted, corrected, or concern articles with 40k+ entries. Search by author, title, or affiliation to ensure your research is based on trustworthy sources.

 

Four people are standing in front of a large interactive digital screen, which displays some hand-drawn notes in the form of a flow chart. One person is standing close to the screen with a pen in his hand but is looking towards the rest of the group who appear to be giving him some ideas or opinions and it looks as if he will continue to write some more notes on the screen.

Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez on UCL imagestore

 

7 December: Looking to start or grow your Citizen Science project? UCL’s Resources Hub offers training, tools & support to help you succeed. Explore what’s available today!

 

 

Cartoon of an anthropomorphic red copyright symbol with a white beard, legs and arms, smiling and wearing a Santa hat.

Image AI-generated using prompts from Christine Daoutis

 

8 December: Join UCL’s Copyright Literacy community channel for a virtual mince pie and the latest copyright news!

 

 

 

 

 

Two people are behind a desk which has an open notebook and what appears to be elements of an experiment, as well as a computer screen. One person, a woman wearing a green cardigan and earrings which appear to be in the shape of a raspberry, is sat looking at the screen whilst the other person, a woman wearing jeans and a brown jacket as well as blue latex gloves, is standing next to her with a hand on the mouse also looking at the screen.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

9 December: Refresh your Research Integrity training with the recently updated course which now includes guidance on Research Security and updates from the revised Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

 

A wintry, evening view of the entrance to the main UCL campus. The portico with it's ten pillars is in the background, lit up in rainbow colours, there is a Christmas tree with warm white lights in front of this and then two large trees adorned with colourful lights on the left and right sides of the portico. In the foreground, the two small security buildings on either side of the entrance are lit up from within and groups of people under umbrellas are walking along the pavement. At the far edges of the image are illuminated street lamps and the whole effect of the image is a wet, wintry, festive feeling.

Image by James Tye on UCL imagestore

 

 

10 December: Jingle all the way…to gaining ethical approval! The Research Ethics Team can help – book a drop-in session with one of the team.

 

 

A blue-grey mug sits on a plate, along with a mince pie dusted with icing sugar, and a sprig of holly with red berries.

Image by Lidia from Pixabay

11 December: Christmas is a time for relaxation, celebration…and careful study of official documents. There are 4,000 government documents in Overton from 80 different countries on the topic of Christmas.

 

A Christmas tree, decorated with warm white lights and colourful baubles is in the centre of the image, in front of the Andrew Huxley building in the centre of the main UCL campus. A dark blue sky is slightly visible above the buildings, many of the lights inside the buildings are on and there are a few people along the walkway on the left hand side of the image.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

 

 

12 December: Keep your rights, and wave goodbye to embargoes – next year, UCL’s updated Publications Policy will help staff use and share their own articles as soon as they’re published.

 

 

A view along the centre of a large desk with students working on laptops on either side, some wearing earphones. There are water bottles, phones and a handbag in the centre of the desk. At the far end of the room is a door, and there are windows on the right-hand side.

Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez on UCL imagestore

13 December: Grey literature, published by non-academic institutions, provides insights from real-world practitioners. It often addresses current, pressing issues & offers data or case studies not found in academic journals. Take a look at the UCL library guide all about grey literature.

A snowy scene of the quad and Wilkins building at UCL. The sky is completely white/grey, and the ground is completely white with snow, with a few people gathered or walking across it. A few leafless trees and two small round buildings are coated in snow, and it looks like the snow is still falling.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

 

 

14 December: Dashing through the snow… to the new UCL data management plan template!

 

 

Three students stand smiling and facing the camera with hot drinks in their hands and coats on. A larger group of students are standing and socialising behind them, not looking at the camera. In the background are two illuminated street lamps, as well as some purple and pink lights adorning two trees, and some windows within a building lit up with warm light.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

 

15 December: Join the UCL Citizen Science Community! Connect, share ideas, and grow your network with your peers at UCL. Staff & students welcome – let’s make research inclusive together!

