Honest Conversations about open research and reproducibility at Edinburgh
If you’ve ever wondered how open research practices can genuinely transform a university’s research culture, look no further than the fresh initiatives launched by Edinburgh Open Research Initiative (EORI). Once known for hosting the journal club and ReproducibiliTea speaker sessions, EORI is now starting an exciting new chapter, one that’s all about building community, sparking cross-, inter-, and multidisciplinary conversations, and having honest discussions about the best ways to accomplish research.
So, what’s changing? For starters, EORI is expanding on its classic ReproducibiliTea event. Previously, these gatherings consisted of a one-hour online meeting each month and set up an amazing core community of interested members. But the team at EORI saw the potential to do even more.
The new format will now feature sessions every other month, with an increased duration of around 90 minutes, to add time for debate and questions. Each session will tackle a chosen theme within open research, explored through talks by speakers from different schools, disciplines, or career stages. By drawing on expertise from across the University of Edinburgh and academia in general, these events aim to foster richer discussions and more inclusive participation. This is a debate that we all must be involved in.
Another new development is the Honest Research Conversations (HRC) series. Think debate, catharsis, and the power of collaboration, all rolled into one. These in-person gatherings will coincide with the themes of the upcoming ReproducibiliTea sessions and are designed to be informal, welcoming, and above all, safe spaces. Researchers from any background are invited to share their experiences – the good, bad, and the ugly – around implementing open, reproducible, or otherwise good research practices. These will not be recorded and are based on Chatham House Rules – what is said in HRC, stays in HRC.
This has all been possible due to our previous members efforts in bringing on board new volunteers (rather than try to do it all themselves!). Our mission, which we have chosen to accept? To help amplify the message, create more engaging content, and get the university buzzing with conversations about open research. We will be blogging, posting, organising, all with the aim supporting the university in ongoing dialogue, curiosity, and change that ripples out across the campus and beyond.
If you’re interested in joining or learning more, stay tuned for upcoming events on BlueSky, Instagram and LinkedIn.
