Open Data Fortnight announced for 2026
Open Data Week is back for 2026, and following an incredible response from colleagues and contributors, it has expanded into Open Data Fortnight.
The full events programme – from Monday 2 November to Friday 13 November - is now available, with a variety of online and in-person sessions exploring how research data can be shared, managed and used to increase visibility, collaboration, and real-world impact.
From making research data count and managing data across international partnerships to creative storytelling, public engagement and sustainable botanical printing, there is something for everyone.
Explore the programme below and book onto sessions today.
Open Data Fortnight events programme
Monday November, 11am to 12noon: Unlocking Research Potential Through Open Data (online)
In this session, Dr Davide Bruno, Associate Professor in Cognitive Neuropsychology, will share how openly available research data has enabled him to conduct impactful Alzheimer's disease research without access to large clinical research groups or hospital-based datasets. By making use of established open research databases, he has been able to access valuable data resources, develop new research questions, and contribute to our understanding of dementia while significantly reducing the costs and barriers often associated with data collection.
Tuesday 3 November, 10.30am to 11.30am: Data at Scale – Managing Research Data Across International Partnerships (online)
Professor Sandra Ortega-Martorell leads the TARGET project, an ambitious Horizon Europe initiative bringing together researchers, clinicians, industry partners and healthcare organisations across multiple countries. TARGET combines clinical data, imaging, biomarkers, monitoring technologies and artificial intelligence to improve outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation and stroke. In this session, Sandra will share her experiences of collecting, managing and governing data across large, multidisciplinary partnerships. Drawing on lessons learned from coordinating complex datasets contributed by numerous organisations, she will explore the practical realities of making data usable, secure, interoperable and FAIR while working across different sectors, countries and data environments.
Tuesday 3 November, 2pm to 4pm: Data, Plants and Prints: Exploring Roscoe's Lost Botanical Collection (in-person)
This session begins with a short talk exploring how researchers used data to reconstruct Liverpool's historic William Roscoe Collection, once one of the world's most significant botanical assemblages. Following the talk, participants will take part in a creative activity inspired by the collection and themes of sustainability. Using simple, natural ingredients, you'll make your own sustainable clay and create botanical prints from leaves and plant materials to take home. No artistic experience is required.
The project is a collaboration between a multidisciplinary team of staff and students, including Mark Roughley, Dr Rachael Symonds, Dr Jose Prieto Garcia, Dr Kathryn Walchester, PhD student Samantha Cooper, and student Liberty Schofield.
Wednesday 4 November, 11am to 12noon: Data Scoping, Staff Profiles and Research Discoverability (online)
In this session, you will hear insights from LJMU's recent Data Scoping Project, an initiative designed to improve the visibility, quality and discoverability of research information across multiple institutional systems. Through a detailed review of repository records, datasets, publications and staff profiles, the project identified opportunities to improve metadata quality, increase the visibility of research outputs and strengthen the connections between researchers, their publications and their data. Also in this session, we will look how to effectively use your staff profile in Symplectic, covering how to edit your profile, add datasets, publications, and professional activities, with a Q&A opportunity at the end.
Thursday 5 November, 1.30pm to 2.30pm: Bonfire Special - Remember, Remember: Making Your Research Data Count (online)
Research data is increasingly recognised as a valuable research output in its own right. But how can researchers ensure they receive credit for the time and effort invested in creating, curating and sharing data? This session, led by Katherine Stephan, Open Research Librarian (Development) and Amie Longthorne, Open Data Management Specialist, explores how data can be made visible, discoverable and measurable through good research data practices. We'll look at contributor roles, ORCID integration, dataset citations, metrics and responsible research assessment, as well as publisher and funder expectations around data sharing and data access statements. Whether you're looking to evidence impact, support career progression or demonstrate compliance, this session will help you make your research data count.
Friday 6 November, 1pm to 2pm: Storytelling, Ethnography and Creative Approaches to Research Data (online)
In this session, we will hear from Irina Stadniciuc, Doctoral Prison Researcher & Editor in Chief Ethnography is Dead, about her PhD research which consists of in-depth interviews with former prisoners about their experiences in Romanian prisons. Using narrative methods, Irina created individual stories focusing on each participant’s experience, as well as one composite story capturing shared experiences. We will also hear more about Irina’s editor in chief role, running the Ethnography Club at LJMU and more on the recently launched zine ‘Ethnography Is Dead’. This session will introduce participants to a different format through which they can publish their work.
Tuesday 10 November, 1.30pm to 2.30pm: From Open Data to Real-World Impact (online)
In this session, Gemma Reed, Public Engagement Officer and Lucy Day, Impact Officer, will share how research data can do more than support transparency and reproducibility. When made accessible and discoverable, data and research outputs can reach new audiences, inform decision-making, support community action, and create impact beyond academia. We'll discuss innovative approaches to making research more accessible, including non-traditional outputs, community-focused dissemination and public engagement activities. We'll also consider how institutions can support community research capacity building and enable local groups to access and use research data to address issues that matter to them. Along the way, we'll highlight lessons learned, explore methods for evidencing uptake and engagement, and consider how open data activities can strengthen funding applications, impact narratives, and REF impact case studies.
Thursday 12 November 12 noon to 1.30pm: ReproducibiliTea (in-person)
The Open Science Framework (OSF) has become a widely used platform for sharing research outputs, data, materials and preregistrations. With changes to the platform planned later this year, now is a good time to consider what they might mean for researchers and explore alternative options for preserving and sharing research outputs. In this ReproducibiliTea session, Susi Zajitschek will discuss the evolving landscape of research data sharing, reflect on experiences of open data practices, and introduce the LJMU Data Repository as a trusted institutional service for openly sharing datasets and other research outputs. There will also be a special appearance from the famous Open Research Wheel of Fortune. Test your open research knowledge for a chance to win a free giveaway by answering an open research question correctly. We will provide the refreshments, come along for an engaging session.
Friday 13 November, 10.30am to 11.15am: Reclaiming Value from Personal Data (online)
In this session, Danny Turner, Senior Lecturer, will talk about being creative with data on current project and demonstrate software programs that allow people to create artwork from the personal data that Facebook collects about them. This study examines the role that creative engagement with personal data can play in reclaiming value, ownership and engendering a duty of care. There will be opportunity to reflect on the beauty and nature of the works produced. Personal data extracted from us is not an inert, neutral, passive commodity but a narrative-laden, intimate record of human life, attached to real, visceral emotions, memories and meaning.
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