 

 

A side view of Jeremy Bentham's auto-icon located in a glass box in UCL's student centre. Bentham is in the centre of the image, seated, holding his walking stick and wearing brown trousers, black jacket and a light brown hat. Some Christmas themed graphic elements have been added to the image, in the bottom left-hand corner is an image of a pile of presents, there are images of a star, Christmas tree, presents and bauble appearing on the wall behind Bentham, and a garland of holly, berries and a red bow above his head.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore, edited using Canva

16 December: When philosopher Jeremy Bentham died, he bequeathed over 100,000 manuscript pages to UCL. But what do these pages contain, and how does UCL’s Bentham Project make sense of them? In the final release from UCL Press Play this year, Professor Philip Schofield explains more.

 

 

A view from above of a selection of beautifully wrapped gifts in pale blue, orange, silver and grey, tied up with ribbon. Around the pile of presents are silver baubles, pinecones with the edges painted white, rose gold ribbons and a string of silver beads.

Image by Yevhen Buzuk from Pixabay

 

17 December: The gift that keeps on giving – but sometimes it doesn’t give quite what we want it to. Have a look at our libguide on using generative AI for searching.

 

 

A cartoon character with a Christmas hat and a long scarf with Creative Commons symbols on it, holding a present.

Image AI-generated using prompts from Christine Daoutis

18 December: Creative Commons licences reflect the giving spirit of the season. But are you as generous as a Creative Commons licence? Complete our fun personality quiz to find out!

 

 

 

 

 

A dark blue bauble hanging on the branch of a Christmas tree is in focus on this image, whilst a purple bauble, other branches of the Christmas tree and coloured lights are blurred in the background. The pillars of the portico lit up in green are reflected in the blue bauble which is also coated in raindrops.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

19 December: Are you a parent or carer toilet training a child? We need your help! Join the Big Toilet Project – the world’s largest toilet training study. Participate in this UCL citizen science project & help reduce plastic pollution from nappy waste.

 

A person wearing a red santa hat is standing facing away from the camera, looking towards the pillars of the portico at UCL's main campus, which is dark but has an image of a large snowflake projected onto it in light. On the left-hand side of the image is the edge of a low building which is decorated with icicle lights and has a window which is lit up from the inside.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

20 December: Take some time to reflect on Research Transparency with UCL’s online training course on transparency and reproducibility in research.

 

A logo with a deep pink background and a large white triangle in the centre, with two of its corners at the top and bottom of the logo, and the other pointing to the right, in order to appear as a 'play' button. 'UCL Press Play', the title of the podcast, is written across the white triangle.

Image from UCL Press website

 

 

21 December: Make this season brighter with UCL Press Play! Explore podcasts and documentaries where brilliant minds reveal bold ideas on queer histories, neurodiversity, climate justice and more. Listen now and celebrate knowledge!

 

 

A view facing the Cruciform building from outside the Wilkins building. The sky above is grey, and the night is drawing in, so lights are on inside the Cruciform building, creating a golden glow from all the windows, complimenting the vibrant red of the bricks making it seem cosy and festive. In the foreground, there are several bare trees which are decorated with purple and pink lights. This colour contrasts with the colour of the cruciform building, giving the whole image a magical, enchanting quality. The area is empty of people, apart from two small figures standing between two small buildings at either side of the entrance.

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore

22 December: Great news for UCL staff publishing articles in subscription journals next year. Even if there’s no transformative agreement with your publisher, UCL can still make your manuscript open access immediately.

 

A view of the Wilkins building with the Portico looking quite iconic in the centre. With it's ten pillars and a UCL flag flying from the roof, the Portico looks grand against a blue sky, and in front of it sits a decorated Christmas tree reaching up to the middle of the pillars. In the foreground, there are blurred images of several people who must be walking across the quad, and there are a few small marquees on the left-hand and right-hand sides under which seem to be different food and drink stalls.

