Hiroshima University and Taylor & Francis have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote better awareness and uptake of open research practices. The five-year partnership, running from 2025 to 2030, will equip Hiroshima University researchers to comply with new open policies, as well as enhancing the transparency, accessibility and impact of their work.
To support Japan’s new national open research policy, Hiroshima University and Taylor & Francis will collaborate on a range of joint activities to provide practical guidance in open research best practice in areas such as research data management and open access publishing. This will include a program of free seminars for faculty, researchers and students, led by Taylor & Francis and F1000 experts, on open publishing pathways.
The partners are also jointly committed to encouraging reform of the research evaluation system. Hiroshima University will join F1000’s Japan Institutional Gateway (JIG), an initiative of institutions committed to innovative research evaluation. JIG will offer researchers a new option for incorporating open research practices into their publishing journey.
Regarding the MOU, Professor Norio Matsumi, Vice President (Fields of Humanities and Social Sciences) of Hiroshima University, stated, "We have concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taylor & Francis to promote the international dissemination of our research outcomes. With this partnership, we will further advance education, research, and social contribution in the fields of education, humanities, and social sciences through initiatives such as open access publishing utilizing the JIG system."
Emily Farrell, VP Academic Commercial Strategy at Taylor & Francis, commented, "Japan’s new policies are a significant step in driving wider adoption of open research practices. We are very much looking forward to working with the Hiroshima University community to explore the many benefits of an open research approach and how it can be incorporated into their own research and publishing activities."