Scholarly Communications

Engage in Open Science

Open Science is a broad framework that includes open access to publications, open data, open source software, and standards and systems that facilitate sharing and access to scientific processes and products across society.

"The idea behind Open Science is to allow scientific information, data and outputs to be more widely accessible (Open Access) and more reliably harnessed (Open Data) with the active engagement of all the stakeholders (Open to Society)" UNESCO 2021

Funders are increasingly requiring data sharing or open access publications to facilitate open science. One example is the NIH's Public Access Policy, which requires that peer-reviewed final manuscripts of articles, arising from NIH-funded research, be deposited in PubMed Central. Likewise to promote the sharing of scientific data, NIH’s new Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy, which went into effect on January 25, 2023, requires investigators applying for NIH funding to submit a data management and sharing plan.

See the resources and FAQs below or reach out to us for help at medical-librarian@duke.edu.

Resources and Guidance

FAQs

  • Where can I get help writing a data management and/or sharing plan?

    Duke has designed a template to simplify creating a data management plan. The Duke Office of Scientific Integrity (DOSI) provides Duke Data Management Planning (DMP) Guidance for an overview and links to other related Duke services.

    Researchers can also use the free DMPTool to create their data management plan. The DMPTool has a click-through wizard that walks you through the process of creating a DMP that complies with specific funder requirements, including NIH’s Data Management and Sharing Plan.

    For detailed help, consult the Duke DMP Guidance Document or email researchdata@duke.edu.

  • Are there Duke resources for sharing my data?

    Yes! There are several initiatives to simplify sharing your data, including the Duke Research Data Repository from the Duke University Libraries.

    For detailed information on preparing, sharing, and archiving your data, see myRESEARCHpath and Archiving Data and Documents.

    For more information about Duke’s research data policies, see the Duke University Faculty Handbook, Chapter 5: Research Data.

  • How do I use SciENcv?

    SciENcv is a system connected to NCBI and PubMed that helps researchers assemble the professional information needed for participation in federally funded research. It gathers and compiles information on expertise, employment, education, and professional accomplishments, while allowing researchers to describe and highlight their scientific contributions in their own words.

    Researchers can use SciENcv to create and maintain biosketches that are submitted with grant applications and annual reports. To get started using SciENcv, see the Reporting Publications tab on our NIH Public Access Policy Compliance Guide. For more extensive help, including details on creating biosketches for NIH and NSF, see the My NCBI Help.

  • What is an ORCID and how do I create one?

    ORCID is an author identifier that can be used to differentiate authors and connect them to their own research. Registering for an ORCID takes less than 5 minutes. ORCIDs can then be used in systems such as NCBI and Elements, the publication systems behind Scholars@Duke, to automate and simplify creating CVs.

  • Does Duke have any agreements with journals that cover open access article processing charges?

    Duke maintains agreements with with PLOS, Cambridge University Press (CUP), and two BMJ journals (BMJ Case Reports and BMJ Open Quality) in order to cover the costs of article processing charges. These are available to current Duke faculty, staff, residents, and students. 

    For further information and details, please see our Getting Published: Open Access Options at Duke.

  • What's a preprint?

    Preprints are early versions of articles that are shared prior to peer review and publication. Because peer review and publication can take a long time, preprints enable authors to share their work quickly. However, since preprints are not peer reviewed, they should be used cautiously. Most are published on preprint servers, such as medRxiv for health sciences and bioRxiv for biology.

  • Why should I consider sharing my manuscript on a preprint server?

    Preprints let you:

    • Establish intellectual precedence for your work (i.e., preprints are “time-stamped”).
    • Receive early feedback from peers to improve your manuscript
    • Use your work as early evidence of productivity in grant writing or for promotion/hiring committees. Preprints receive a permanent digital object identifier (DOI) so your article is citable.
    • Increase the visibility of and potential attention to your work. Some studies have shown that articles shared on preprint servers have a higher Altmetrics score and more citations than papers not posted as preprints (Serghiou and Ioannidis, 2018).
    • Support open science by rapidly disseminating research findings to the public in order to accelerate scientific discovery.
  • Does publishing my manuscript as a preprint affect my ability to publish in a journal?
    • In most cases, no! A majority of journals accept manuscripts posted to preprint servers. Some journals even encourage it! You should always check the policy of the journal you intend to submit to before depositing your manuscript to a preprint server. You can learn more about journal preprint policies from these resources: SHERPA/RoMEO, Transpose, or Wikipedia’s List of academic journals by preprint policy.
    • Preprint sharing and journal publication often work in parallel, with many preprint servers connected with one or more journals so that you can submit both to a preprint server and to a journal at the same time. For example, authors who deposit their manuscript in bioRxiv or medRxiv may submit directly to PLOS journals through the preprint server’s Direct Transfer to Journal service. Likewise, authors submitting articles to PLOS journals can opt to post their work on bioRxiv or medRxiv during the manuscript submission process.
  • How will my preprint be discoverable?
    • Most preprint servers are indexed by Google and other major search engines, Google Scholar and Crossref. As of January 1, 2023, preprints that acknowledge NIH support or have an NIH-affiliated author and were posted to bioRxiv, medRxiv, arXiv, or Research Square, are now indexed in PubMed Central. For more information, read about the NIH Preprint Pilot.