Image by James Tye on UCL imagestore

 

23 December: Make an ethical start to the new year! Plan your ethics applications for 2026 and check out our high-risk application deadlines.

 

 

Filed under Advent Calendar, Bibliometrics, Citizen Science, Copyright, Data Management, Open Access, Open Science, Research Data, Rights Retention, UCL Press, UCL Resources

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Research Support Advent Calendar 2024

By Kirsty, on 29 November 2024

This year we are pleased to share our Advent Calendar of Research Support with you!

We will be posting links every day on our Bluesky account. If you’re not on Bluesky yet, don’t worry — we’ve shared the calendar below for you to view at your own time. We will also keep this post updated throughout the month with an accessible version of the content.

UCL front quad, looking towards Cruciform, an elegant red brick building. It is dark and the picture is lined with trees with purple and blue lights.1 December: On the first day of advent, improve the visibility of your research by updating your UCL public profile, recently revamped with key fields in RPS, including the new UN Sustainable Development Goals section, to align your research with global initiatives.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/open-science-research-support/ucl-profiles/getting-started-your-public-profile

  • UCL front quad, looking towards Cruciform, an elegant red brick building. It is dark and the picture is lined with trees with purple and blue lights.

A group of three women in warm clothing toasting with cups of coffee at night.2 December: Countdown to Christmas with Citizen Science…Join UCL’s first Citizen Science community event on 9 December! Let’s discover, share and network this season. Don’t forget to join our online network too! https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2024/11/13/get-involved-ucls-first-citizen-science-community-event-on-9-december-join-our-online-network/

  • Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez “alperucho” on UCL imagestore. A group of three women in warm clothing toasting with cups of coffee at night.

cartoon of a copyright symbol with a white beard and Christmas hat.3 December: Is Santa’s Christmas naughty or nice list copyrighted? Think of it as research data…Take our Christmas copyright quiz to learn more! https://ucl-global.libwizard.com/f/copyright_Christmas_quiz Image created using Copilot on 22 November

  • Image: cartoon of a copyright symbol with a white beard and Christmas hat.

 

Image from UCL Press. A perspective shot of the IOE looking up, looks like a stack of big concrete blocks.4 December: Today we are celebrating the 10 years since the IOE’s merger with UCL. Check out the action on the UCL Press channels.

  • Image from UCL Press. A perspective shot of the IOE looking up, looks like a stack of big concrete blocks.

 

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. UCL front quad at twilight. In front of the portico is a Christmas tree decorated with yellow lights. To the right of the image is a leafless tree decorated with purple and pink lights which can be seen reflecting off the white building beyond.5 December: Learn how to connect your ORCID to UCL’s Research Publications Service (RPS) for up-to-date records and easier #OpenAccess compliance. More info: https://buff.ly/3WALW3s

  • Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. UCL front quad at twilight. In front of the portico is a Christmas tree decorated with yellow lights. To the right of the image is a leafless tree decorated with purple and pink lights which can be seen reflecting off the white building beyond.

 

Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez "alperucho" on UCL imagestore. Image shows a Christmas garland over and arch with people walking through, slightly out of focus. The garland is threaded with yellow lights and the words Happy Holiday Season are written in pink lights.6 December: Tis the season…for data management planning!
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/open-science-research-support/research-data-management/policies/managing-data-across-research

  • Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez “alperucho” on UCL imagestore. Image shows a Christmas garland over and arch with people walking through, slightly out of focus. The garland is threaded with yellow lights and the words Happy Holiday Season are written in pink lights.

. A girl with dark hair and wire rimmed glasses wearing a yellow jumper sits at a laptop. In the background can be seen colourful book stacks.7 December: Ever wondered if your publications are being cited in policy documents, and where? With policy and grey literature databases like Overton, you can discover who is citing your work and how it’s influencing decision-making documents. https://library-guides.ucl.ac.uk/research-metrics/overton

  • Image by Mat Wright on UCL imagestore. A girl with dark hair and wire rimmed glasses wearing a yellow jumper sits at a laptop. In the background can be seen colourful book stacks.

