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Introducing Rebecca Payne, chair of the Early Career Researchers (ECR) Advisory Board for Wellcome Open Research. Rebecca works at the Institute of Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University, focused on improving our understanding of the complex interplay between the gut microbiome and the host immune response.

In this Q&A, she shares her frustration with the status quo on how research is predominantly published and disseminated, and suggests how the research community can benefit from adopting more open and collaborative approaches.

Rebecca is currently studying a cohort of paediatric patients undergoing stem cell transplant due to primary immunodeficiency disease, in the hope to identify how changes in the gut microbiome can influence the reconstituting immune system following stem cell transplant, in particular, the function and plasticity of innate lymphoid cells.

What inspired you to apply for and join the Wellcome Open Research ECR advisory board?

Wellcome Open Research has a very clear and growing vision with regard to open research and it was this clarity of vision that inspired me to apply for a place on the ECR advisory board. I, like many other ECRs, am frustrated by the current status quo when it comes to our options in disseminating our research findings, the perceived reliance on branded journals for career progression, and the fear associated with data sharing.

What are the benefits for researchers for publishing on Wellcome Open Research?

Wellcome Open Research allows a quick and efficient way for scientists to disseminate their research findings alongside all the benefits of an open peer review process. Scientific innovation, research and discovery are moving forward at a rapid pace and a re-haul of how we disseminate data is critical to keeping the momentum at this exciting time to ensure that we promote a research environment that facilitates openness and collaboration.

Have you experienced any difficulties or challenges in publishing research?

The difficulties and challenges I have faced in publishing research are mostly centered around how the peer review process works and the huge delays that rebuttals can cause in disseminating research findings. I also feel that the reliance on publishing in branded journals has a negative impact on how scientists discuss their research and the fear of being “scooped”.

How do you think open research can benefit the community?

Two heads are better than one, what about one hundred heads or one thousand? We now have the technological capability to build a rich and diverse research environment, that is based on open research and data sharing, where scientists can build upon each other’s work to create a cathedral of information that is reproducible, robust and accessible by all.

What do they think needs to change to help ECRs? As an ECR advisory board member, how do you hope to resolve these issues?

ECRs need to be given the opportunity to develop confidence in open research practices. There are real concerns about how to put it into practice and what it might mean on an individual level. ECRs need reassurances that research published via Wellcome Open Research have measurable merits of esteem and that data sharing is fair and of high individual reward. I hope through the advisory board we can develop ideas around how to incentivise open research, provide and highlight role models and create a confident and professional approach. 

Why is open peer review important?

Open peer review is so important for so many reasons! A major hurdle when reading a published paper is knowing how much discussion and information has been exchanged behind closed doors, and that this information could be invaluable to interpret data in a different context or for a cross-disciplinary field. Open peer review is better for science as well as providing transparency regarding gender inequality and bias.

Shaping the future of scientific publishing. Find out more about the Early Career Researcher Advisory Board and who the other members are, who provide an active voice for researchers building their careers in academia and in so doing aim to shape the future of scholarly communications.