Blogs
This page predominantly features blogs from NORF-funded research projects and initiatives, along with workshop summary reports.

Advancing a Shared Direction for Research Assessment Workshop Summary
Event illustrations by Beth McComish Ireland’s National Open Research Forum (NORF) and National Research Integrity Forum jointly hosted an in-person, half-day workshop on the first of November 2023 at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, Ireland. This event was funded...

NORF-TRaining in OPen Research in an Irish Context (TROPIC) Workshop Summary
On Friday 22 September 2023, we had the privilege of organising a full-day workshop on Open Science Practices at Maynooth University. The primary objective of the event was to foster connections, expand our open research networks, develop ideas for open research...

NORF Hosts a Meeting of the Council for National Open Science Coordination
On 22 and 23 June, Ireland’s National Open Research Forum (NORF) hosted a face-to-face meeting of the Council for National Open Science Coordination (CoNOSC) at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, Ireland. Discussion over the two days revolved around the topic of open...

Introducing the National Open Research Training Programme
In this blog post, Dr Dermot Lynott, Assistant Professor in Psychology at Maynooth University, and Lead Investigator on the NORF-funded National Open Research Training Programme introduces the work of the project and its overall goals for open research training in...

Reflecting on the First Six Months of the Shared Data Storage Service Pilot Project
In this blog post, Roberto Sabatino, Research Engagement Officer at HEAnet, and Lead Investigator on the NORF-funded Shared Data Storage Service Pilot project reflects on the first six months of the project and invites stakeholders to join the project’s Stakeholder...

Promoting synergies between national Research Data Management and data stewardship networks
A ‘Birds of a Feather’ session at the Research Data Alliance (RDA) 20th Plenary in Gothenburg, March 2023 This blog follows a recent ‘Birds of a Feather’ session at the Research Data Alliance (RDA) 20th Plenary on the topic of ‘Promoting synergies between national RDM...

Introducing the National Open Access Transition Programme project
In this blog post, Lucy Hogan, Project Manager at the Royal Irish Academy for the NORF-funded Priority Action targeting Open Access (OA) Transition in publishing, introduces the work of the project and invites stakeholders to engage with the project through upcoming...

Introducing the Work of the Open Access Repository Assessment and Alignment Project
In this blog post, Dr. Cillian Joy, Digital Library Developer at University of Galway and Lead Investigator on the NORF-funded Priority Action targeting Open Access (OA) Repository Assessment and Alignment, introduces the work of the project and invites stakeholders...

Introducing the National Open Access Monitor and its Call for Stakeholder Participation
In this blog, Dr. Catherine Ferris, Open Scholarship Officer at IReL (Irish Research e-Library), introduces the NORF-funded National Open Access Monitor and invites stakeholders to register as participants in the project. IReL is the e-resource licensing consortium...

Data hoarding: A necessity for ECRs?
At the recent Research Evaluation in the Humanities and Social Sciences Conference (RESSH2025) Conference, Dr. Lai Ma presented a thought-provoking paper titled "Data Hoarding: A Necessity for Early-Career Researchers?" The study explores the growing tension between...

Creative Methods in Open Research: Using Zines to Support Collective Intelligence
At a recent ENGAGED workshop supported by the National Open Research Forum, Dr. Autumn Brown introduced the use of zines—small, handmade booklets—as a creative method for capturing insights into open research practices. Zines, often associated with grassroots and...

ROCHE: Exploring Public-Private Partnerships and Open Research
The NORF-funded Review of Open Research in Health Ecosystems (ROCHE) project is currently exploring practices, challenges, and opportunities related to Open Research in the context of commercialisable research in Ireland, with a focus on the evolving area of Connected...

Event: Launch of PublishOA Landscape Report
The PublishOA Landscape Report will be launched at a dedicated event on Tuesday, 10 June 2025, at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. This event offers an opportunity to explore the findings of this important new publication and to engage in discussion about the future...

IReL Mission Statement and Principles for Negotiations
The IReL Advisory Committee has recently published a new Mission Statement and IReL Principles for Negotiations.These documents together set a clear strategic direction for IReL’s work in advancing sustainable, inclusive and transparent access to scholarly...