Image by John Moloney on UCL imagestore. A group of people in business attire socialising with drinks. Picture is taken from a distance and slightly above.8 December: Explore this year’s Open Science Conference collections available on UCL’s Media Central and Research Data Repository! Access talks, posters, and insights from UCL researchers advancing open science, and share in the wealth of knowledge supporting our open research community.
https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2024/07/11/from-policy-to-practice-ucl-open-science-conference-2024/

  • Image by John Moloney on UCL imagestore. A group of people in business attire socialising with drinks. Picture is taken from a distance and slightly above.

• Image by UCL Media Services on UCL imagestore. A close up of a bright purple bauble on a tree with some blue lights9 December: Early Christmas Present?.. Yes please! Learn more about archiving your research outputs using the UCL Research Data Repository: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/open-science-research-support/research-data-management/ucl-research-data-repository

  • Image by UCL Media Services on UCL imagestore. A close up of a bright purple bauble on a tree with some blue lights.

 

Image by Tony Slade from UCL imagestore. A top-down photograph of four students working individually at wooden desks. To the right of the image are wooden bookcases full of colourful books.10 December: What did the copyright support team bring you this year? Read our Christmas blog!
https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/copyright/2024/12/02/the-twelve-gifts-of-copyright/

  • Image by Tony Slade from UCL imagestore. A top-down photograph of four students working individually at wooden desks. To the right of the image are wooden bookcases full of colourful books.

The Digital Accessibility Team stands beside a banner. The banner reads "Digital Accessibility" and has more information. They are in an office environment, with visible smiles.11 December: It’s UK Disability History Month (14 Nov – 20 Dec)! Take this opportunity to learn about the UCL Digital Accessibility team’s work to make research and resources more inclusive. Catch up on our profile with Ben Watson, leading the way on digital accessibility at UCL!
https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2024/07/08/spotlight-on-ben-watson-champion-of-digital-accessibility-at-ucl/

 

Image by Tony Slade on UCL imagestore. A close-up perspective shot of a bookcase. Black books with gold writing are in the foreground and red, orange and blue volumes are further back.12 December: Preprints as a way to share your initial findings to influence decision-makers: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2020/11/06/case-study-disseminating-early-research-findings-to-influnce-decision-makers/

  • Image by Tony Slade on UCL imagestore. A close-up perspective shot of a bookcase. Black books with gold writing are in the foreground and red, orange and blue volumes are further back.

A plate of mince pies.13 December: Want to learn how UCL Press is committed to providing free, high-quality educational resources to support students and educators globally? Read Dhara Snowden’s blog on how #OpenAccess textbooks are reshaping the future of learning and education! https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2024/10/23/oa-textbooks-ucl-press-perspective/

  • Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez “alperucho” on UCL imagestore. A plate of mince pies.

• Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. A close up of a Christmas tree covered in yellow lights and small silver leaves. In the background can be seen a grey building, some leafless trees and a dark grey statue of a man. 14 December: This holiday season, we’re celebrating meaningful partnerships between researchers and the public with the Principles for Citizen Science at UCL. The principles ensure that projects involving citizen scientists are inclusive, ethical, and impactful – a perfect recipe for success!

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/open-science-research-support/open-science/citizen-science/principles-citizen-science

  • Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. A close up of a Christmas tree covered in yellow lights and small silver leaves. In the background can be seen a grey building, some leafless trees and a dark grey statue of a man.

15 December: An RDM film recommendation – Coded Bias (Netflix)- When MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers that many facial recognition technologies misclassify women and darker-skinned faces, she delves into an investigation of widespread bias in algorithms. https://youtu.be/_84k600_6bg?feature=shared

  • Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez “alperucho” on UCL imagestore. An arm and hand in profile holds up a mobile phone with the camera open. The phone shows the UCL portico and Christmas tree. The background is out of focus but appears to show Christmas lights.

