The University of Cambridge has revised its Open Research Position Statement, reinforcing our commitment to rigour, integrity, and transparency in research behaviours, practices, and outputs. The revisions reflect the evolution of academic research practice and policy since the first release of the position statement in 2019 and signal the University’s reinvigorated approach to open research.
Professor Sir John Aston FRS, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Cambridge, said: “This statement demonstrates our commitment in Cambridge to fostering a research culture founded on openness, integrity and transparency. These values are key to supporting our institutional mission to contribute to society in as many ways as we can. Open research is an integral part of the academic process. At Cambridge, our approach has to be versatile so we can continually seek out opportunities to be as open as possible, and when needed, as closed as necessary.”
The Statement demonstrates the University’s aim of encouraging a culture of openness and transparency in all disciplinary areas and outlines its support to staff and students. This includes actively supporting the embedding of open research practices and principles in the varied research cultures that exist across the University. Central to this is recognising and rewarding open research contributions of researchers appropriately and responsibly while being sensitive and responsive to the requirements, practices and constraints of different fields of research.
Professor Sara Hennessy, Chair of the Open Research Steering Committee, said: “All disciplines can gain from engaging in open research, but different disciplines have different thresholds for openness. At Cambridge, our vision for open research needs to account for the challenges that varying disciplines face. We are well positioned to make diversity our strength and take this as an opportunity to uncover different ways to engage in open research. This revised Open Research Position Statement sets us on the path to do so.”
We invite you to read the University's Open Research Position Statement and explore how you can help shape a culture of open research at Cambridge.