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Students sit in the graduate researcher study space at Burwood Library

April 2, 2025

Library Research News: April 2025 Edition

In this issue:

Open Research update: Institutional endorsements strengthen commitment

The University’s commitment to Open Research has taken a significant step forward with recent institutional endorsements.

Open Research Position Statement endorsed by Academic Board

On 19 February, Deakin University’s Academic Board endorsed the Open Research Position Statement. This statement reaffirms the University’s dedication to making research outputs as open as possible, recognising the benefits of increased collaboration, visibility and impact across disciplines.

Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin praised the statement:

By embracing Open Research, we reaffirm our commitment to being Australia’s most progressive university, and our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the transformative power of Deakin’s research to solve real world problems. – Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University

The development of this statement was led by Hero Macdonald, University Librarian, with input from members of the Open Access Taskforce and Dr Matt Brett, Director, Academic Governance and Standards.

Open research fosters an environment of transparency, inclusivity and innovation. By making research publicly available wherever possible, we dismantle barriers to knowledge and drive positive societal impact.

Read the Open Research Position Statement on the Library’s website.

OA and RDM Taskforce Reports endorsed by RRTC

Building on the momentum of the Open Research Position Statement, the Open Access (OA) and Research Data Management (RDM) Taskforce reports were both presented and endorsed at the Research and Research Training Committee (RRTC) on 6 March. These reports provide strategic recommendations aimed at improving institutional practices in open access publishing and research data stewardship. The endorsements mark a crucial step in advancing policies and support mechanisms that enable researchers to share their work more effectively and comply with funder and publisher requirements.

Deakin University’s OA and RDM Taskforces, both established in 2023, were charged with developing strategic, values-aligned approaches to open access publishing and research data management. Through extensive analysis and consultation over two years, they identified critical gaps and proposed actionable recommendations to enhance Deakin’s research culture. Their final reports, endorsed at RRTC, position Deakin as a national leader in open research and responsible data management.

Further information on the recommendations and next steps will be shared in the coming months.

Footprints unavailable from 7 to 9 April due to platform upgrade

Footprints, Deakin’s tool for Research Data Management Plans (RDMPs) and dataset records, will be unavailable from 7 to 9 April while we upgrade to the new Research Data Planner platform. During this time, RDMPs saved in Footprints will be available to view only. All other functions, such as editing or downloading, will be unavailable.

All existing RDMPs will be migrated across to the new platform, which will be available to access on 10 April. This significant upgrade will result in improved user experience, functionality and workflow integration.

Stay tuned for further updates, along with webinars and resources to help you make the most of Research Data Planner once it’s live!

The Deakin Library Margaret Cameron Residency applications open

Expressions of interest are now open to apply for Deakin Library’s inaugural residency program! The residency offers:

Drawing on the trove of rare and unique materials held in Deakin University Archives and Deakin Library’s Special Collections, the Library Residency aims to share the rich stories captured within these collections, which document over a century of history, research and collecting at Deakin, along with its predecessor institutions and the regions in which the University has operated. This residency is funded by a generous bequest from the late Professor Margaret Cameron AM, Deakin’s first Chief Librarian.

Expressions of interest close on 23 April 2025. Find out more by exploring the Deakin Library Margaret Cameron Residency page.

Find an Expert profile update

To protect privacy and ensure accurate profiles, researchers who have not updated their Find an Expert profile since its launch in May 2024 will have their profile photo replaced with the Deakin logo, replacing the photos originally sourced from staff and student ID cards.

We encourage all researchers to keep their profiles up to date, including their photo, by following these step-by-step instructions.

This update will take effect on Wednesday 30 April, and affected individuals will receive a direct email notification.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Jonathan O’Donnell at the Researcher Development Academy (jonathan.odonnell@deakin.edu.au).

Open Journals at Deakin updates

We are delighted to share updates from two of Deakin’s community-controlled (diamond) open-access journals:

The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability (JTLGE) recently published a new issue Vol 16, No 1. JTLGE is a scholarly forum for the dissemination of research and exemplary evidence-based practice that focuses on teaching and learning to enhance graduate employability.

Persona Studies has also launched their 2025 rolling issue, with the first article now live! The rolling issue offers an alternative publication option for papers submitted for publication to Persona Studies that do not align with a themed issue.

To view the full collection of Deakin-hosted open access journals, visit Open Journals at Deakin.

Hot tip: Request a librarian research consultation

The Library’s newly refreshed Request a librarian research consultation service is a premium, one-on-one, tailored consultation service designed for researchers, graduate researchers and research professional staff.

Consultations are available on weekdays between 9am–5pm or by negotiation and run for up to 50 minutes. Two business days’ notice is required for appointments.

Consultations are offered around the following topics related to our areas of research expertise:

To request a consultation, complete our consultation request form.

Event roundup

Our series of graduate researcher workshops have commenced, with the following workshops available to book:

Systematic literature search for STEMM

Tuesday 8 April, online, 10am–12pm

Publishing and open access

Tuesday 13 May, online, 10am–12pm

Responsible use of genAI in research

Tuesday 17 June, online, 10am–11am

You can also explore previous workshop recordings below.

Future tech: VR, AR and AI research showcase

Monday 14 April from 11am–3pm, Burwood Library Exhibition Space

Join us for an exciting deep dive into the world of virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) at this Future Tech showcase event.

Expert academics from Deakin’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute (A2I2) and Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) will demonstrate the latest AI advancements produced by their institutions. You’ll learn about how this tech has been integrated in the real world and how it benefits our communities, shaping our future. You’ll even get an opportunity to try your hand at interacting with it.

You can expect to see:

Find out more and register.

All Library events can be discovered on the Library’s What’s On page. Additional professional development for researchers is also available via Deakin eResearch: training and events.

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Library Research News is a regular publication of Library-related news for Deakin researchers. To stay in the loop, please subscribe to Article.

To access Library research services, please contact your librarian or navigate to Research via the Library website. The Library’s team of Scholarly Services Librarians bring discipline-specific expertise related to the following key areas:



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