Open Science at UniDistance Suisse

Research outputs can continue to create value long after a project has ended. A well-documented dataset may help answer new research questions years later, while methods, code or materials developed for one project can be reused, reproduced, and further developed by researchers elsewhere. Making research more accessible and reusable can extend its lifespan, increase its impact, and create new opportunities for research and collaboration.

Open Science extends across the entire process of creating and sharing knowledge, including responsible research data management, trustworthy and reproducible research practices, open access to scholarly publications and research data, open educational resources, research integrity and responsible research assessment. Open Science can therefore benefit researchers, students, educators, professionals and society more broadly. At UniDistance Suisse, we implement Open Science in accordance with disciplinary practices, academic freedom, research ethics, data protection, intellectual property rights, contractual obligations and legitimate confidentiality requirements.

UniDistance Suisse recognises Open Science as an essential component ofhigh-quality and responsible research and as a broader contribution to the accessibility, dissemination and reuse of knowledge. The institution promotes the consideration of openness from the earliest stages of a research project and throughout the research lifecycle: during study design, data collection and analysis, documentation of methods, dissemination of results and long-term preservation of research outputs. UniDistaqnce approach is aligned with the national Open Science framework developed by swissuniversities and its partners, as well as with internationally recognised principles.

At UniDistance Suisse, Open Science is not limited to making final research results available. It also involves creating the conditions under which knowledge can be examined, reused and shared responsibly. This includes support for Open Access publishing, research data management, reproducible research practices, an institutional repository, responsible research assessment and participation in relevant national networks and collaborative initiatives.

The institutional approach aims to:

• make research outputs more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, in line with the FAIR data principles;

• strengthen research quality, reproducibility and responsible research practices;

• support collaboration, knowledge sharing and the diversity of scholarly contributions;

• increase the visibility and societal impact of research conducted at UniDistance Suisse.

Open Science does not imply that every research output can or should be made publicly available. It follows the principle of making research as open as possible and as closed as necessary, taking account of ethical, legal, contractual, security-related and disciplinary requirements.

In line with UniDistance Suisse's mission in distance education and lifelong learning, openness can also support wider access to knowledge, educational innovation and dialogue beyond disciplinary and institutional boundaries.

Open Access makes scholarly publications available online without financial, technical or unnecessary legal barriers. It enables researchers, students, professionals, policymakers and members of the public to benefit from scientific knowledge, irrespective of institutional affiliation or ability to pay.

UniDistance Suisse promotes responsible Open Access publication practices and supports the dissemination and long-term visibility of research outputs through its institutional repository and internal funding opportunities for eligible Open Access publications.

Open Science also encompasses responsible research data management and transparent, reproducible research practices. UniDistance Suisse supports initiatives related to FAIR data, research data stewardship, good research practices, and reproducibility, including participation in national initiatives such as the Swiss Research Data Support Network and the Swiss Reproducibility Network.

Open Science also concerns how research is assessed and recognised. UniDistance Suisse supports responsible research assessment through its commitments under DORA and CoARA, which encourage the recognition of diverse scholarly contributions and assessment approaches based primarily on qualitative judgement, supported by the responsible use of quantitative indicators.
 

Open Science combines established principles of openness and transparency with the ongoing examination of how research is conducted, evaluated and shared. UniDistance Suisse considers metascience, the scientific study of research practices, an important part of this approach. Research on reproducibility, replication, evidence synthesis and research assessment can help determine which practices strengthen research quality and under which disciplinary conditions. Practices such as preregistration, Registered Reports and data sharing should likewise be examined and applied in ways that are appropriate to the research context.

Such development depends on informed debate within and across disciplines. UniDistance Suisse supports researchers who study and critically examine research practices, encourages exchange across faculties, and contributes disciplinary perspectives to national and international discussions.

This engagement is reflected in metascientific research conducted by members of UniDistance Suisse and in activities undertaken through the Swiss Reproducibility Network. These include hosting the SwissRN Computational Reproducibility Hackathon in Brig in 2025 and the SwissRN Annual Meeting in 2027, as well as contributing to discussions on reproducibility and responsible research assessment through SwissRN, DORA, CoARA and the swissuniversities Open Science Programme.

Developing the knowledge and skills needed to apply Open Science is an institution-wide responsibility. UniDistance Suisse supports students, researchers at all career stages, teaching and research support staff, and members of the administration and leadership involved in research-related decisions. This approach reflects the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and, with regard to research data competencies, Action Area C of the Swiss National Open Research Data Strategy.

Capacity development includes

• the Open Online Course in Good Research Practices (OOC-GRP), developed with swissuniversities funding in collaboration with the Center for Reproducible Science at the University of Zurich, HES-SO Valais-Wallis and HEG Fribourg, for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers,

• training and individual guidance on research data management, FAIR data, Open Access and licensing, provided by the Research Data Steward and the Research Support Office,

• the integration of transparency, reproducibility and research integrity into research methods teaching, where appropriate, so that students learn to critically assess and conduct open and responsible research,

• continuing exchange through workshops, journal clubs and activities offered through networks such as the SwissRN Academy and SRDSN, and

• the development of openly reusable learning materials that draw on UniDistance Suisse’s expertise in distance education and digital teaching and learning.

Open Science education is understood not as a one-off requirement, but as part of a research culture in which practices are learned, discussed and continuously improved.