Supporting Teaching and Learning of Open Research Principles and Practice

This initiative aimed to develop the first Open Educational Resource (OER) on Open Research for early-stage researchers. We achieved this by developing the Principles and Practices of Open Research: Teaching, Research, Impact and Learning (PaPOR TRaIL) OER.

PaPOR TRaIL was developed through a mixed-methods process including best-practice evidence and stakeholder input. It introduces the principles and practices of open research and supports development of core research values and transferable competencies and skills.

Outcomes and impacts of the project include:

• Over 800 students from 21 countries enrolled in the PaPOR TRaIL OER to date.
• Leaners consistently provide positive feedback about the OER.
• PaPOR TRaIL received a Research Award for Open Science at the UCC Research & Innovation Awards, 2021.
• PaPOR TRaIL received a commendation from the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science in 2024.
• PaPOR TRaIL is an invited Partner of the international Framework for Open Research and Reproducible Teaching.

SATLE priority area: Academic Integrity

Context and needs addressed

Open research involves principles and practices at all stages of the research cycle from idea conception to dissemination. It includes research integrity, pre-registration, data management, reproducibility, open reporting, and open knowledge dissemination. Open research principles and practices make research processes and outputs more transparent and accessible for all members of society and can maximise the validity and impact of research. Knowledge and training are essential for researchers to engage in open research practices. Educating those who engage in or with research at an early stage about open research is therefore of critical importance. While some resources exist at PhD and more senior levels to support increased awareness, knowledge and engagement with open research, there was no such resource for undergraduate and early postgraduate students. As such, we developed an education resource to broaden understanding of, and engagement with open research practices, to provide a foundation in best scientific practice that benefits students, universities, and research.

Goals, key activities and key stakeholders involved

The goal was to develop an open educational resource (OER) on the principles and practices of open research, to promote and facilitate the teaching and learning of open research for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This OER is called Principles and Practices of Open Research: Teaching Research Impact and Learning (PaPOR TRaIL).

PaPOR TRaIL was developed in 3 inter-related stages that involved engagement with key stakeholders throughout to ensure it was informed by the needs of these stakeholders.

In Stage 1 we developed an evidence and knowledge base from which to begin developing the content and format of PaPOR TRaIL. To do this we conducted semi-structured interviews and surveys with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and with research supervisors. Interviews were conducted with 16 students from University College Cork (UCC) and surveys were completed by 74 UCC students, all of whom were recruited via UCC mailing lists. Fourteen research supervisors based in Higher Education Institutes in Ireland were recruited to participate in interviews, and 72 participated in surveys. Supervisors were recruited via institutional email and social media. Semi-structured interviews and surveys explored knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of open research, and needs and preferences for course content and delivery.

In Stage 2, we developed the PaPOR TRaIL OER content and format. Quantitative and qualitative evidence from Stage 1 were integrated with evidence on best practice in open research (e.g., from FOSTER Open Science) and evidence on best practice for teaching and learning (e.g., Universal Design for Learning). This was done to develop the format and content of PaPOR TRaIL. The developed course, PaPOR TRaIL, is a self-paced and online course that provides students with understanding of what open research is, why it is important, and skills to support open research conduct. All students first complete an introductory module that provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of open research. Following completion of this module, students can complete all/any of six skill-based modules that provide hands-on instruction and resources for how to do the following practices: Research Integrity; Pre-registration, Research Data Management, Research Reproducibility, Open Reporting, Open Knowledge Dissemination. We also engaged with graphic illustrators and designers at this stage to ensure the OER was accessible visually and interactively, and to create a short, animated video explaining open research and the course.

In Stage 3, we pilot-tested PaPOR TRaIL to ensure it was fit for purpose. Students and supervisors in UCC engaged with the PaPOR TRaIL OER, working through the content sections at their own pace and providing feedback in the form of an audio recorded discussion with a member of the research team. This discussion focused on their experience of using PaPOR TRaIL in terms of usability, learning experience and learning outcomes (including awareness, understanding, self-perceived knowledge and practices of open research). Aggregated feedback was used to guide any necessary revisions to the content, format and learning activities of PaPOR TRaIL in order to finalise it.

PaPOR TRaIL was launched as an OER on Open Research via the UCC Canvas Catalog platform in December 2019 and over 800 students have enrolled to date.

Challenges encountered and how addressed

PaPOR TRaIL was developed during lock-down phases of the pandemic, which initially proved challenging in terms of engaging with students and supervisors. We pivoted quickly to online engagement, which worked well and ultimately improved our ability to develop the online OER as it was much better suited to the digital context based on how it was developed.

We had some challenges ensuring the content was applicable across disciplines, as open research is often considered to apply to the sciences only. To overcome this we engaged with students and supervisors across disciplines throughout the process to ensure content, examples and activities were all appropriate and fit-for-purpose across disciplines. Feedback on this to date has been overwhelmingly positive.

