Data to Discovery Series (Spring 2026)

This collection hosts the slide decks from the UCSB Library’s Data to Discovery Series (Spring 2026). Held every two weeks, these 30 minute sessions highlighted practical skills for working with data and engaging in open scholarship. Each session offers a brief introduction to tools, resources, and/or good practices — along with space to learn from experts and connect with peers. For Spring 2026, we focused on sharing research openly.

Slides were used for educational purposes. We invite educators, librarians, and community facilitators to share, reuse, and adapt these materials for training and outreach.

Spring 2026 session lineup and descriptions

Apr 9 | Preprints: Opportunities, Risks, and Everything in Between
Preprints are increasingly common across disciplines. But should you share your paper before submitting it to a journal? In this session, we’ll unpack common misconceptions about preprints, explore key tradeoffs, and offer practical considerations to help you decide if preprinting makes sense for you.

Apr 23 | Rethinking Peer Review: Open and Emerging Models
Peer review plays a central role in scholarly publishing, but it also faces well-documented challenges. This session introduces emerging models — including open peer review and preprint-based review — and helps you navigate these changes as a researcher.

May 7 | Data Sharing: As Open as Possible, As Closed as Necessary
Sharing data is increasingly expected, but not all data can — or should — be made open. This session explores responsible data sharing: maximizing openness while protecting human subjects, endangered species, and protected lands. We’ll examine ethical sharing in practice and highlight the safeguards and decisions needed to balance access with responsibility.

May 21 | Citing Software and Making Your Code Citable
During the hectic publication process, proper recognition of software is often overlooked. In this session, we’ll share best practices for citing software, addressing tricky issues like authorship and versions. Then, we’ll offer some tips on making your own software citable, findable, and reusable.

Jun 4 | Authorship: Roles, Responsibilities, and Decision-making
Authorship carries both credit and accountability. Decisions about who qualifies — and in what order — are often complex and context-dependent. This session explores key considerations and offers strategies for making informed and responsible decisions.