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 self-published media, were used in this context as an inclusive and reflective tool for participants to express their perspectives on open research. Through collage, sketching, and informal writing, contributors explored their visions for open research, identified capacity-building needs, and shared thoughts on inclusive and collaborative knowledge creation.
This approach highlighted several key benefits:
- Accessibility: Zines enable participation regardless of academic background, writing confidence, or language fluency.
- Reflective engagement: The tactile nature of zine-making encourages deeper, more personal reflection.
- Multimodal expression: Combining text, imagery, and symbolism allows for rich, layered insights.
- Empowerment: Participants become active co-creators, not just contributors, supporting the values of open research.
- Documentation: Zines serve as tangible artefacts that can be revisited and shared, sustaining engagement over time.
By incorporating creative methods like zines, the workshop fostered a more human-centred and participatory approach to understanding open research. The resulting outputs offer valuable qualitative data and continue to inform ongoing conversations within the Irish open research community.
The workshop was led by Dr Autumn Brown, a research fellow at DCU and an associate researcher at the University of Cambridge. She has published across numerous fields including science education, science and society, and equitable access to education. Autumn holds a master’s degree in Science Communication and Public Engagement from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Science Education from TCD.
The next ENGAGED in-person workshop is happening at the University of Limerick on 25 June. Those interested can register their interest here: https://www.tcd.ie/civicengagement/engaged/. To learn more about the ENGAGED programme and upcoming events, visit the ENGAGED website and follow ENGAGED on LinkedIn and Bluesky.
