Building a Culture of Open Scholarship at Duke (2026-2027)

Background

Universities across the United States are navigating major shifts in research policy as federal agencies increasingly require open scholarship practices — including open access publishing and the sharing of data, software and research materials. These changes aim to increase transparency, accelerate discovery and broaden access to knowledge. However, they also pose significant challenges for institutions: how to support compliance, build sustainable infrastructure, train researchers and create incentives that encourage meaningful adoption.

At Duke, engagement with open scholarship varies widely. Some researchers are well versed in open practices and know how to navigate repositories, licensing and federal requirements. Others encounter barriers, such as unclear expectations, limited training or uncertainty about how open scholarship is recognized within departmental cultures. Without coordinated support, these inequities can deepen, and the university risks falling behind its peers in cultivating a research environment that is transparent, equitable and impactful.

Open scholarship is not only a technical or compliance challenge — it is also a cultural one. It raises questions about how knowledge is created, valued and shared, and whose work becomes visible in that process. Building a culture of open scholarship requires thoughtful policy, strong infrastructure, sustained communication and community participation.

Project Description

This project will define how Duke can build a sustainable and equitable culture of open scholarship. Through a combination of landscape assessment, benchmarking, and strategy development, the team will identify institutional barriers and opportunities and co-create models that help researchers adopt open practices.

Work will unfold in three main phases:

University-wide landscape assessment
Student-faculty teams will design and deploy surveys and conduct interviews and focus groups across six to eight disciplines. The assessment will map current practices, resource awareness, obstacles and disciplinary differences. Survey findings will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data will undergo thematic coding to capture nuances in researcher experiences.

Benchmarking and model analysis
The team will compare Duke’s current practices with peer institutions and major funder expectations. Students will analyze successful programs that promote open research — such as training initiatives, infrastructure investments and incentive structures — and synthesize insights into a benchmarking matrix.

Strategy development and pilot implementation
Drawing on the assessment and benchmarking results, students will co-develop training modules, communication materials and recognition or incentive models. Deliverables may include FAQs, researcher guides, templates, departmental workshop modules and prototypes for communication campaigns. Select departments will pilot components of the model during Spring 2027, supported by the Offices of Scientific Integrity, Research & Innovation and Duke University Libraries.

By the end of the project, the team will deliver a comprehensive set of recommendations for long-term open scholarship strategy at Duke.

Anticipated Outputs

• Baseline survey and qualitative findings on open scholarship practices
• Benchmarking matrix comparing Duke to peer institutions
• Prototype training modules, communication materials and resource guides
• Pilot departmental initiatives testing incentive and recognition models
• Public-facing website summarizing findings and offering tools
• Comprehensive report with actionable recommendations and case examples
• Student co-authored presentations, publications and curated data for repositories

Student Opportunities

The team will include 3 graduate or professional students and 6-9 undergraduate students from disciplines such as information science, public policy, data science, digital humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and web design or communication.

Students will gain experience in:

• Mixed-methods research design
• Survey development and qualitative interviewing
• Qualitative coding and descriptive data analysis
• Policy analysis and institutional benchmarking
• Science communication and training resource development
• Project management and cross-disciplinary teamwork
• Understanding research compliance, open data requirements and scholarly communication

Graduate students will take on leadership roles — mentoring undergraduates, leading subteams and helping translate findings into policy-facing recommendations.

In Fall 2026, this team will meet on Wednesdays from 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Timing

Summer 2026 – Summer 2027

Summer 2026 (optional):

• Onboarding
• Pilot testing survey and interview instruments
• Finalizing departmental partnerships and recruitment plans

Fall 2026:

• Finalize IRB materials
• Deploy university-wide surveys, interviews and focus groups
• Begin data analysis and benchmarking

Spring 2027:

• Complete benchmarking
• Co-develop training modules, templates and incentives
• Pilot departmental initiatives and evaluate early outcomes

Summer 2027 (optional):

• Synthesize findings
• Draft final report and present to stakeholders
• Plan next-phase funding or university implementation

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters; summer funding available