Activity 11: Can Open Dissemination make a difference?
Consider the example of the OER Research Hub or any other project that you are familiar with. How do you think disseminating in the open in such a manner may benefit/hinder a research project? Share your thoughts below.
Once you’ve finished, head back to section 3.2.
The benefits of open dissemination (if understood as sharing as early and openly as possible the process as well as research) can be in the ability to connect with key stakeholders who are likely to be interested and impacted, and who may feel involved and invested to become part of the project. In the ROER4D project, our communications strategy is based on open dissemination (through our website, blogs, SlideShare and social media) and we are finding that even though our project is at early stages (due for completion end 2016/early 2017), we are meeting and talking to key stakeholders, connecting with other researchers in the OER community and building visibility for our project, so that when it comes to reporting on findings and beyond, we will hopefully have done much of the groundwork and planning.
Yes, I’m with you 100%, Sukaina. The experience has been very much the same for us at the OERRHub: an open approach to dissemination helps building connections and encourages conversations well beyond where you thought your limits were.
Bea
Open dissemination can certainly benefit the project as working in the open potentially ensures more careful outputs and creates an awareness of the project early on. There is however the potential for embarrassing blunders but I presume that could become a great way of learning what doesn’t work 
Definitely. Open dissemination helps build connections, encourages conversations and as such provides a layer of support for the research project. Although there’s the potential for embarrassing blunders at least people will be able to see that they’ve been made honestly and openly.
Institutions are always particularly banging on about public engagement in the arts, and an open approach to research seems an ideal method of capturing a variety of interests. However, it may also invite many distracting requests and queries. I’ve seen this happen in a project where there was so much interest to deal with that the museum had to formalise and somewhat restrict what had been an open door policy to their research project.