Ms Josianne Camilleri Vella and Ms Raelene Church have recently attended a SEA-EU Teaching Staff Week on the topic of Research Integrity and Open Science at Kiel University (CAU). They delved into the crucial aspects of research integrity, emphasising the ethical and legal considerations that underpin educational research. The format of the workshops encouraged discussions within small groups, and also within the larger group. This facilitated the mingling of researchers and other specialists from different universities, which enriched the discussions.
Key topics that were explored included Open-Access Data Publication, the significance of sharing both successful and failed experiments in advancing research, and the different types of licensing and peer-reviewing.
They had the opportunity to visit the Kiel University Library where Open Data at CAU was discussed alongside open data portals and repositories and their Research Data Management (RDM) guidelines. The speaker also shared valuable lessons learned from CAU's two-year experience operating their data repository.
The Staff Week underscored the importance of minimising research waste through better planning and identified the factors that contribute to this prevalent issue. Data Management Plans (DMP) and their overarching importance in the research process were discussed.
Overall, the Staff Week provided a comprehensive and engaging platform for attendees to deepen their understanding of research integrity and open data practices, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to understand researchers and how they should conduct their work responsibly and ethically.
The trip was organised as part of an effort to facilitate internationality at the university and coordinated by the SEA-EU Office at UM. The beneficiaries that participated in this Staff Week were supported by the International Office via the Erasmus+ funding.