Open science
In recent years, there have been many developments in the field of Open Science and FAIR research. What does all of this mean, and why is it relevant?
Open Science refers to the aim of making scientific research participatory, inclusive, transparent, accessible, and FAIR. The underlying goal is to align scientific research with societal needs and to increase the societal impact of research. In 2023, a taskforce was established to work on the ambition document and the rolling agenda, which were set up by the National Programme Open Science.
As PhD candidates, we all want to have an impact in our field, and hopefully beyond. But how do we know where to start? What experiments have already been done by our predecessors? In reality, there is much data that never gets published. Either mistakes are made, or hypotheses were rejected. Knowing which experiments failed, and why, is essential so as to not commit preventable mistakes. This is where the FAIR Data Principles come in. So what is FAIR? As it is a catchy acronym, it is easy to forget that it is – in fact – an acronym. Specifically, it stands forFindability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability of data. These four principles are by no means static, nor are they the same for every discipline. They should be frequently evaluated and aligned with the type of data concerned and whether the data contains sensitive information. A key component of FAIR is making data as open as possible and as restricted as necessary. You can read more about the FAIR guiding principles here..
Then, after having spent four (or more) years on studying our topic of choosing, our work gets published in a journal or in a monograph, to be read by a small niche of experts in our field. Open Science also involves making our research more accessible to researchers from other fields, policymakers, and civil society. This partly entails publishing in Open Access journals, but it doesn’t end there. We also need to communicate and publicize our work more actively. To help Early Career Academics, The Dutch consortium of University Libraries and the National Library of the Netherlands (UKB), together with Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), the Dutch national center of expertise and repository for research data (DANS) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO), published a practical guide .
Are you currently experiencing issues during your PhD that you need help with?
Most institutions have a number of contact points for help. This compass is designed to help you find the right support.
In the drop-down menu you can select the institution that you are doing your PhD at. Then the roadmap will show you available contact points. In most cases it makes sense to start by considering contact points in your immediate work environment first and then progress to higher levels (like institutional or national).
At the bottom of the page you can find some examples of problems you can run into and a list of descriptions of each contact point.
Your first contact points
Colleagues: Sometimes it can already help to talk with your colleagues about the issue you are experiencing. This will help you judge the severity of it and can provide you with allies in taking further action.
Daily supervisor*: Naturally, your daily supervisor is the first contact point for all issues. They can help you determine the next steps. Of course, you may not feel comfortable discussing everything with your supervisor, or maybe your daily supervisor is involved in the issue. In these cases have a look at the other available contact points.
Promotor or Co-Supervisor*: Especially, in cases of issues with your daily supervisor, consider reaching out to your promotor or another member on the supervision team and ask for a one-on-one meeting. Maybe they can (temporarily) step-up and help you resolve the issue.If you have a conflict with your supervisor(s), you can also have a look at the PNN PhD supervisor conflict roadmap.
*Note that your annual review talk with your supervisory team is a good opportunity to address issues or suggestions for improvement.
National contact points
Labor unions: Organizations representing the interests of academic staff, offering support on employment-related matters, rights, and fair treatment.
NWO Scientific Integrity Desk: A specialized desk addressing scientific integrity concerns in projects related to or funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Netherlands Board of Research Integrity (LOWI): An independent body handling complaints related to scientific integrity, providing a platform for fair investigation. If you feel like the local scientific integrity committee at your institution did not handle a case correctly, the LOWI can be the next contact point.
Making a police report: In cases involving a criminal offense, please consider contacting local law enforcement to report incidents and seek assistance.