Swipe right for the sake of science! Find your perfect match in our Open Science curriculum

The Erasmushogeschool Brussel (EhB) has integrated Open Science in their Information Management program since 2019. The Open Science curriculum equips the next generation information professionals to support researchers in achieving Open Science goals and engage the public with scientific research. Spanning seven 4-hour lectures, it combines theoretical insights, practical applications and gamification, culminating in an exam and a paper.

Taught by guest lecturer Jolien Berckmans, who is also staff member Research Data Management (RDM) at UHasselt, the curriculum primarily emphasizes RDM. Students explore the research data life cycle, including data management plans (DMPs), organizing and documenting data, archiving in repositories, and sharing data using the FAIR principles. A key deliverable is a DMP for an EhB research project.

Other key topics include linked open data (LOD) and Open Access. Students gain hands-on experience with LOD through Wikidata and develop expertise in Open Access, learning about the green and gold roads and Belgian legislation. These skills prepare them to guide both researchers and readers in navigating reliable scientific information.

The curriculum also introduces broader Open Science concepts like open peer review, citizen science, and open educational resources. Last year’s program included a citizen science workshop in collaboration with Scivil, particularly relevant for students aiming to work in public libraries, as it bridges research with public engagement.

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See Related Works for the Open Science course materials from the graduate program in Information Management at Erasmushogeschool Brussel, developed by Jolien Berckmans.