Category: OSC the Netherlands

Here’s a glimpse at the session topics:

• Using generative AI for research summaries
• Designing an open access game called ‘Legacy’
• Bridging the gap between researchers and data professionals
• Citizen science
• How to get institutional support
• Creating a knowledge base for the open science communities (OSCs)

The aim of these session is for the community to continue to work on these projects. Participation after the Barcamp is also open for people that did not attend the Barcamp. You can explore all sessions in this Etherpad (Open Source alternative for Google Docs).

This diverse lineup of sessions allowed participants to explore new ideas and challenges in open science, each conversation contributing to our collective efforts.

The unconference format was perfectly suited to foster collaboration, allowing attendees to build on each other’s ideas, challenge assumptions, and propose novel solutions. This free-flowing structure allowed every participant to feel not just included but integral to the day’s outcome, giving rise to new collaborations and projects that extended well beyond the walls of the conference rooms.

As the day wound down, everyone gathered in the main hall for well-deserved pizza, where conversations continued to flow, and connections were solidified. This informal closing was a fitting end to a day rooted in spontaneity, creativity, and shared passion.

The barcamp proved that moving open science forward isn’t just about technology or tools—it’s about people coming together, sharing visions, and building a community committed to a future where knowledge is open and accessible to all. So be on the lookout and be sure to join next year’s barcamp!

During the OSC-NL National Open Science Week, local Open Science Communities across the Netherlands organized engaging events aimed at promoting open science practices and enhancing collaboration among researchers. Here are some of the highlights.

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OSC Twente: Fostering Connections and Building Awareness

OSC Twente had a bustling week filled with eight events aimed at advocating for open science practices at the University of Twente (UT) and Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

• 🔍 Information Booths:
  OSC Twente organized six information booth events—five at UT, one at Saxion. Here, researchers and support staff could learn all about OSC Twente and sign-up to become a member.
• 🔗 CodeCheckNL Event:
  OSC Twente participated in the CodeCheckNL event, which fit seamlessly under the OSC-NL umbrella to raise awareness about open science practices. In this event, participants checked and verified each other’s research findings, starting from the raw data and the scripts that were used for analysis.
• 🗣 Panel Discussion:
  The week culminated in a successful panel discussion held as part of the Emerging Technologies & Societal Transformations Conference 2024. This discussion brought together various stakeholders, enabling an enriching dialogue about open science involvement and its relevance amidst evolving technological landscapes.

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OSC Amsterdam: Addressing Scientific Integrity

The Open Science Community Amsterdam took a significant step by hosting the Scientific Integrity Symposium on September 23. This event served as a platform for discussing essential issues surrounding the quality and integrity of scientific research—especially pertinent in an era where AI and emerging technologies introduce new challenges.

• 🗝 Opening and Expert Talks:
  The event began with a keynote from UvA Open Science coordinator Frans Oort. This was followed by insights from international and national experts such as Elisabeth Bik, Ben Mol, Mariëtte van den Hoven, and Gerben ter Riet. Their talks focused on the prevalence of scientific misconduct and the urgent need for enhanced measures to ensure research integrity.
• ⚠️ Shocking Statistics:
  The symposium highlighted concerning statistics, with Ben Mol estimating that around 30% of randomized controlled trials in women’s health may be fabricated. Elisabeth Bik identified over 3,000 potentially fraudulent articles in biomedical research. Such revelations emphasize the crucial need for openness and transparency in the research cycle.
• 🌱 Encouraging a Culture of Integrity:
  Despite the challenges presented, the symposium provided a hopeful perspective by emphasizing the importance of fostering an environment that supports research integrity. Panels led by experts encouraged researchers to speak up and engage in training provided by initiatives like the Dutch Research Integrity Network (NRIN) and join their local Open Science Community.

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OSC Leiden: Making support for taking your next step in Open Science visible

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Conclusion

The OSC-NL National Open Science Week was a remarkable showcase of how local OSCs are making strides in promoting open science. The blend of practical engagement, collaborative initiatives, and thought-provoking discussions set a strong foundation for continued growth and awareness in the scientific community.

For those interested in exploring the full program of events, OSC Twente has a detailed list available here, and slides from the OSC Amsterdam symposium can be found on their OSCA repository here. The full program of the activities of OSC Leiden can be found here. 

Let’s continue the momentum and work collectively towards a more open scientific community!

From today you can register for our free Open Science Barcamp, 21 Oct in Maastricht! Available Barcamp seats are limited to 100pp so they might be gone soon.

We share the registration portal with the National Open Science Festival as their offical satellite event. So be quick if you are interested.

More information about the Barcamp can be found on www.opensciencebarcamp.nl

On February 2nd, 2024, OSC-NL hosted a knowledge exchange day to kick off the year. Due to the growing awareness that the communities are crucial in the transition to OS, we now also had funding to organise this day and other network events. Representatives from seven Open Science Communities attended the event to connect, socialise, and formulate a strategic plan to engage their respective local communities. A strategic approach to engagement has become especially important now that the generous NWO impulse fund for each of the local communities has started to flow, giving us the opportunity to grow and professionalise like never before. However, the central question on this day of knowledge sharing remained: How exactly can we achieve these goals?

