The ‘Open Science practices and guidelines’ of the Institute of Psychology provide some background on Open Science and summarize good research practices that are either encouraged and/or required during the different research stages within the institute. These include: preregistration and registered reports, research data management (FAIR data and software), and open access publication. The document includes links to the relevant instructions and sources. 

As of April 2022, the domain-specific Data Stewards provide dedicated support in research data management to promote transparency and facilitate compliance with national guidelines. Apart from handling research data management queries from researchers, they are closely involved in providing the research data management training for PhD candidates. Furthermore, they provide support in and check the data management plans and publication packages. The relevant guidelines, instructions, and templates for research data management can be found under ‘Downloads’. 

Citizen Science

One additional way to make research accessible and transparent for society is through citizen science. At our institute, we have different projects that aim to involve citizens in different steps of the research cycle. For instance, in these projects, citizens are involved in shaping new research questions and in interpreting research findings. In citizen science projects, citizens may even ‘become scientists themselves’ and support research by collecting data. Using citizen involvement and citizen science, research outcomes will be enriched with practical knowledge and research questions will be developed that are relevant for society today and in the future.

Examples of research at our institute that aims to involve citizens:

• Societal impact of the Leiden Consortium on Individual Development (Leiden-CID) 
• Psychology Lab on Wheels

Becoming more open as an organization is a joint responsibility shared by all, from individual researchers (both junior and senior) to the research supporters and the board of the institute. All employees at the institute are encouraged to provide suggestions for changes and additions to what is presented on this page. Finally, all employees at the institute are encouraged to join the Open Science Community Leiden, a learning community where anyone can learn and discuss Open Science practices.

The transition towards more Open Science is a demanding venture for both researchers and research supporters, who are already under pressure in the current academic climate. Therefore, Open Science should also be seen in light of a cultural change toward a new and more inclusive way of working together for a collective interest. To achieve the necessary cultural change in academia, good and clear incentives for practicing Open Sciences are crucial. Specifically, a new recognition and reward system for both researchers and research support could stimulate research quality, collaboration, and team work. To this end, a new Recognition & Rewards Committee has been established within the institute. A key aim of this committee is to formulate a vision on how to alleviate work pressure and create more balance in the diverse academic duties.