Using open research for shared approaches in the arts and humanities: some hidden gems

By Dr Shafquat Towheed, Director of Research, School of Arts & Humanities, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Introduction

The Open University’s Open Research Data Online (ORDO) repository contains a wealth of data sets and resources designed to be reused by researchers and shared with the public. In celebration of Open Research Week, I have selected three ‘hidden gems’ in ORDO from researchers in the School of Arts and Humanities in the Faculty of Social Sciences. As we shall see, the principles of ‘open research’ are at the heart of much of what we do in Arts and Humanities subjects. Each of these ‘hidden gems’ presents research that is free to the public and open for reuse, and each of them demonstrates the socially beneficial impact of that research. 

Hidden gem 1 in English and Creative Writing: Expressive Writing and Telling: how to help people impacted by conflict, gender-based violence and in palliative care settings 

Academic Lead: Dr Siobhan Campbell, English & Creative Writing.

About

Siobhan Campbell’s publicly engaged research involves taking expressive writing and telling practices into communities and groups that have been affected by conflict, gender-based violence and in palliative care settings in the health service. In her work with women in Lebanon, Campbell set up expressive writing and telling workshops in partnership with the organisation the Akkar Network for Development (AND). Through the process of writing stories and poems, the workshops enabled women to find their own voice, develop their confidence and start to deal with longstanding and sometimes multiple traumatic events; many of the participants were refugees. Campbell’s methodology has been adopted by many charities, health trusts and non-governmental organisations and there is now a training curriculum as well, so that this intervention can be replicated in different settings.    

Hidden gem 2 in Music: Tinnitus and the Arts: using creative workshops to share the lived experience of tinnitus

Academic Lead: Dr Marie Thompson, Music.

About

Marie Thompson’s research involves the lived experience of people with tinnitus, usually thought of as a high-pitched ringing sound in the ears which has no external source. Up to 30% of the population will have tinnitus at some point in their lives. Working with the British Tinnitus Association and members of the public, Thompson organised creative workshops with people with tinnitus, asking them to express their lived experience through creative practices, such as drawing, map making, or sound recording. 37 people with tinnitus engaged with the workshops which allowed them to share their own unique experiences of living with the condition. The workshop activities made a tangible benefit to those participating, and offers a non-clinical pathway to support people living with tinnitus. 

Hidden gem 3 in Classical Studies: Linked open data used to create and share knowledge about the Classical Greek and Roman 

Academic lead: Professor Elton Barker, Classical Studies.

About

The Pelagios Network is a long-running initiative that links information online through common references to places, and more recently through time periods and people. Pelagios represents a community of individuals, projects and organizations working with historical data about the Greek and Roman classical past. Part of its work in evolving the linked open data ecosystem is developing open methods and tools. The Pelagios Network is a free and open association of equal and interdependent Partners. These Partners represent a range of work being carried out across the humanities (history, language and literary studies, archaeology, etc.), and cultural heritage (galleries, libraries, archives and museums).