Guidelines for an open science culture
Open science culture at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences
VAVAMK is committed to following the principles of open science and research, as well as strengthening competence in open practices. Openness is one of our core values, and our strategy reflects a commitment to openness and the promotion of an open culture of operations. Through this, we aim to engage in open societal dialogue and enhance impact and interaction.
We have long promoted openness and committed to it by signing the open science and research declaration for 2020–2025. We now continue this work by building on the foundation we have established and looking ahead: we have also signed the new declaration for 2025–2030, which envisions, in accordance with the principles of responsible openness:
- promoting equal access to research outputs and participation in science,
- ensuring the transparency, reliability, and reproducibility of research,
- supporting the impact and quality of research, education, administration, and development and innovation activities in a sustainable manner,
- strengthening open learning and enabling the use of open learning materials and practices and
- integrating the Finnish research community into the international forefront of openness.
Vaasa university of applied sciences’ open culture of operations is built on a shared understanding and motivation to act openly. Regardless of their role, every member of our staff incorporates openness into their daily work, and we are committed to following national guidelines on openness, good scientific practice and research ethics, as well as the CoARA agreement.
Our goal is to make the data, results, and methods produced in RDI projects available to anyone interested and to utilize them as broadly as possible. Openness enhances the impact, diversity, and responsibility of research, education, and development activities, while also laying the foundation for societal renewal in the future.
The openness of RDI projects begins with careful project planning, where a data management plan is created from the start, agreements are carefully stored, and their contents are kept open wherever possible. Ethical considerations are taken into account during the planning phase, and a communication plan is prepared. Everything is stored in Thinking Portfolio, a project portfolio that functions as an open cloud-based system for the community. Portfolio management enables data-driven leadership and real-time monitoring of strategy implementation.
Data intended for open sharing is anonymized and documented. Our project portfolio also serves as a data repository in this context.
Increasingly, we aim to integrate projects into education. Various tasks, theses, and project internships are conducted as part of study modules. Internships can also take place directly within projects.
A key tool for communicating about projects is social media. Each project has its own website. In addition, we utilize our online magazine Energiaa. All our projects are compiled on a single web page. In accordance with project plans, various seminars, conferences, and meetings are organized both virtually and in person.
Similarly, for sharing results, we use not only the communication channels defined in project plans but also our own online magazines to enhance the societal impact and interaction of our projects. Results are deposited in parallel and published via Open Access channels.
The purpose of RDI activities is to strengthen and support the vitality, well-being, and renewal of the region. Our goal is to help companies succeed, create new business opportunities, and develop an effective public sector. We also engage in international collaboration, which strengthens regional expertise and raises the visibility of the region globally.
Practices of open RDI activities include public project registers, open publishing, and open research data and environments. We continuously develop processes and platforms for open RDI activities.
We will further develop our open RDI process so that projects include a data management plan created using the DMPTuuli tool. Long-term preservation will take into account the specific characteristics of project data.
Open innovation activities are based on the idea that the knowledge within a company or organization is as valuable as knowledge outside it. The foundation lies in combining internal and external ideas, expertise, and strengths, and utilizing them in development activities.
It is market-driven and operates according to the principles of fair competition.
- It complements the regional innovation and service offering.
- It applies new knowledge from RDI activities.
- It acts as a partner for both SMEs and large companies
We offer open innovation activities in our learning environments. Our principle is that our activities do not compete with the services of local SMEs. Furthermore, we emphasize that small companies are as valuable to us as large ones. Innovation processes are learning processes for students, guided by our staff.
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences promotes an open culture of operations, aiming to make knowledge and expertise visible and accessible to everyone interested. Openness takes many forms, including the open publication of research findings, popularization of results, sharing of research data, and open research methods. This approach enhances the societal impact of research and enables new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
The university’s data policy defines the organizational principles and guidelines for collecting, using, and managing digital research data generated in its research activities. Following the FAIR principles, the policy aims to ensure that research data and associated metadata are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, as well as properly citable and preserved for the long term. The data policy guides the handling of research data and is supported by an action plan to ensure its effective implementation.
Our open research environments include the Technobothnia laboratories as well as Alere’s learning environments. These research environments are available to our partners through education, RDI activities, and innovation and service operations. We are enhancing the openness of our research environments by clarifying service principles. In this way, we aim to promote the use of research environments in companies and public organizations, as well as collaboration within these environments. At the same time, by clarifying our service principles, we are opening up our infrastructure.
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences encourages open publishing, and parallel archiving is part of the university’s processes. Open publishing (Open Access) means that publications are permanently and freely available online. We use the JUSTUS publication archiving service.
- Publications are primarily made through open publishing channels
- Staff publications are parallel archived in the Theseus publication repository
- Parallel archiving applies to type A–D publications, within the permissions allowed by the publisher
- Parts of VAMK’s publication series are stored in the Theseus repository
- VAMK’s online magazine Energiaa operates according to the Open Access principle
Open learning is one of the four areas of open science. The other areas are openness of the culture of operations, openness of research publications, and openness of research data. Open learning is linked to accessibility, inclusivity, and the openness of course offerings. Our goal is to increase the availability of digital courses in multiple languages. Through open learning, we aim to expand our societal impact and interaction with the surrounding community.