To professionalise OSC-NL and the work of local community managers, we focused on three central points in our discussions:

1. Professionalisation of local community managers. OSC-NL offers a limited number of spots for community engagement training, which will be available to community managers from OSCs across the Netherlands in autumn. Furthermore, broader workshops based on the OSC Incubator Program will be offered at the individual locations.
2. Professionalisation of the OSC-NL core team. We shared ideas on the role of the OSC-NL core team within the network of OSCs in the Netherlands. This involved determining concrete tasks the core team should undertake, identifying the most pressing issues within the network the core team can address, and drafting strategies to effectively support individual communities to ensure their success.
3. Professionalisation of the brand of OSC-NL and the OSC-NL website. OSC-NL is currently undergoing a rebranding process. The goal of this rebranding is to ensure inclusivity for all its members and to communicate more effectively our goals, strategies, and events. Stay tuned for updates on this initiative!

In addition to the professionalisation of OSC-NL, we also discussed current challenges considered important for individual OSCs. These were (1) education on open science (i.e., how can we bridge the gap between OSCs and educators and engage students in our communities?), (2) the engagement of local stakeholders (i.e., how can we reach university executive boards, to collaborate on long-term strategies for open science within universities?), and (3) the cultivation of a vibrant and active interdisciplinary community (i.e., which events facilitate engagement and the formation of workgroups?).

The meeting served as a brainstorming session to identify future tasks, but we only began to address a fraction of the questions at hand. However, it did establish a starting point for future work sprints on these topics, for instance, at the approaching 5-day Open Science Retreat in Schoorl in March.

Looking back at the past five years, we are very proud of what we achieved with OSC-NL: OSCs active in all 12 university cities with over 2000 members, ready to put Open Science to practise. With the financial impuls for OSC-NL, we are ready to take OSC-NL to the next level!  

On November 27th, the Dutch Reproducibility Network was launched (NLRN). NLRN is a national network with the goal to increase the quality and efficiency of research in the Netherlands by coordinating, supporting and strengthening initiatives on reproducibility and transparency in all scholarly disciplines.

We congratulate our colleagues from NLRN with this milestone!

OSC-NL and NLRN share many goals, as Open Science and Reproducibility are topics that go hand-in-hand. It is therefore natural for OSC-NL and NLRN to collaborate. In fact, many members of OSC-NL are already active in NLRN, either in the NLRN steering committee or advisory board. At the NLRN Launch Event, possibilities for future collaborations were explore, for example on joint efforts to stimulate and facilitate ReproHacks.

With the addition of NLRN to the Dutch academic landscape, it is also relevant to indicate how and where OSC-NL and NLRN differ in their strategies and roles, and how they complement one another. To this extent, OSC-NL and NLRN have published a collective statement that explains where these initiatives overlap, and what sets them apart.

In short, OSC-NL is a national community of researchers and research supporters who make their OS practices visible and accessible to their peers, and provides input to policy, infrastructure and services to both local and national stakeholders. NLRN, on the other hand, is a network that brings togethers institutes, local initiatives and other stakeholders to increase the reproducibility of science, focussing on stakeholders alignment and agenda-setting.

Making the overlap and differences explicit is not only relevant for the Netherlands, but also for other countries where OSCs and RNs co-exist – which happens ever more often, as the number of OSC and RNs continues to rise across the globe.

With OSC and RNs teaming-up, you can expect many new events and initiatives to stimulate Open and Reproducible Science!

We are thrilled to invite you to the 2nd edition of the Open Science Retreat, from the 25th to the 29th of March, 2024 in Schoorl, the Netherlands. After a successful first German edition, organised by Heidi Seibold, this year the Netherlands Open Science Communities (OSC-NL) are in the lead. Join us for a week in which researchers from various disciplines come together to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices related to open science in the serene surroundings of dunes, a fairytale forest and the sea, the perfect backdrop for teamwork,  one-on-one talks, creativity and rejuvenation.

How to participate?

To join the Open Science Retreat, you can apply here. If you apply before December 1st, we will get back to you before the end of the year to let you know if your application is accepted. We welcome researchers at all stages of their careers. No prior experience with open science is required—just an eagerness to learn, share, and contribute.

Due to support via the NWO Open Science Fund, we have been able to keep costs relatively low for all. There is also a stipend fund to lower participation costs to 200,- for those who have difficulties to get reimbursement via their institution, mainly aimed at Early Career Researchers.

Why should you attend?

• Learn from peers who will share their insights and experiences in open science and build valuable collaborations. Be prepared to be inspired and challenged!

• Participate in a hands-on unconference style team in the mornings to develop practical skills in open science methodologies.

• Engage in thought-provoking discussions around the challenges and opportunities in implementing open science practices. Your voice matters!

• Benefit from coaching and join our mentoring scheme.

Programme and location

Please visit the website for details on the programme and the location of the retreat. Here you can also find a recap of the first Open Science Retreat in Kochel, Germany.

We hope to see you all there!

The Open Science Retreat Team

www.openscienceretreat.eu

team@openscienceretreat.eu

Mastodon: @OSR24NL@mastodon.social