Defining outputs: Determine what outputs will result from the research. Will it be an article, software, dataset, or another type of output?
Funding: Publishing in open access journals may involve fees (APCs – article processing charges), which can range from $100 to $10,000. Grants often consider these fees as eligible expenses, so be sure to include them in your budget. Alternatively, you can secure funding from your institution’s budget. You can also choose the so-called green open access route by publishing a preprint or postprint. This allows you to avoid fees, but make sure the journal you choose permits preprints or postprints.
Data steward role: For larger research projects, designate a person responsible for research data (data steward). This could be a member of the research team or a standalone position. Grant agencies often consider the costs of a data steward as eligible expenses.
Data Management Plan (DMP): Pay attention to proper planning of your data management. Some grants require this explicitly, but in any case, you should decide early on whether you will use existing data, how you will store data, and how you will handle GDPR issues. A DMP should ideally be a living document that is updated as the project progresses.
2. Choosing the Right Journal
Type of access: Choose between the gold route (publishing in a fully open access journal) or the green route (depositing preprints or postprints in an open repository).
Journal policy verification: Check whether the chosen journal or repository allows publishing in an open access mode. Also, pay attention to conditions related to copyright and embargo periods.
Grant compliance: Some grants specify which journals research outputs must be published in. For example, they may require that journals rank in the first or second quartile in databases like Web of Science. Ensure that your chosen journal meets the grant requirements.
3. Data Management
Data traceability: Whatever type and volume of data you create, use a clear system for labeling and describing your data. If working in a team, agree on a unified description system. Define who is responsible for the data and system maintenance (e.g., data steward).
Version control: Consider using version control software, such as GitHub, to avoid multiple "final" versions.
Data backup: Ensure proper data backup—e.g., cloud storage. Avoid storing data only on local disks, USB drives, etc.
4. Preparing Data for Publication
FAIR data: When creating data and preparing it for publication, follow FAIR principles to ensure the data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Here is a link to a simple self-assessment tool.
High-quality metadata descriptions: Prepare descriptive metadata to make your data easily traceable and understandable. If possible, use predefined vocabularies.
Data formatting: Use standard and open formats (e.g., CSV for tables, PDF/A for documents).
Licensing: Choose a suitable license that defines how others can use your outputs (e.g., Creative Commons). Select a license that is as open as possible and as restrictive as necessary.
5. Publication and Archiving of Research Outputs
Journal publication: If you are publishing an article, follow the journal’s guidelines and obtain all necessary permissions. In some cases, you may need to negotiate with the publisher to retain copyright so you can manage the article appropriately (e.g., publish a postprint).
Repository submission: Upload your outputs to the repository according to the guidelines, attach appropriate metadata, and ensure the data is visible and publicly accessible.
6. Promotion and Dissemination of Outputs
ORCID and identifiers: Use identifiers like DOIs to ensure permanent access to your outputs (repositories usually assign these identifiers, but make sure your outputs receive them). Researchers should regularly update their ORCID profiles.
Sharing within the scientific community: Disseminate your results through professional networks, such as ResearchGate, or via academic conferences.
7. Monitoring and Long-term Access
Monitoring citations: Track metrics and citations to gain insights into the impact of your research.
Long-term archiving: Choose repositories that ensure long-term archiving to guarantee sustainability and access to data over time.
