• What is the Open Research Community?     

The Open Research Community seeks to advance expertise building and stakeholder conversations in relation to Open Science, Open Access and Open Research.

  • How do I unsubscribe?

You can manage your subscription preferences in your account settings at the following link: https://openresearch.community/notifications/edit. In the Notification Preferences interface, you can change your content notifications and platform alert preferences.

  • How do I ask (or answer) a question on the Open Research Community platform?

Our Q & A feature allows you to get the expertise you need by asking a question for the experts to answer. What’s more, you can demonstrate your own knowledge by answering questions raised by others (even if someone else has already answered). To ask a question, click the green Ask a question button on the Q & A page and enter your question in the Question box, expanding on your question with any necessary detail in the Expand your question box. Click the Post Question button to submit your question and the community will be alerted by email about your question. Then, you’ll be notified by email each time someone answers. (If you want to opt-out of these email notifications, you can do so on the Notification Preferences page.) To answer a question, simply click on the question in the list of Latest Questions or Open Questions, and click the green Answer button. Enter your response in the Your Answer box and click the Post Answer button. 

  • Is my information public?

The information in your profile is open by default but you have the option to make it private. If you want to make your profile invisible to other members of the community (and also general visitors), you can do so from your Edit Profile page. Simply enable the Hide my profile function at the bottom of the page, before clicking Save.

  • Can I create my own room?

Only the admin team can create rooms but we’d love to hear your ideas for new rooms. Drop us a line at info@openresearch.community with details on your proposed room and we’ll get back to you with our feedback.

  • I have an idea for content / I’m interested in creating content myself. Where do I start?

Great! We welcome contributions from community members. Get in touch at info@openresearch.community and we’ll go from there.

  • How can I find content that is older?

The latest content is always available on the homepage. But as the network develops, you’ll have access to a wealth of great content on a whole host of subjects. To find what you need, either browse the channels (accessible in the left-hand menu) or rooms, or use the search bar at the top of the site to search for content and experts on the subjects you’re into.

  • Can I contact another member directly?

If a member has set their profile to be visible, when you click on their avatar anywhere on the site you will see their profile page, which contains a variety of information to help you get to know them better. (If their profile is set to be hidden, you’ll see some basic information and a message that tells you the user doesn’t have a profile on the site.) They may have chosen to provide an email address at which to be contacted. If so, you’ll see a black Contact button under their name which, when clicked, starts an email to that member. Otherwise, the best way to communicate with your fellow community members is to start a conversation in the relevant room and see who jumps in!

  • Can I share content from the network with others?

Content from the Open Research Community can be shared by clicking on the Share button at the top of the respective post, document or video page and selecting a social media network of your choice. Shortened content links are also available, as part of sharing options.

  • Who should I contact if I have problems with the site?

You can contact us by sending an email to this address: info@openresearch.community.

  • What are channels?

Channels are spaces for posts, videos and documents on a specific topic. Visit the channels on the subjects of most interest to you.

  • How do I edit my profile?

Your profile is your way of helping the network get to know you, demonstrating your expertise and interests and showcasing your contributions. To edit your profile, visit the Edit Profile page under your avatar to the top right of the site. Here you can edit your personal details (name, company, etc.), create your bio, provide contact and social media details (if you like), and more. You can also set your avatar and, if you wish, make your profile hidden so that only basic information is shown about you to other network members (just your name and avatar).

  • How do I control the emails I receive from the Open Research Community?

In the Notification Preferences interface in your Account Settings, you can control which emails, such as newsletters, you receive. You can do this from this page: https://openresearch.community/notifications/edit.

  • How do I change my email address?

Go to Account Settings, click the Change Email Address button and enter a new email address and your current password. Click Save Changes and an email will be sent to the new email address containing a link for you to click to confirm the change.

  • How do I change my password?

Go to Account Settings, click the Change Password button and enter your current password and a new password. Click Save Changes to confirm the change.

