Dr. Emma Norris, Senior Lecturer in Public Health at Brunel University London, and Dr. Elaine Toomey (previously Lecturer in the School of Allied Health University of Limerick and currently Lecturer in Evidence Based Healthcare in the University of Galway) are one of the winners of the pilot edition of the YERUN Open Science Awards, launched in 2021.
Their project related to the activities of the Open Science Special Interest Group of the European Health Psychology Society, established and chaired by Dr. Emma Norris and Dr. Elaine Toomey.
Two years after receiving the award, we had an insightful conversation with Dr. Emma Norris and Dr. Elaine Toomey to delve into the progress of her project’s follow-up. We explored how the YERUN award has been instrumental in propelling Open Science initiatives within her networks and beyond.
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Can you tell us a bit about the follow-up to your project and how the YERUN award has helped you boost Open Science?
Since our Award, we have established a range of activities within the European Health Psychology Society’s Open Science Special Group to increase visibility of Open Research. We have:
- Ran webinars on Open Educational Resources and Copyrighting: available on our YouTube channel
- Ran annual Open Research awards to celebrate Open Research within early career researchers within health psychology
- Supported the launch of Registered Reports & Data Note paper formats at the journal Health Psychology & Behavioural Medicine. This includes us organising an Article Collection running in 2024 with a call for Registered Reports & Data Notes https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/article_collections/health-psychology-and-behavioral-medicine-registered-reports-and-data-notes-within-health-psychology-and-behavioral-medicine/
- Established a webpage with Open Science resources for the health psychology community: https://ehps.net/open-science/
- Ran events promoting Open Science annually at the European Health Psychology Society’s annual Conference
- Published a research project identifying Open Science research priorities within health psychology: https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2022.2139830
How is in your view the implementation of Open Science practice proceeding in academia in general? Do you see important advancements?
Progress towards Open Science is ongoing: faster in some areas than others. There have been huge improvements in the amount and quality of training materials for Open Science. Training especially useful to me have been PaPOR Trail: a free, self-paced online introduction to Open Research and the UK Reproducibility Networks Open Research primers. There is increased uptake of Registered Reports and requirements for Open Data/Materials within journals. However, we still need to level the playing field for researchers across institutions, such as having clear incentives to practice Open Science within promotion criteria and support for staff advocating for Open Science.
How has your Open Science initiative contributed to building a community that fosters and implements Open Science practices within the European Health Psychology Society?
With the YERUN Award, we have been able to develop annual Awards to recognise Open Science and develop online resources and webinars to support health psychology researchers across Europe. We have grown our European Health Psychology Society’s Open Science Special Interest Group committee to 15 active members, grown our social media community and developed annual in-person Open Science events at the EHPS Annual Conference.
Based on your experience, what’s your main recommendation for this year’s awardees?
Keep in touch with the fabulous, responsive and supportive team at YERUN!
What steps have you taken to make your initiative available to others? Is it easily findable online, and can it be reused in other departments or institutions?
You can keep up-to-date with our range of ongoing initiatives at the European Health Psychology Society’s Open Science Special Interest Group by signing up to our newsletter and following us on X.
In what ways do you envision the future of Open Science evolving, and how can collaborative efforts among universities play a role in shaping this future?
Researchers must have the capability, opportunity and motivation to perform Open Science practices within their work. The establishment of national Reproducibility Networks such as those of the UK, Germany and Sweden, as well as discipline-specific efforts such as the EHPS Open Science SIG are essential to coordinate person-power and instigate change towards Open Science. Funds such as the YERUN Open Science Award provide much-needed funds for grassroots initiatives to develop and support Open Science practice.
Thank you, Dr. Emma Norris and Dr. Elaine Toomey and all the best on your future Open Science endeavours!
The conversation with Dr. Emma Norris and Dr. Elaine Toomey highlights the significant progress made in advancing Open Science within the EHPS since receiving the YERUN Open Science Award. Through a series of initiatives including webinars, awards, resource development, and research projects, they have successfully fostered a community committed to Open Science practices. Their experiences underscore the importance of ongoing support and collaboration among universities and institutions to drive the evolution of Open Science. As we look to the future, initiatives like the YERUN Open Science Awards will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Open Science and promoting its adoption across disciplines.
