Aligned with the University of Malta’s commitments to the project's objectives, two workshops on Open Science were recently delivered to PhD students and Research Support Officers as part of the ’s
ReSEArch-EU is a sister project of the European Universities of the Seas (SEA-EU) Alliance aimed at fostering innovation and collaboration in the European research landscape. The ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ-driven features of the project focus on integrating Open Science principles, enhancing research transparency, and promoting interdisciplinary cooperation for knowledge democratisation across the Alliance and beyond.
led Work Package 5, known as ‘Building an Open Future,’ in the capacity of Principal Investigator, while Prof. Aldo Drago coordinated its deliverables for training and outreach events. The training workshops were designed and delivered by ReSEArch-EU Open Science Ambassadors: , , , and .
The First Workshop, titled ‘Introduction to Open Science: Principles of Transparency and Collaboration in Doctoral Research’ (DOC6060) covered the foundational knowledge on Open Science (Open Access, Open Data, and Open Methodologies), alongside discussions on ethical considerations and legal aspects in open research.
The Second Workshop, ‘Allies of Open Science: The Influential Role of Statistics and Library Data Repositories’ (DOC6061) delved deeper into the practical aspects of Open Science, emphasising the significance of data repositories and statistics in research. Participants learned about various data repositories, with a special focus on ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ’s own , and gained hands-on experience in data management and the application of FAIR principles.
The Workshops' engaging format spurred lively discussions amongst the participants and highlighted the role of Open Science in enhancing research quality and accessibility during the various phases of the research cycle. By focusing on practical skills, it fostered engagement among the participants, encouraging cross-discipline conversations about the benefits and challenges of Open Science practices in their respective fields of study.
As Open Science continues to shape the global future of research, ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ will continue to encourage its academic community to embrace these principles for greater scientific collaboration and stakeholder engagement. The open culture on campus has evolved over the years, thanks also to other emerging good practices in Open Science such as setting up the within the ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ Library, expanding open access digital repositories (dr½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ), offering online training on open science, enacting the , as well as participating in annual community-based events such as and .
Central to these initiatives is ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ’s core commitment to openness and societal advancement, a principle embedded in its mission statement i.e. ‘To Serve The Aspirations Of The People Of These Islands.' This mission aligns with and is enriched by the ethos of Open Science.
As part of the Doctoral School’s Professional Development Programme 2023-2024, a second iteration of the Open Science modules will be delivered in the second semester. For more information, the Doctoral School can be contacted by email.
