ORD at the Center for Reproducible Science and Research Synthesis (CRS)

Recent CRS projects about Open Research Data

data management
Author

SwissRN ORD working group

Published

September 15, 2025

The Center for Reproducible Science and Research Synthesis (CRS) of the University of Zurich works to advance scientific methods, practices, norms, and incentives that produce trustworthy and reproducible research. One research topic is Open Research Data, covered with the following recent projects:

SHARECTD: Sharing and re-using clinical trial data to maximize impact

Data from clinical trials are a rich source of clinical information, highly structured and clearly explained by the accompanying protocols. Responsible sharing of such data holds incredible promises to increase value and decrease waste in medical research. It is built on principles (ethical, scientific), governance structures, skills, and operation infrastructure. Clinical trial data sharing (CTDS) is an emerging activity in academia as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. Both communities develop models for organising and performing CTDS. Thereby, several issues gain relevance: enhancing data sharing with researchers, improving public access to clinical study information, sharing results with patients participating in clinical trials, certifying procedures for sharing clinical trial information, and reaffirming commitments to publish clinical trial results.

SHARE-CTD aims to train a new generation of biomedical researchers with a deep understanding of processes, values, and merits of clinical trial data sharing. To gain a comprehensive understanding, biomedical researchers need to be trained in fields like data science, trial regulatory, meta-research, as well as ethical, legal and social issues.

Funding

SHARE-CTD is a doctoral network funded by the European Union involving 9 PIs and further 12 academic and non-academic partners. Horizon-MSCA.2022-DN 101120360.

Outputs

  • Outputs from the different projects in the SHARE-CTD consortium can be found in the project website: https://www.sharectd.eu/

COCOPREND: Code of Conduct for Preclinical Neuroimaging Data

Despite large volumes of data being generated in preclinical neuroimaging research, there is a lack of adequate support for processing them according to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. This gap leads to inefficient data management and limited utility of the data that are made openly available. Thus, this project aims to develop a conduct for open research data (ORD) specifically targeting researchers working with preclinical (animal) neuroimaging data. The target community involves researchers using various imaging techniques to study the central nervous system in animals.

COCOPREND compiles and distills resources to facilitate responsible and ethical use, sharing and management of preclinical (animal) neuroimaging data. This data code of conduct is elaborated by the Center for Reproducible Science and Research Synthesis (CRS) of the University of Zurich. This website is meant to be a living document that is regularly edited and updated by the community.The project will be implemented by the Center for Reproducible Science at the University of Zurich. Fabio Molo MSc will coordinate the project and Dr. Gorka Fraga Gonzalez will develop the code of conduct in collaboration with different key stakeholders including animal neuroscientists.

Funding

This project is funded by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences (a+) as part of the Action line D2.6 call of the Open Research Data (ORD) action plan. The funding period is 01.10.2024 to 30.06.2025.

Outputs

AFFORD: A Framework for Avoiding the Open Research Data Dump

The project A Framework for Avoiding the Open Research Data Dump (AFFORD) aims at designing a sustainable support framework to lower the barriers to publishing data and other research outputs in an accessible form by bundling know-how, workflows, and tools under the umbrella of one organizational entity. It is a collaboration between The Interface Group and the Center for Reproducible Science and Research Synthesis of the University of Zurich. It uses the Swiss National Science Foundation project 213535 “Fluid Dynamics of the Central Nervous System: 3D Functional Anatomy & Pathophysiology in Mouse Models” (https://data.snf.ch/grants/grant/213535) as reference, accompanying this multi-center research endeavour through the full cycle of generating Open Research Data (ORD), from experiment planning to publishing. This project-based, data-driven approach will help the framework reach a sufficient level of maturity before it is made available to all university researchers.

The project is led by Vartan Kurtcuoglu (The Interface Group, Department of Physiology, University of Zurich) and Leonhard Held (Center for Reproducible Science, University of Zurich)

Funding

Funded for 2 years (2023-2024) by swissuniversities as part of the Swiss Open Research Data Grants - Track B: Establish projects.

Outputs

  • Peer-review publication Fraga-González, G., van de Wiel, H., Garassino, F. et al. Affording reusable data: recommendations for researchers from a data-intensive project. Sci Data 12, 258 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04565-0

  • Fraga González, G., Garassino, F., Wiel, H. v., Kuo, W., de Zélicourt, D. d. J., Kurtcuoglu, V., … Held, L. (2024, December 12). Where are my data? The AFFORD workflow to create your own data index with Git, R and Quarto. MetArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31222/osf.io/64fch

  • Wiel, H. v., Garassino, F., Li, Z., Fraga González, G., Furrer, E., & Held, L. (2024, December 23). Stakeholder Engagement for Sustainable Open Research Data Support Services: Insights from Interviews and Surveys in Switzerland. MetaArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31222/osf.io/3d5we

  • AFFORD website compiling resources that accompanied the data support experience in the project: tutorials, templates, code snippets, presentations, etc.

  • AFFORD template data index. An template for creating your own data catalogue

  • Portal (data catalogue) https://fabric4.ch
    Data portal resulting from the collaboration between AFFORD’s data stewardship and the SNSF reference project 213535 “Fluid Dynamics of the Central Nervous System: 3D Functional Anatomy & Pathophysiology in Mouse Models”

SIRRO: Strengthen the Interoperability and Reusability of Research

Rigorous design, transparent reporting, and reproducible workflows are major factors strengthening the interoperability and reusability of research data and are hence crucial to increase the value of research data and, more broadly, the value of research outputs. The aims of the SIRRO project are to 1) fortify SwissRN as an existing community engaging with ORD practices that have the goal of strengthening interoperability and reusability, and 2) intensify the efforts of SwissRN towards a systematic assessment of the impact and obstacles in the implementation of ORD practices.

More specifically, the focus of this project is on the ORD practices of preregistration and data management planning as measures to avoid bias and to increase quality. The project contains four parts:

Assessment of researchers’ understanding and perception of ORD practices across disciplines and their perceived impact on careers. Assessment of types of research outputs that are already produced and disciplinary differences herein. Assessment of hurdles and incentives for a community, here researchers in animal studies, to adopt preregistration and data management practices. Develop and dispense appropriate training activities on preregistration, data management practices and good research practices in general.

SIRRO team: Eva Furrer, Leonhard Held, Rachel Heyard, Michael Ochsner, Manuel Pfister, Christina Priboi, Evie Vergauwe, Hanno Würbel

Funding

Funded by swissuniversities Swiss Open Research Data Grants program Track A, August 2022-2024.

Outputs

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