Strategic alignment with national policies and relevant SATLE priority area

The PaPOR TRaIL Open Educational Resource (OER) embodies and integrates academic and research integrity throughout its modules and activities, and is strongly aligned with national policies. In terms of national policies, PaPOR TRaIL is strategically aligned with the National Action Plan for Open Research (2022-2030) and the National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment (NORF). PaPOR TRaIL is also very closely aligned with the SATLE priority area of Academic Integrity, in relation to integrity across the full academic and research spectrum. This is because PaPOR TRaIL is an OER designed to support understanding and engaging in the principles and practices of open research, which fosters a culture of transparent, open, ethical, and responsible research in higher education and beyond.

PaPOR TRaIL is also aligned with national goals and the Academic Integrity priority area in terms of promoting open research literacy by providing foundational teaching and learning for undergraduate and postgraduate students in open research principles and practices. Through its introductory and applied modules, PAPOR TRaIL guides students through key stages of the research process, from idea generation to open dissemination, while highlighting the responsible and ethical dimensions of each stage. By doing so, PaPOR TRaIL fosters and reinforces an understanding that integrity is an active, reflective commitment to conducting and communicating research responsibly. PaPOR TRaIL acknowledges that not all undergraduate and postgraduate students will continue on to careers in research but that most individuals encounter research in their day-to-day lives (e.g., in the news). As such, PaPOR TRaIL content has also been specifically designed to support engagement with research in addition to conduct of research in an ethical and responsible manner.

PaPOR TRaIL also supports national goals, such as those set out in the Action Plan, to enable researchers to “openly share and reuse research outputs” and to develop skills in open research. It does this through targeted modules on reproducibility, data management (including FAIR data), and open reporting dissemination. Research Integrity is also a core module in PaPOR TRAIL, with additional components woven throughout the other modules. As such, it embeds integrity as central to all research conduct, reporting, and dissemination. By fostering understanding and engagement with research integrity throughout the research process in an open and transparent way, PaPOR TRaIL ALSO reinforces the standards outlined in the National Policy Statement on Research Integrity in Ireland. By its nature as a cross-disciplinary resource, PaPOR TRaIL acknowledges and incorporates components related to transdisciplinary responsibility, integrity, and respect for participants and data of all types. As such, the PaPOR TRaIL OER clearly exemplifies the SATLE priority of Academic Integrity by equipping students and researchers across all disciplines with the knowledge, tools, and ethical grounding to engage in open and responsible research.

Innovation in specified SATLE priority area

As the first OER in open research for undergraduate and postgraduate students, PaPOR TRaIL OER is an innovative approach to teaching and learning open research, including academic and research integrity. Integrity is presented and embedded within PaPOR TRaIL as a dynamic, developmental skillset through module content, activities and delivery approaches. PaPOR TRaIL also demonstrates innovation, not only through the course content, but through its pedagogical design, collaborative approach to development and contributions to institutional and broader culture change.

Novel Pedagogical Approaches.

PaPOR TRaIL adopts a values-based, reflective approach to teaching and learning open research. It supports active reflection and engagement in the principles and practices of open research through interactive case studies and applied real-world problem solving activities related to all stages of the research process. This experiential approach maximises students internalisation and application of the principles of transparency, responsibility, and accountability as lived research practices rather than abstract ideals. This, coupled with the self-paced design of PaPOR TRaIL, also facilitates students to apply open research and integrity principles and practices to their own research activities. Through these approaches PaPOR TRaIL embodies pedagogical innovation that supports critical thinking, ethical and responsible reasoning and conduct, and autonomous learning.

Student Partnership and Co-Creation.

We are very proud of the role of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the development, implementation, and evaluation of PaPOR TraIL. Students contributions informed the content and format of PaPOR TRaIL, and students pilot-tested the developed OER to provide feedback for improving the course. Their input directly shaped module content, tone, and accessibility, creating a sense of shared ownership. This ensured that PaPOR TRaIL content and format reflects the experiences of students and meets their needs and preferences. The benefits of this approach are seen in the consistently positive feedback we receive from students who engage with PaPOR TRaIL.

Institutional and Cultural Change.

As an OER in open research, PaPOR TRaIL represents an innovative approach to supporting institutional and cultural change. The openness and accessibility of PaPOR TRaIL promotes consistency and inclusivity in the teaching and learning of open research across disciplines, as well as institutions nationally and internationally. The OER supports institutions in aligning their integrity and open research frameworks with national and European policies. This has been reflected in the incorporation and use of PaPOR TRaIL across higher education institutes in Ireland and the UK. It is also reflected in recommendations from, and partnerships with, groups and organisations such as Irish and international HEIs, UNESCO, and the Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training.