Going forward, we will further develop RDI integration into education and view open learning as broad interaction, for example with the business community. Open learning is, above all, a starting point, a value, and a way of working. We encourage our staff to share learning materials openly.
The popularization of RDI work is a key part of our societal impact. The rector has issued a statement on societal impact and interaction, emphasizing that publishing is an essential component of both an open culture of operations and open publishing. This is supported by the online magazine Energiaa, launched in autumn 2020.
The rector has also made a decision on parallel archiving at the university. Vaasa University of Applied Sciences has a publications committee, which includes a contact person for good scientific practice. The committee monitors the openness of publishing activities and works to continuously develop them.
In autumn 2020, a series of ATT trainings was launched to enhance all staff members’ competence in open science and research, as well as in fostering an open culture of operations. Competence development continues through thematic weeks and advanced training sessions. Developing openness is not a one-time learning process but a continuous, deepening, and expanding cycle, in which new opportunities to apply what has been learned emerge as development progresses.
Rector’s statement 15 December 2022
Open science and research statement at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences – Open learning
Open science and research can be approached through four areas coordinated by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies. This guideline focuses on the openness of learning. The three other areas—openness of organizational culture, publishing, and data and infrastructure—are addressed in separate guidelines.
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences is committed to promoting the principles of open learning and teaching in line with national guidelines. Openness in learning connects regional development, RDI activities, and teaching, which at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences are seamlessly integrated.
Open learning refers to learning that often utilizes digital technologies. Its purpose is to expand access and participation for all by lowering barriers and enhancing accessibility, inclusivity, the availability of resources, and learner-centeredness. Open learning is closely linked with research, development, and innovation activities for the benefit of regional development. In this way, learning takes place in the context of developing real-world phenomena and solutions.
In line with this guideline on open learning and learning materials, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences is committed to four principles.
The first principle emphasizes that, alongside openness, the quality of teaching and the content of open learning materials must be assessed, including their reliability and other quality aspects, as recommended by the Finnish National Agency for Education regarding e-materials. The second principle states that the development and use of open learning and open learning materials must respect copyright and data protection. Third, the development of open learning and open learning materials must consider their suitability and accessibility for diverse learners. The fourth principle highlights that work related to open learning and open learning materials should be recognized and valued in merit criteria and in the planning of work tasks.
Our guidelines can be summarized as follows:
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We recommend that teaching staff make learning materials openly available, for example on the fi- website, and increase the offering of open teaching, especially in accessible formats. Teaching aimed at openness and accessibility is supported through strategic actions and choices.
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Learning materials must be accessible.
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The developer of the learning materials and the teaching staff are responsible for ensuring sufficient copyright clearance and respecting it.
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We recommend licensing open learning materials under the Creative Commons – CC BY license. The suggested format for the license is: Author’s name, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences CC BY.
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All contributors to the creation of learning materials should be acknowledged, including students.
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We recommend publishing teaching and RDI-related video materials on a Vaasa University of Applied Sciences account designated for this purpose.
We commit to developing our own expertise. The second objective is to significantly increase the number of open learning materials in our community while ensuring their quality. Thirdly, we aim to contribute to raising Finland’s visibility globally as a promoter and pioneer of open learning materials.
This work is carried out within a multidisciplinary ATT team, coordinated by the RDI Manager. The implementation of the open teaching and learning guidelines is the responsibility of the Director of Education. Guidance and support related to open teaching and learning are coordinated through the ATT team.
The CoARA Agreement (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment) is an international initiative aimed at improving research assessment practices. The purpose of the agreement is to promote transparency, objectivity, and quality in assessment processes, as well as to encourage research communities to develop and adopt best practices in research evaluation. The CoARA Agreement emphasizes the following principles:
- Transparency: Assessment criteria and processes must be open and clear to all parties.
- Objectivity: Assessments should be based on clear and objective criteria to ensure fairness and equality.
- Quality: Assessments should focus on the quality and impact of research, rather than solely on quantitative metrics such as the number of publications.
- Diversity: Research assessment should take into account the variety of disciplines and research approaches.
- Collaboration: Research communities, funders, and other stakeholders should collaborate to improve assessment practices.
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences signed the CoARA Agreement on October 24, 2022, thereby committing to promote these principles in its own assessment practices and to serve as an example for other research communities.
Tutustu CoARA-sopimukseen täällä: CoARA agreement 24.10.2022
Contact Information
At Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, the ATT working group includes representatives from RDI services, publication services, the Tritonia University Library, the Quality Manager, the IT Manager, and a representative from Education. The group is chaired by the RDI Director.
The working group can be reached via the shared ATT email address: att-ryhma@vamk.fi
