Slides – Emily Wild – Open Research Conference 2024
Slides used by Emily Wild for the University of Manchester Open Research Conference 2024
Title: Rethinking research publishing with Octopus.ac
Abstract: Octopus.ac is a UKRI funded open publishing platform that aims to address existing challenges in research publishing by creating a more equitable, quality-focused publishing platform. The research process is broken down into eight publication types: research problem, rationale/hypothesis, method, results, analysis, interpretation, real world application, and open peer review, allowing researchers to share their work in detail.
In 2023, the University of Bristol published a report examining the existing shape of research culture to help understand the problems Octopus is trying to solve. We’ll examine the problems highlighted in the report and how Octopus aims to solve these, supporting openness, transparency, and reproducibility:
Sharing research - Problem: Sharing research quickly is often delayed when publishing a traditional research article. Often researchers don’t share the full research process, inhibiting reproducibility. | Solution: In Octopus, publication is immediate. You can choose the layout and length of your work and link it to other relevant publications. By sharing work early on, removing cost barriers, and sharing the full research process, Octopus is set to improve the dissemination, whilst supporting reproducibility.
Publishing bias - Problem: Journals often require ‘positive’ findings, rather than ‘negative’ results. | Solution: Octopus removes the need for an exciting narrative, placing emphasis on high-quality outputs at every stage of the research process. By sharing ‘negative’ results and focusing on the intrinsic quality of the research, Octopus incentivises honest and transparent sharing of work for fellow researchers to learn from.
Research quality - Problem: Typically, traditional publications carry out peer review once the entire research process is complete, meaning any faults within the research are not discovered until very late on. | Solution: Octopus allows for open peer review at any stage of the research process. By enabling early peer review, there is increased opportunity for researchers to reflect on their processes.