Use of Emerging Tools and Methods.

As an online OER, PaPOR TRaIL demonstrates innovation through the use of open educational and digital learning technologies. This has enabled wide accessibility and interactive engagement with over 800 learners nationally and internationally to date. The inclusion of multiple types of content (text-based, video, graphical, reflective quizzes, and scenario-based case-studies, interactive resources), facilitates teaching and learning of open research in an applied and flexible manner that recognises and reflects the principles of Universal Design for Learning.

Outcomes

Impact

Student benefits.

PaPOR TRaIL was designed as a cross-disciplinary OER to provide a foundation in the principles and practices of open research for undergraduate and postgraduate students. As such, it fosters understand and skills in creating, evaluating and communicating knowledge in effective, socially responsible ways. We see evidence of these benefits to students in feedback we have received, such as:

“I have learned to appreciate the qualities of good research, and the impact it has on further research. I can now acknowledge the difference between well researched topics, and poorly researched topics, and the reasons as to why that is the case. This course has enabled me to comprehensively reflect on research that I am reading and applying to my study, as well as prepare me for my Final Year Project”.

PaPOR TRaIL has been used by over 800 students in 21 countries, and so there are significant impacts and benefits for students nationally and internationally. Benefits can be short-term; i.e., applying learning and skills to their own research. They can also be medium to long-term; i.e., fostering understanding and skills in open research that provide a solid basis in ethical, responsible, accessible and open research practices and engagement.

Supervisor and educator benefits.

While PaPOR TRaIL was developed as a resource for students, we were conscious of its potential usefulness as a resource for supervisors and educators to guide their students toward. We have received positive feedback from research supervisors about this:

“I cant stress enough how necessary this is, and was to develop. It’s something that’s happened piecemeal up to now, and in all of our different areas its been hit or miss. But this is a really cohesive, top level, and granular approach”.

Further evidence of the benefit of PaPOR TRaIL to supervisors and educators is its incorporation into existing teaching programmes. For instance, educators in Universities such as the University of Limerick and Loughborough University (UK) have informed Dr Mativenko-Sikar of their use of PaPOR TRaIL as part of their courses.

Structural-level benefits.

PaPOR TRaIL has been incorporated into existing teaching, and has been recommended as an open research resource by seven higher education institutions (HEIs) nationally and internationally that we are aware of. PaPOR TRaIL provides a means for HEIs to support their students and staff with regard to knowledge, awareness and training in open research. It also facilitates institutional alignment with national and international guidelines and policies on open research and integrity, such as the National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment (NORF), the National Action Plan for Open Research, National Policy Statement on Research Integrity in Ireland, and EU Open Science Policy. An example of institutional use of PAPOR TRaIL is its integration in the UCC suite of resources for students on research practices as an OER digital badge; thus helping the institution achieve some of its open research commitments.

Improvements to teaching and learning.

As an online OER, PaPOR TRaIL improves cross-disciplinary national and international teaching and learning of open research. Benefits of PaPOR TRaIL for teaching and learning have been recognised and are represented through its contribution to development of other complementary teaching and learning resources. Based on the PaPOR TRaIL project, Dr Matvienko-Sikar was invited to join the Promoting Open Science Education (POST-EDU) team to develop an educational resource that supports educators in the teaching of Open Science. Dr Matvienko-Sikar was also involved in the NORF-funded Training for Open Research in an Irish Context (TROPIC) initiative to develop national resources and a training programme for established researchers. In both initiatives, learnings from PaPOR TRaIL informed the content and development of resources.

Strategic partnerships and collaboration.

PaPOR TRaIL is an official partner of the Framework for Open & Reproducible Research Training (FORRT) Initiative. Through this partnership, and through informing the TROPIC and POST-EDU initiatives, PaPOR TRaIL has also resulted in national and European collaborations in this area. In addition, a collaboration has been developed with the international TORCH Open Research group, with a view to evaluating PaPOR TRaIL across HEIs.

Scholarly visibility/impact

• The PaPOR TRaIL development protocol has been viewed 1104 times, downloaded 65 times, cited 5 times.
• PaPOR TRaIL has been cited in four research publications we are aware of as an example of a best-practice open research educational resource.
• PaPOR TRaIL has been presented at two national conferences.
• Five invited presentations on PaPOR TRaIL have been delivered at HEIs in Ireland and the UK.
• Dr Matvienko-Sikar hosted an Open Research Teaching and Learning Webinar, including PaPOR TRaIL and talks from national and international experts.
• PaPOR TRaIL was selected as a ‘Case Study in Good Practice’ at UCC’s Good Practice Symposium 2024.

Awards

• Society for Improving Psychological Science Commendation, 2024.
• UCC Research Award in Open Research, 2021.
• Open Scholarship Community Galway Open Scholarship prize (2nd place), 2021.