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Open in planning and developing research

It is important to consider open research practices from the very beginning of your research project. How you plan to make each stage “more open” will depend on the type of research, for example, whether it is quantitative or qualitative, data-based or theoretical, exploratory or confirmatory in nature.

In terms of data management, planning includes consideration of ethics and regulatory compliance to be able to share your research data according to the FAIR principles (making data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable). Ensure the wording of consent forms and participant information sheets, or agreements with industrial partners, covers what you plan to do with research data at the end of the project and does not restrict their use.

If appropriate to your research, open practices in the planning stage could include preregistration or developing a registered report. These enhance the transparency and rigour of the research process and reduce questionable research practices. You could also explore opening up your research project development to collaborate with external stakeholders and communities beyond academia. 

What are questionable research practices?

Questionable research practices (QRPs) encompass a range of behaviours, from honest mistakes to intentional data manipulation, that undermine research integrity. For example, manipulating analysis protocols or data to obtain a statistically significant p-value (p-hacking), selective reporting of findings, or hypothesising after results are known (HARKing). Open research practices, including preregistration, open data sharing and transparent reporting, enhance the reproducibility of research and accountability of researchers, helping to prevent QRPs.

To find out more, explore the UK Research Integrity Office resource.

Putting it into practice

Explore these internal and external resources to learn how practices such as preregistration, detailed data management planning and consideration of ethics foster transparency. The goal of this section is to empower you with the confidence to engage in at least one new open research practice.

Preregistration

Preregistration is a publicly accessible, time-stamped record of your research plan, including hypotheses, study design, methods, and analysis, created before data collection begins. Explore insights, guidance and instructions on how to submit a preregistration with these Center for Open Science resources.

Registered reports

A publishing format that conducts peer review of research protocols before data collection, ensuring methodological quality and transparency. Read this article that suggests how registered reports are promoting reproducibility, transparency and self-correction across disciplines.

Data management planning

Completing a data management plan (DMP) early in the research lifecycle helps to establish good practice throughout your project, and ensures data is open as possible, as closed as necessary. A DMP is required by most funders and as part of the ethical review process at University of Leeds. Read the Library's guidance to support writing your DMP.

Open research beyond academia

Expanding collaboration in the planning and design phase of research with partners beyond academia enhances relevance, fosters innovation, and ensures that research addresses a broader range of societal needs. Explore our dedicated hub page to gain knowledge and support.

Trusted research

The term refers to safeguarding international research collaborations to ensure safe, secure, and transparent research while upholding the UK's research integrity and ethical standards. Learn more by reading our guidance on trusted research.

Ethics and regulatory compliance

Researchers are responsible for considering the ethical implications of their work—from design and methodology to data sharing, dissemination, and future use. This guide offers practical advice for managing data ethically in open research contexts.

Training and development opportunities

Below is a curated list of resources to develop your learning in open research practices and considerations at the planning stage of a project. 

Open to everyone

  • The Turing Way is an open science, open collaboration, and community-driven project. This is a comprehensive, self-paced resource covering topics such as research design, ethical research and collaboration. The resource was originally designed for data scientists, however the guiding principles and learning can be applied to any discipline.
  • The UK Research Integrity Office hosts regular webinars and training on research integrity, ethics and open research.

University of Leeds specific 

  • Staff and PGR workshops: Sign up for our range of workshops or access recordings from previous events hosted by the Library, including topics such as data management essentials and safeguarding confidential, sensitive and restricted data.
  • Research integrity and research ethics online training: Available (and highly recommended) to all staff and research students at the University of Leeds, use the link to request enrolment and you will gain access via Minerva.
  • Contact email for more information and support: [email protected]

 

Examples of good practice

Why you should pre-register your research study – and how easy it is to do

In this case study video, Dr Manu Savani, Lecturer in Public Policy at Brunel University London, explains how preregistration helps improve research transparency and tackle publication bias. She outlines the key steps involved in preregistering your study on the Open Science Framework. The video also includes examples from health and behaviour change research to illustrate how preregistration works in practice.

Watch  the 10-minute video here.

Act Early Holme Wood community-engaged data science to improve societal outcomes

The Act Early: Holme Wood initiative showcases a community-centered approach to research by engaging residents, practitioners, and data scientists in shaping the research agenda. This collaboration ensures that interventions are relevant to the community's lived experiences and promotes citizen science, empowering residents to actively participate in data collection and analysis. Regular feedback loops and accessible data visualisations foster ongoing dialogue among stakeholders, enhancing transparency and adaptability.

Read more about the project and approach here.

Leeds ReproducibiliTea journal club session: Preregistering Qualitative Research

The ReproducibiliTea journal club aims to discuss open science/ research practices. The paper discussed in this session investigated whether the preregistration format, most often used in quantitative research, could also be used to boost the credibility of qualitative research. The author of the paper, Tamarinde Haven, gave an overview of her work in this area.

Watch the full video on YouTube.

Find out more about the grassroots, ReproducibiliTea journal club initiative that brings researchers together to discuss open research practices.

 

 

Further resources

There are numerous resources available to support your open research practice and the following tools have been curated to help you take them to the next level.

Resources

  • Check funder requirements: Research funders increasingly recognise the value of open research practices and often require data management plans (DMPs) in grant applications. Use this guidance to review the open research requirements of major funders and ensure compliance.
  • Data safeguarding: The extent to which data can be shared will depend on several factors including sensitivity, consent and whether it is identifiable or anonymised. Review this list of questions to guide your planning for future data sharing.
  • The UKRN primer on examples of good practice has a broad collection of case studies of open research and resources per discipline. Note that this document is updated annually.
  • The ethics of social media: The rise of social media offers researchers vast, easily accessible data, however there are challenges around privacy, consent, and responsible data. This collection of resources from the UK Research Integrity Office is excellent, offering a range of videos, guidance and frameworks useful for researchers at the planning stage of a project involving social media.

Tools