  • How do I delete my account?

To delete your account, go to your Account Settings page and scroll down to the Delete Your Account section. Click the button and follow the instructions to delete your account. Your account will be deleted permanently in one hour and will not be able to be retrieved.

  • How do I set / change my avatar?

Profiles with avatars get more views and they help the community get to know you so make sure you’ve got one! To set or edit your avatar, go to the Edit Profile page and you’ll see the tool for changing your profile picture at the top of the page. Your Twitter avatar, for instance, will be the right size for this.

  • How do I help fellow Open Research Community members get to know me?

The 5 best ways to help fellow Open Research Community members get to know you are:

  1. Complete your profile so others know more about you than just your name;
  2. Like and comment on content so others know what you’re interested in;
  3. Ask questions so we know what matters to you;
  4. Start and join conversations in rooms to share your views and connect with others.
  • What are rooms?

Rooms are spaces for special interest groups - sub-communities of the wider community - from regional or topical forums to groups for those in specific roles. They contain content relevant to the members in question and - more importantly - are home to conversations with like-minded others. Anyone can access any room and take part in conversations. Simply click on the room you’re interested in to view the content and click into the Conversations tab to see what’s going on.

  • What is following and why should I do it?

Following is a great way of making sure you don’t miss out on the expertise that matters to you. By following a member you will be notified by email whenever they create content or start a conversation. What’s more, they will be notified by email when you follow them so it’s a great way to introduce yourself. Wherever you see a member’s avatar, you can either click on the follow button alongside or click their avatar to be taken to their profile page, on which you will find a follow button. If you don’t want to be notified by email when you are followed, you can opt-out of this email in Notification Preferences in the Account Settings section.

  • How do I start / join a conversation?

Conversations take place in rooms, dedicated spaces for special interest groups. Anyone can take part in any conversation in any room. Simply click on the room in question and then the Conversations tab. You will either see the active conversations in the room or a message that tells you ‘There are no conversations in this room’. If that is the case, feel free to start a conversation on a topic of relevance to the room in question. Click the Start a conversation button and enter your conversation opener, be it a question, an opinion or a link to something interesting, and expand on your opener in the What’s on your mind? box. Click Post and wait for the responses to come in! You’ll be notified by email when they do. To take part in an active conversation, click the title of the conversation you want to join and enter your response in the Leave a reply box before clicking the Reply button. The person that started the conversation and anyone that has previously taken part will be notified by email about your reply and invited to respond, which you can do by email.

  • What are video panels and how do I have one?

Video panels are recordable video calls (a bit like Skype) that have three main uses:

  1. To chat with one or more users;
  2. To record a video of you talking on a subject of interest to others;
  3. To host (and record) a video of a discussion with up to 10 participants on a relevant subject.

You can use video panels to chat with any members of the network. Here’s what to do:  

  • Go to your avatar at the top right-hand of the screen and then select ‘My Video Panels’;
  • Click the ‘Create video panel’ icon;
    • Then, if your panel includes other people, search for the member(s) with which you want to chat by typing their name and click on each user to add them to the panel;
  • Give your panel a name and click ‘Save’;
  • The panel is now created;
    • If appropriate, emails will be sent to the invited members to invite them to the panel, containing a link to the panel area;
  • When you are all ready to join the panel, click on the panel name and the video panel recording screen will open;
  • Click the ‘Join panel’ button;
  • You may be asked to allow the site to use your camera and / or microphone: give permission to do this;
  • After a few moments, your face will appear in the video panel recording area;
    • If appropriate, wait for the other attendees to join the panel;
  • When you are ready to start your discussion, click the ‘Record’ button. Once the icon has stopped scrolling, you are recording your panel;
  • Click the ‘Stop recording’ button to stop recording at any time. And click ‘Record’ again if you want to restart!
  • Once you have created your videos, click the ‘Leave panel’ button;
  • You will now see a ‘Recordings’ button. Click this to see your videos!