Radboud Open Science Inspirator: Simone Haarbosch

"Citizens have a right to good, reliable information. But where do they find it? Who is sharing that information, and how was it produced? As a researcher, I see it as my responsibility to contribute to an honest narrative—and to make that narrative accessible. Our academic articles—even though they are open access, which is now standard at our School of Management—reach only a limited audience. So we need to think about other forms of communication.

I’ve worked extensively with people from vulnerable groups: people living with dementia, people with a migration background, and people experiencing (energy) poverty. These research projects often span several years. Yet participants usually expect to hear back from us much sooner. Even if we haven’t reached the final analysis stage yet, we often already have initial insights. Those insights can absolutely be shared. It doesn’t need to be overly formal—a coffee moment in the park or a lunch workshop with participants works just as well. That way, you can keep the conversation going in the meantime.

"The whole competitive race within academia isn’t something I want to be part of. So I almost always say ‘yes’ to collaboration"

By working openly and doing research together, I’m also becoming increasingly aware of what I value in science. The whole competitive race within academia isn’t something I want to be part of. So I almost always say ‘yes’ to collaboration—regardless of hidden agendas—at the very least to explore where we might be able to support each other. And no, I’m not afraid that someone will run off with my data or ideas. I trust that we share the same goal: to help society move forward. That also has implications. I only publish jointly, because it’s precisely through collaborative research and writing that we arrive at more thoughtful outcomes. That aligns with my academic values.

Open Science still feels like an abstract concept to me at times, but if it leads to dialogue, more collaboration, and more exchange, then it’s exactly what we need. For example, by making room for sustainable relationships with societal partners and by giving back what we’ve gathered. A lot of that work currently falls on individual researchers. And that’s not always feasible with all the other responsibilities we carry. Fortunately, I see that things are changing in our faculty. We now have someone in place who focuses on external relations—including with local councils, for instance. That kind of support really helps in maintaining long-term connections—and makes it more attractive for partners to stay involved, because follow-up and closure are better taken care of. Practical support like this is essential if we want to work as openly and accessibly as possible."

Simone's Open Science tip

Try sharing your insights at an earlier stage. These days there are many accessible platforms you can contribute to—such as knowledge portals or trade journals with blog sections. At events and after a project ends, I often create a few simple visuals—say, a slide with one or two images. Visuals are a great way to provide light feedback. Plus, it doesn’t really matter if others pick it up, and it doesn’t take months of work. By choosing more smartly where you share your work, you can create impact without it costing a lot of extra time. And often, you receive valuable feedback or gain new insights in return. In short: share more often, sooner, and more visually. You have more to offer than you think.