Open research encompasses a wide range of activities that help to ensure that your research practice is as transparent and widely accessible as possible. It includes data curation and sharing, open source code, engaging in open peer reviews and citizen science, and publishing your research through open access routes.

Explore open research at Cambridge

The University supports researchers in embedding open practices throughout the research lifecycle, helping to ensure that your research processes and outputs are as open as possible and as closed as necessary.

Apollo, the University’s institutional repository, stores and preserves the University’s research outputs. These range from published articles, conference papers and book chapters through to theses, datasets, code, protocols, and multimedia outputs such as graphics, audio and video.

Browse the exciting range of open access research outputs

Why open research matters

Open research enhances:

  • transparency and integrity in research
  • equity and inclusivity in access to knowledge
  • collaboration across disciplines and borders
  • impact and reuse of research output

Support for open research at Cambridge

Expert guidance and advice are available to help researchers embed open practices in their work. The Open Research team, based at University of Cambridge Libraries and Archives, can advise on topics such as open access publishing, research data management, thesis submission, and other open practices that may be specific to your research. They also deliver training and resources to help researchers and research support staff navigate funder requirements and embed open practices throughout the research lifecycle.

Governance and policy

Open research at Cambridge is overseen by the Open Research Steering Committee. The Committee is responsible for the University’s Open Research Position Statement, which summarises the University’s approach to open research, its expectations of researchers and the support available. Cambridge’s approach is informed by frameworks such as the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, the UK Concordat on Open Research Data, and the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment. These frameworks also inform other institutional policies governing open research practices at the University, such as the Research data management policy framework, Open access publications policy framework, and self-archiving policy.

Get involved

For those looking to explore or engage with open research at Cambridge, here are some key resources: