Fostering Open Science through PolyU Institutional Research Archive and PolyU Research Data Repository

Open Science at PolyU 

Open science is a movement aimed at making research freely accessible and transparent to everyone. It encompasses various aspects, including open access to research outputs, open data, and open educational resources. At the start of a new academic year, we would like to encourage research staff and postgraduate students to start embracing these principles which will significantly enhance your research visibility. To support this initiative, the PolyU Library provides relevant services through the PolyU Institutional Research Archive (PIRA) and the PolyU Research Data Repository. 

Open Access of Research Outputs at PIRA 

PolyU has been promoting Open Access since the 2010/11 academic year by adopting the Open Access Policy. PolyU academics and researchers are required to deposit electronic copies of their peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings (Author’s Final Accepted Manuscript or FAM) in PIRA. 

To make your publications open access, you can choose to publish in open access or hybrid journals and monographs, a model known as Gold Open Access.  This option may involve an Article Processing Charge (APC), although in some cases, selected publishers may waive or discount these fees. 

If your publication is not published under Gold Open Access, you are required to deposit your FAM in PIRA for Green Open Access. PIRA is designed to assist researchers—both students and staff—in making their publications openly accessible. It accepts various types of works, including chapters from monographs, journal articles, conference papers, and creative works. A permanent URL is generated for each publication for citation purposes. You are also encouraged to deposit your Gold Open Access publications in PIRA. For more details about FAM deposits and PIRA, please consult the PIRA Library Guide. 

In addition to research outputs, PIRA also collects patents, theses, open education resources, outstanding student works, and research impact stories. Beyond opening your published or registered research outputs, PolyU members can contribute their teaching and learning materials, as well as distinguished projects, to PIRA to enhance your research visibility.  

Open Data at PolyU Research Data Repository 

Sharing your research data relevant to your research outputs can enhance your research integrity and visibility. The PolyU Research Data Repository is designed to help you preserve and share your research data effectively. 

Some publishers require you to share pertinent research data when you publish your research outputs. Depositing your data in the PolyU Research Data Repository can assist you in meeting these requirements. 

Even if sharing data is not mandatory, depositing it in our Repository ensures proper preservation and accessibility for years to come. A dataset DOI will be reserved for you upon creating your dataset. For more information on data deposit in the PolyU Research Data Repository, please refer to the PolyU Research Data Repository Library Guide. 

In line with the global trend toward open science, let’s embrace open access to research outputs and open data through the PolyU Institutional Research Archive and the PolyU Research Data Repository. If you have any questions or need support, please don’t hesitate to contact your Faculty Librarians.