Open Research Conversation - Open research across different epistemic cultures: principles, practices, dis/junctions

Recording of the following session, part of the 'Open Research Conversations' seminar series at the University of Sheffield (organised by the University Library, Scholarly Communications Team), held on 5 March 2025:

Open research across different epistemic cultures: principles, practices, dis/junctions

The conceptual framework of open research has historically been shaped around quantitative, confirmatory research informed by a positivist epistemological stance. As a result, some have raised questions about its applicability - and those of key tenets including reproducibility and open data - to a broader range of research contexts, with different methods and epistemological approaches.

Just how applicable are the accepted tenets of ‘open science’ or ‘open research’ to broader understandings of research practice? To what extent must they be modified, revised or rewritten in the context of (for example) interpretivist qualitative research, or research in Arts, Humanities and Social Science disciplines? Alternatively, in what ways might ‘best practice’ in such disciplines already embody open research values in ways that go unrecognised within dominant discourses of open science?

Our speakers for this session will be Bart Penders (Maastricht University), and Annayah Prosser (University of Bath).