Image by James Tye on UCL imagestore. Image shows a view through a gap in books to a woman with light brown hair holding the books open and appearing to be searching the shelf.16 December: Creative Commons licences embrace the spirit of Christmas. Learn how they work: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2023/10/23/how-creative-commons-licences-support-open-scholarship/

  • Image by James Tye on UCL imagestore. Image shows a view through a gap in books to a woman with light brown hair holding the books open and appearing to be searching the shelf.

Six people in office attire facing a bright yellow wall covered in postit notes17 December: Earlier this year, we introduced the UCL Statement on Principles of Authorship, created through community consultation and co-creation. This document is designed to promote more equitable and transparent authorship practices across UCL. Learn more: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/open-access/2024/10/25/announcing-ucl-statement-on-principles-of-authorship/

  • Image by Alejandro Walter Salinas Lopez on UCL imagestore. Six people in office attire facing a bright yellow wall covered in postit notes

Image by Mat Wright on UCL imagestore. A student with long blonde hair studies in the foreground. Behind her are rows of wooden desks and book stacks in arches sit further back.18 December: Have you ever questioned which university ranks highest for collaboration or open access? Explore the Leiden University Rankings, based exclusively on publication data, to find the answer. https://www.leidenranking.com/ranking/2024/list

  • Image by Mat Wright on UCL imagestore. A student with long blonde hair studies in the foreground. Behind her are rows of wooden desks and book stacks in arches sit further back.

• Image by KamranAydinov on Freepik. Blue headphones surrounded by christmas decorations, stockings, candles, tree lights and pine cones19 December: UCL Press Play: Check out the new podcast series from @uclpress.bsky.social hosted by Philip Schofield (UCL’s Bentham Project). Join UCL experts as they explore Jeremy Bentham’s legacy, covering utilitarianism, queer aesthetics, historical views on non-binary diversity, and more.  Listen now: shorturl.at/Nvqzl

  • Image by KamranAydinov on Freepik. Blue headphones surrounded by christmas decorations, stockings, candles, tree lights and pine cones.

A mixed group of people around a table working at laptops.20 December: Ever hit a paywall when trying to access scholarly publications? Get the popcorn ready, and be prepared to have your eyes opened by watching this documentary ‘Paywall: the Business of Scholarship’ at https://paywallthemovie.com/ #OpenAccess #ResearchSupportAdvent

  • Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. A mixed group of people around a table working at laptops.

 

Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. Two large and several small icicles against a wintery sky.21 December: An RDM stocking filler – Research Data MANTRA training – up your RDM skills with this external online course: https://mantra.ed.ac.uk/

  • Image by Mary Hinkley on UCL imagestore. Two large and several small icicles against a wintery sky.

 

Image by KamranAydinov on Freepik. Top view of hand holding a pen on spiral notebook with new year writing and drawings decoration accessories on black background.22 December: UCL staff and students: join our new Copyright Literacy Community on Teams!

  • Image by KamranAydinov on Freepik. Top view of hand holding a pen on spiral notebook with new year writing and drawings decoration accessories on black background.

 

A Christmas tree with white lights at night in front of columns lit with colours of the rainbow.23 December: Interested in discovering which UCL department or faculty collaborates most with yours, or identifying the most common research theme in your department? Explore the My Organisation data in InCites to uncover trends for your department or faculty. https://library-guides.ucl.ac.uk/web-of-science/incites

  • Image by Alejandro Salinas Lopez “alperucho” on UCL imagestore. A Christmas tree with white lights at night in front of columns lit with colours of the rainbow.

24 December: From all the team here at the UCL Office for Open Science & Scholarship we want to thank you all for your collaboration and interaction this year, and wish you all a great break! We’ll be back after 6th January!

  • UCL portico in the background lit up in white at twilight. In the foreground and to either side trees are lit in a variety of rainbow colours.

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