Connecting And Syncing your Research Story to Ensure Maximum Impact

We recently shared valuable strategies for connecting your research on the Open Science Framework (OSF) to increase visibility and make it easier for others to discover your full body of work. Below are key takeaways from our recent session, with actionable steps you can try right away!

1. Connect Your Research on OSF

By linking all your research outputs—like projects, preprints, registrations, and datasets—you give others a clearer view of your complete research journey. This connected web of information ensures that when someone finds one piece of your work, they can easily discover the rest.

Why it’s important:

Without linking your research, each component can feel isolated. Connecting them on OSF helps create a comprehensive and cohesive representation of your contributions, making it more likely for others to engage with your entire body of work.

Try This:

All public elements on the OSF (Public registrations, projects, components, and preprints) can be equipped with digital object identifiers. Each of those DOI’s can be linked together on your various OSF tools to provide connections and pathways from one to another. Please see our demo showing you where those DOIs are and the process for connecting your resources, along with other connecting insights such as:

Watch this section of the talk to see a demo.

2. Sync OSF with Your ORCID Profile

Automatically syncing your research outputs through OSF to your ORCID profile ensures that your research is easily trackable and correctly attributed to you. ORCID is widely used by institutions and publishers, and connecting your OSF research via Datacite will keep your profile current and accessible.

Why it’s important:

By syncing with ORCID, you ensure that anyone searching for your work through ORCID or affiliated platforms sees the full scope of your contributions, without needing to manually update multiple systems.

Try This:

ORCID is a platform outside the OSF and will require you to create an ORCID account on their site. Please follow the directions on https://orcid.org/register to register with ORCID.
Sign in to the OSF through ORCID.
Enable automatic updates via Datacite to your ORCID by following the instructions on this guide or in the following video.

3. Improve Discoverability with Clear Metadata

Clear and detailed metadata—like funder, Resource type, language, or subject —plays a critical role in making your research easily searchable. This information helps OSF search tools, databases, and other researchers categorize and find your work more accurately.

Why it’s important:

Well-organized metadata increases the chances of your research appearing in relevant searches. Without it, your work might get lost in the noise, making it harder for others to connect with your research.

Try This:

Edit your project, registration, or preprint or file metadata on OSF, see our help guide for specific instructions.

Watch this section of this demo for more information on how your Metadata can be used to help others find your work.

By taking these steps, you’ll ensure that your research is connected, synced, and easily discoverable by other researchers. Give it a try and see how it boosts your visibility!

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