Preprints as knowledge translation: Another way of opening science to the public

November 06, 2024

Speaker

Dr. Alice Fleerackers and Dr. Juan Pablo Alperin

In 2024, KT Connects is focusing on open science — the practice of making scientific inputs, outputs, and processes freely available to all with minimal restrictions. Learn more.

Webinar summary

Wednesday, November 6 

1 – 2 p.m. PST 

Preprints are research papers made publicly available before journal peer review and publishing in scientific journals. They allow rapid and free sharing of findings within and beyond academia. Recent research suggests that journalists also report on them. This brings new challenges and opportunities for making research knowledge public.

This session will introduce participants to preprints as one means to make science more open, as well as key points to remember when using them as a knowledge translation method.

Learning objectives

After this webinar, the audience will be able to:

  • Understand the unique role preprints play within the open science movement
  • Understand how journalists use preprints and the potential benefits and risks of preprint media coverage for the public
  • Identify ways to share preprint research that provide journalists and their audiences with the necessary context to interpret research findings accurately.

Speaker bio

Alice Fleerackers is a postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media, University of British Columbia, and a researcher at the Scholarly Communications Lab, Simon Fraser University. She studies the intersections of journalism, health and science communication, and scholarly communication. She is also a freelance writer, the vice president of the Public Communication of Science and Technology Network (PCST), and co-founder and co-chair of PCST’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee.

Juan Pablo Alperin is an associate professor in the publishing program, Scientific Director of the Public Knowledge Project, and the co-director of the Scholarly Communications Lab at Simon Fraser University. He is a multi-disciplinary scholar who uses a combination of computational techniques and traditional qualitative methods. His work focuses on investigating ways of raising the scientific quality, global impact, and public use of scholarly work.

Upcoming webinar

Dr. Linda Li, Gayle Scarrow and Dr. Stirling Bryan

Date

February 28, 2025

Open science in health research: lessons learned and reflections on the path forward for B.C.

In 2024, KT Connects focused on open science — the practice of making scientific knowledge, resources and processes accessible to all with minimal barriers. Learn more.

Webinar summary

Friday, February 28 

12 – 1 p.m. PST 

Open science is transforming the way health research is conducted, shared and applied to real-world challenges. In this final session in KT Connects’ open science webinar series, we will highlight key insights from this past year’s webinars.

The session will begin with a summary of the lessons learned, including:

  • the nature and purpose of open science,
  • its role in more equitable research systems,
  • its connections to knowledge translation and community engagement research, and
  • opportunities and challenges for research funding and evaluation.

An expert roundtable and audience Q&A with health researchers, knowledge translation experts and funders will follow, exploring what these insights could mean for open science in B.C.

Learning objectives

After this webinar, the audience will be able to:

  1. Understand key themes and insights from the KT Connects open science webinar series and their relevance to B.C.’s health research system.
  2. Discuss the role of knowledge translation, engagement research, research funding and policy in advancing open science practices based on national and international frameworks and recommendations.
  3. Engage in discussion on how open science can create a more equitable and impactful health research system in B.C.

 

Speaker’s bio:

Dr. Linda Li is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia, holding the Harold Robinson/Arthritis Society Chair in Arthritic Diseases. She also serves as the Scientific Director for the BC SUPPORT Unit at Michael Smith Health Research BC and is a Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada. Her research focuses on integrating digital tools, such as wearable technology and mobile apps, to support health professionals in promoting a healthy balance of physical activity and sleep for managing chronic diseases. Dr. Li has completed a Canada Research Chair in Patient-oriented Knowledge Translation and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Gayle Scarrow is the Director of Knowledge Translation at Michael Smith Health Research BC. In this role, she leads the development, implementation and evaluation of knowledge translation initiatives. Her aim is to bridge the gap between research evidence and health care practice. Her work focuses on facilitating the application of research findings to improve health outcomes and inform policy decisions.

Dr. Stirling Bryan is the Chief Scientific Officer at Michael Smith Health Research BC. He is a health economist with extensive experience engaging with health policy and decision-making. He began his career in the UK, holding positions at St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, Brunel University, and the University of Birmingham. In 2008, he joined the University of British Columbia as a Professor in the School of Population and Public Health and served as Director of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Evaluation. Dr. Bryan is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and currently serves as President for the Canadian Association for Health Services & Policy Research.