Open Research

Reviewed by Kimberly McFall, Assistant Professor, Marshall University on 4/8/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book is laid out very logically and will serve as an excellent resource for people who are interested in learning the foundation and flow of OER. I appreciate how you can use this text as a working way to teach beginners about “what” OER really means and how to utilize it for your individual research purposes.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The framework of this text is sound and the way it is laid out makes sense. The content is accurate and what I would consider a best practice model.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Since there seems to be a chasm of true understanding of OER among people who choose texts, I believe this content is a bridge that will help folks wrap their heads around how it can/does/will apply to their own research topics and interests.

Clarity rating: 4

Overall, the text is laid out in a manner that helps the reader by using guided activities. While the commentary at the end wraps up each section quite nicely, a little more of an introduction to the “what” at the beginning would help the user benefit the most from the nicely curated resources provided by authors.

Consistency rating: 5

I appreciate how each of the chapters are laid out in a manner that I know what to expect while working through the text.

Modularity rating: 5

This text can be used as a whole or in parts. Facilitated correctly, the individual chapters can stand alone. This is help for beginning courses or introductions to OER as well as supplemental resource for teaching research in general.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book scaffolds on learning throughout. I would like to see more of an introduction and/or background about why it is important in introduction(s), but that does not take away from how it is logically laid out.

Interface rating: 3

As noted by other reviewers, the biggest challenge in this text is the way it is presented/laid out for the reader. Multiple page breaks and huge chunks of dead space is cumbersome.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Very few errors found in the text. The use of bullet point lists and tables work well for me (some layout issues noted in another section of review)

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As more and more universities are moving toward OER, I believe that this text is timely and should be well received.

Comments

Overall, I believe this text is well written and nicely laid out. The concepts are easy to follow and to the point. One consideration for improvement would be more options for download (i.e. iBooks) instead of just .pdf which opens on my device(s) only as a continuous scroll situation.

Reviewed by Betsy Schlabach, Associate Professor, History and African & African American Studies, Earlham College on 5/29/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

It is a very useful guide through OER and application or first steps to engaging in OER with faculty, staff, but less so for students. The book would make an excellent resource for faculty workshops or librarian workshops as it offers step by step engagement with the drawbacks and benefits of OER. I thought the opening section on ownership versus authorship was particularly useful for those concerned with intellectual property, independent scholarship, and promotion.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content struck me as very accurate and its sophistication reflected the expertise of the authors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I think the field of open publishing is one that doesn't foster longevity therefore given the content of the textbook it will inevitably become outdated faster than say texts of other themes. But the text is general enough that its arguments, examples, and debates that will keep it relevant for some time.

Clarity rating: 5

The book as a conversational tone and readers can progress through it with ease. There are practical questions as well as rhetorical devices to encourage reflection and use of the text. The text boxes and bullet point lists at the beginning of each chapter enhance readability and use. I think the style is appropriate for multiple audiences.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistent with its own standards of style, delivery, and format. I think the authors' text is more consistent than the examples drawn from the participants which can lead to some confusion and frustration for the reader.

Modularity rating: 3

I felt that there was an over-use of subheadings, text boxes, and bullet pointing. Text boxes and quotations within spilled over to the next page making it difficult to track comments, observations, and critiques by those interviewed. Perhaps less sections might help with readability and accessibility. For example, Table 1 in chapter 2 covers more than three pages, pages 25-28. This is a very difficult table to read and comprehend as is Table 2 which spans two pages.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is wonderfully scaffolded; each section builds upon the previous. I think this lends itself to greater understanding and mastery of concepts/ethical concerns as the reader moves through the book. For example, the activity on page 56 "creating your own mini-research project" is very valuable. It synthesizes everything covered up to that point in the text.

Interface rating: 4

Some of the links to other text based resources (for example the links to blog posts on page 60) were inactive but the youtube video links were active. The design of the textbook had more of a powerpoint slide feel and less of a textbook design. The former lends itself to a feeling of impermanence, but the latter does convey a sense of openness. It's an interesting design choice.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I noticed no distracting grammatical errors. There are some inconsistencies in capitalization of Martin Weller's work on page 57.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The authors may want to consider revamping some of the links and fonts for the purposes of universal design. For example, the authors may want to reflect on text thickness and color choice to make it as barrier-free as possible. But the content did not strike me as insensitive or offensive.

Reviewed by Kristofor Wiley, Assistant Professor, James Madison University on 11/25/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

On page 15, the text provides a list of likely areas for consideration concerning an open research framework. From that list, the text contains specific treatments for planning, licensing, ethics, and dissemination, as well as strong contributions on theory and reflection. Less is offered on open methodologies, tools, or data concerns.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content seems thoroughly considered, with attention to both advantages and challenges of an open framework.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Text is recently published and incorporates dynamic links to curated resources.

Clarity rating: 4

Text itself is well-written in simple language when jargon would have been easy to engage. Assumption of the authors seems to be that the reader is a trained researcher seeking transition to an open framework. Testimonials and quotes from the original course are sometimes longer or less clear than the authors' text.

