Why publish on NIHR Open Research?
Share your NIHR-funded health and care research rapidly and openly
SUBMIT TODAYAccelerate the impact of your research on NIHR Open Research
The NIHR Open Research Platform provides all NIHR-funded researchers with a place to publish any results they think are worth sharing. The NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) funds research across a wide range of fields including public health, clinical evaluation, intervention development, health services, and social care.
All articles published on the Platform benefit from rapid open access publication, transparent peer review, and editorial guidance on making all source data openly available.
Discover NIHR Open Research
Our publishing process
What are the benefits of publishing on the NIHR Open Research Platform?
Publish rapidly
Our rapid publication model offers an innovative alternative to traditional journal publishing. Peer review happens post-publication to ensure new research findings can be shared without lengthy delays between submission and publication.
Maximize the impact of your work by publishing openly
Publishing your research openly and transparently means that anyone, anywhere can read, cite, and use your work – including policymakers, practitioners, and fellow researchers.
Support transparency and reproducibility
NIHR Open Research advocates an Open Data Policy so others can replicate your study, reproduce the original findings, or reuse the data to support their own work. This is to ensure maximum reproducibility and collaboration. Peer review is also conducted openly to ensure full transparency and enable others to build upon expert guidance.
Increase the visibility of your research
Openly available research tends to receive increased views, downloads, and media attention.
Share outputs from all stages of the research lifecycle
All research outputs can be published, from traditional Research Articles to Study Protocols and Data Notes. All results are welcomed, including negative or null results and reanalyses of previous studies with new results.
Understanding open peer review
What is it?
Open peer review is an alternative way of approaching the traditional single or double-blind peer review process. The aim is to make peer review more transparent while maintaining rigor and trust.
Our open peer review process takes place following publication. We publish peer review reports alongside articles, make peer reviewers’ identities known, and make authors’ responding comments to the reports visible.
Why does it matter?
Open peer review makes it easier for readers to trust research. When peer review reports and peer reviewer identities are fully transparent, the possibility of bias is reduced. Furthermore, studies have shown that open peer review reports tend to be more constructive.
Understanding open data
What is it?
The term ‘open data’ is defined as data that anyone can access, use, or share. For researchers, this refers to any information or materials that have been collected or created as part of a research project. It’s important to remember that data can take many forms, including survey results, gene sequences, software, code, neuro-images, and even audio files. Open data practices are also referred to as ‘data sharing’.
Why does it matter?
Publishing data openly benefits not only the individual researcher, but also the research community and society as a whole. The entire research project becomes more transparent, enabling the replication and validation of your research. Others can ensure that conclusions are built upon firm foundations, which boosts the credibility and robustness of the research.
Article types
At NIHR Open Research, we want to avoid research waste. This is why we publish a wide range of article types, encouraging authors to publish their outputs at every stage of their research project.
For more information, please see our Article Guidelines.
Have questions?
Get in touch with the NIHR Open Research Team, and we will be happy to help with any queries you have!
Email: info@openresearch.nihr.ac.uk