Open Research

Our services support researchers at all stages of the research lifecycle, from design to publication and archiving. We enable them to meet the policy requirements of the Government, funders, and the University. We support the University’s research policies, planning and infrastructure.

We provide support and training to staff and research students, and undertake engagement activities to increase awareness, knowledge and skills across our service areas.

We can help you with...

Open Research
Promoting cultural and behavioural change towards the greater use of open and reproducible practices through Open Research. Our Open Research Handbook offers a primer in key open practices. We support the University's Statement on Open Research. We can help you with: the sharing of protocols, code and other materials required to validate research outputs, the preregistration of study designs, the use of preprints and open peer review. See the Checklist of 12 things you can do to be open.

Depositing publications in CentAUR
We manage CentAUR the Open Access repository for the University of Reading's research publications. Visit our CentAUR guide to find out how to use the institutional repository and what to deposit.

Managing, preserving, and sharing your data effectively
We support good practice in the management and sharing of research data in alignment with the FAIR Principles and in compliance with the University’s Research Data Management Policy and the policies of our research funders. We manage the University's Research Data Archive, which can be used to preserve and provide long-term access to the data supporting published research outputs. Visit our Research data management webpages for help and information.

Open Access
We provide help and advice on publishing your outputs Open Access, by either the Gold or Green routes, so that you can be compliant with University, funder and REF 2029 policies. We can help with finding journals included in our publisher Open Access deals. Visit our Publish Journal Articles Open Access and Publish Books Open Access guides to find out more.

Research intelligence and bibliometrics 
We provide research intelligence and bibliometrics services in support of University research management, strategy and planning, and promote the responsible use of metrics in research assessment.  

Digital humanities
The Digital Humanities Hub supports researchers to enhance the quality and innovation of their research through engagement with digital tools and methodologies. Visit our online portal to learn more about digital humanities, the support and resources available, and how to contact the team. Consider joining our Community of Practice, a friendly space for researchers to collaborate, share ideas and skills, and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Digital Humanities as a field.

Help, guidance and training

Visit our guide for research staff & students for further information, including a helpful checklist for getting up to speed with University policies and processes, and to ensure your research record and researcher profile are up-to-date. Our Boost your academic profile guide contains useful tips on how to get your work seen and cited. 

You can also book appointments with Research Data, Open Access and bibliometrics experts.  

We offer a wide range of training courses, seminars and workshops to help University researchers curate their digital profiles, publish Open Access, boost citations and manage and share research data. These can be booked via UoRLearn or via the Doctoral and Researcher College RRDP programme for postgraduate students.

We are also able to provide bespoke training for Schools, Research groups, Departments etc, subject to sufficient notice. Please contact us to discuss your requirements. 

The Open Research team

• Alison Sutton - Open Research Manager
• Karen Rowlett - Research Publications Adviser
• Robert Darby - Research Data Manager 
• Sophie Dorman - Open Research Administrator
• Claire Collins - Senior Library Assistant
• Timothy Landricombe - Senior Library Assistant