Consistency rating: 5

Completely consistent conceptual framework within the text.

Modularity rating: 5

Individual chapters in the text would make great curricular units, complete with references and activities. The chapters could be further broken down into individual lessons on the basis of those activities.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Topics are largely sequential, or organized hierarchically.

Interface rating: 5

Hyperlinks were only partially functional in Preview on a Mac, but transcripts are provided in the Appendix to compensate for potential link issues. Unfortunately, the loss of hyperlink navigation hinders the text considerably.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Occasional punctuation and syntax errors. One more round of editing would be appropriate.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No cultural insensitivities, as there are few cultural references. In the ethics chapter, statements are made regarding actions that are "legal" but not "ethical", and such statements inherently carry the cultural perspectives of the authors.

Comments

This is a great primer from knowledgeable authors. I feel it could be expanded three-fold for a more comprehensive treatment of the transition to open methodology. Thank you!

Reviewed by Virginia Power, Lecturer/PhD Researcher in Information Management & Science, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK on 2/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is an open textbook produced as a result of two iterations of an online course concerning Open Research produced with the support of the Hewlett Foundation by the Open Education Research (OER) Hub, part of the Open University, UK. The book is a highly practical comprehensive guide to the practice of open research and will be invaluable to anyone who wishes to develop an understanding of open research and it is suitable for either individual study or as part of a group activity. The chapters are clearly identified and each chapter is introduced with a set of learning objectives (typical of an online course delivery) so any reader is aware of what each part will cover. I would have liked to have seen a glossary of terms at the end of the textbook although the nature of the book infers that much of the text is self-reflective and exploratory in nature, thereby assuming that terms will be revealed and understood as the reader moves through the text. There is no bibliography which is a pity.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

As an advocate of open educational practice I can confirm that the content is accurate and error-free and provides a balanced viewpoint regarding open research.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The online course was completed (second iteration) in 2015; writing this review in 2017 means that the material is only a couple of years old which makes it reliable. Open research is still in its relative infancy and therefore the book is likely to be highly relevant for some time. The external links that are provided to encourage self-reflection and further exploration are of high quality and from reputable sources. However, despite this one drawback of the text could be this heavy reliance on external resources such as videos, blog posts, etc. which may generate missing links in the future. It is hoped that the ‘virtual shelf tidying’ will be undertaken at regular intervals to avoid frustration and disappointment by users.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is written in a very clear style which is not overly academic in its complex language or tone but still retains the academic rigour expected. The textbook has many examples of good practice from experienced practitioners and these are written ‘in their own words’ which allows for authentic stories to be used. The book is firmly embedded in current practice and is therefore highly accessible to the reader.

Consistency rating: 5

When a textbook has multiple authors there may be a possibility of different author ‘voices’ affecting the tone of the book. This is not the case with this book as it is evident that the authors have collaborated well and worked to the same standards of consistency throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is formed of 5 chapters that build from an initial introduction to a ‘final thoughts’ which would lead you to believe that the book is designed to be read in a linear fashion; this is not necessarily the case. For example, there is an excellent chapter on the ethics of open which could be read as a standalone chapter and this is largely true of the other sections of the book. The online course on which this book is based was a four-week course and it is therefore easy to divide the book up into four or more portions. The self-reflective and exploratory nature of the book allows for a self-paced experience.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book has stayed faithful to the online course and as such it is presented in a very clear, logical structure. It is very easy to follow and to dip in and out of (although the interface has issues as is pointed out). The reader should have no problem in following the book's arguments and activities.

Interface rating: 3

A small point but the front cover doesn’t do the book justice! It would be nice to see a colourful front cover using a creative commons image to help this useful book stand out. Overall the text is presented reasonably well, although the PDF formatting causes some issues with gaps within the text. I am a little disappointed that there isn’t an online version of the book as the PDF version renders the external links useless and it is very time consuming going back and forth to highlight, copy and paste the link into a general Google search to find what you are looking for. I would recommend that an online version is provided as soon as possible. The PDF version is also a bit clunky in that if you wish to search for a particular page the search finder doesn’t take you to the right place in the text (although it is good at pinpointing instances of phrases etc.) Images are good and appropriate in support of the text. However the lack of a glossary, as previously mentioned and a bibliography (which would make currency and updating of links much easier) are important omissions.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text has no grammatical errors that I could see during my review.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not cultural or context dependent and makes use of a wide range of examples from a variety of contributors and countries. Although written in English the book would be easy to translate and use in other countries where English is not the first language.

Comments

Overall this is an extremely useful book providing a thorough yet accessible introduction to open research and is to be recommended. From the first-time researcher to the experienced academic there is something to learn and reflect upon within these pages. As academics, institutions and funders require evidence of research impact and dissemination the role of Open Research cannot be underestimated. I shall be recommending this to my students on the MSc. Information Management course during their studies of scholarly communication and information & digital literacy.