Sharing design materials

Sharing research design materials involves making your study resources, such as interview guides, focus group protocols, observation schedules, consent forms, and reflexivity prompts, available to others in a transparent and ethically responsible way. Doing so allows researchers to understand your methodological approach, adapt your tools, and build upon your work, contributing to openness and credibility in qualitative research.

Upload your materials to trusted repositories such as the Open Science Framework (OSF) or Figshare, ensuring that any identifiable or sensitive information is removed or anonymised. When appropriate, provide contextual information, field notes, or methodological memos that explain how the materials were used and adapted during the research process. Use an open licence such as Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) to clarify reuse permissions and ethical boundaries. Researchers can obtain guidance on data and software deposit, as well as advice on Creative Commons licences, by contacting the Library Research Services team.

To maximise usefulness, ensure your materials are well organised, clearly documented, and include guidance on their intended purpose and potential limitations. Transparent sharing allows other researchers to appreciate your interpretive decisions, adapt your materials for new contexts, and strengthen cumulative qualitative inquiry.

Increasingly, journals, funding agencies, and frameworks such as the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) recognise the value of sharing qualitative research materials. When done ethically, this practice fosters collaboration, reflexivity, and accountability, and demonstrates your commitment to openness, integrity, and the responsible sharing of qualitative knowledge.

No Action (Qual.)

Research materials such as interview guides, focus group protocols, observation schedules, or reflexivity notes are not shared, and there is no plan to make them available to others.

Moving from No Action to Emerging in Sharing of Research Design & Materials (Qual.)

Learn why sharing qualitative materials matters. Sharing materials such as interview guides, coding frameworks, consent forms, and anonymised excerpts helps others understand your analytic process, enhances transparency, and enables secondary learning. See the Center for Open Science guide on materials sharing for an overview, and explore resources from Open Science Framework (OSF) or UK Data Service’s qualitative guidance for qualitative examples.
Review one of your past or current projects and identify what can be shared.
This may include de-identified interview or focus group schedules, codebooks, reflexive notes, or analytic memos. Create an account on a trusted repository such as the Open Science Framework (OSF), Figshare, or Zenodo. Organise your materials into clear folders and write a short README file describing each item, its context, and any ethical considerations. You can use this Cornell University README template as a model.
Check ethical and confidentiality requirements before uploading.
Ensure that all shared materials are fully anonymised and comply with participant consent and data protection standards. When sharing, include a clear title, relevant keywords, and an open licence (e.g., Creative Commons) specifying reuse permissions. Choose a repository that provides a permanent identifier (DOI) so others can find and cite your materials appropriately.

Emerging (Qual.)

Some qualitative materials are shared upon request, but sharing is informal and lacks consistent documentation, contextual information, or a clear licence.

Moving from Emerging to Evolving in Sharing of Research Design & Materials (Qual.)

To progress from Emerging to Evolving, begin by uploading your qualitative research materials, such as interview guides, coding frameworks, consent forms, and anonymised excerpts, to a trusted repository like the Open Science Framework (OSF), Figshare, or Zenodo. Include materials from both ongoing and past projects that you may have shared informally.
Add a clear README file describing each item, its context, and how others can reuse it responsibly. Provide relevant background information, such as sampling rationale or analytic notes, to help others understand how the materials were developed and applied. Apply an appropriate Creative Commons licence to specify reuse permissions, and ensure you only upload materials that are fully anonymised and ethically shareable.
Repositories such as OSF, Figshare, and Zenodo automatically assign a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which provides a permanent, citable link that enhances discoverability. Include this DOI in your publications and presentations. Finally, review your institutional ethics requirements and your journal or funder policies on sharing qualitative data to ensure alignment with open research standards such as the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines.

Evolving (Qual.)

Qualitative research materials are deposited in trusted online repositories with basic documentation, contextual information, and an open licence. Efforts are made to describe the research setting, participant context, and analytic approach so that others can interpret and reuse the materials responsibly.

Moving from Evolving to Sustained in Sharing of Research Design & Materials (Qual.)

To move from Evolving to Sustained, focus on making your qualitative materials fully reusable, richly documented, and ethically shareable. Begin by expanding your README file to include detailed descriptions, version history, and links to related publications. Clearly explain the context of data collection, sampling rationale, and analytic approach so that others can understand how the materials were produced and how they can be used responsibly.
Convert your files into open, standard formats such as TXT, PDF, or CSV for accessibility. Upload each version to a trusted repository like the Open Science Framework (OSF), Zenodo, or Figshare, and ensure your materials are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for permanent citation.
Include anonymisation details and ethical documentation such as data-sharing statements or consent form templates. Provide reflexive notes or analytic memos that clarify interpretive decisions, and if applicable, include example coding frameworks or excerpts to illustrate analytic transparency. Apply a clear Creative Commons licence to specify reuse permissions and protect participant confidentiality.
Actively reference your shared materials and DOIs in publications, presentations, and online profiles. Track engagement using metrics on Zenodo, OSF, or OpenAIRE to monitor downloads, citations, and reuse. Finally, consider contributing to qualitative data networks or discipline-specific repositories such as the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) or the UK Data Service to increase visibility, foster collaboration, and strengthen open qualitative research practices.

Sustained (Qual.)

Qualitative research materials are systematically shared through trusted repositories as an integral part of the research process. They include detailed documentation, contextual and reflexive information, version control, and clear open licensing. Materials are carefully curated to ensure ethical integrity, long-term accessibility, and meaningful reuse by others.

Guidance for Sustained Level in Sharing of Research Design & Materials (Qual.)

Congratulations on reaching this level of practice. You are operating beyond good practice and contributing as a field leader in open and ethically grounded qualitative research. You consistently embed open and ethical sharing of research design and materials as a routine part of your qualitative research practice. You ensure materials are richly contextualised, systematically organised, and ready for independent reuse. To maintain and further improve at this level, consider the following:

Expand your README file into a full documentation package that includes version history, detailed descriptions of each item, and links to related outputs. Clearly describe the context of data collection, the sampling rationale, and the analytic process so that others can understand how your materials were produced and apply them responsibly in new contexts.
Use open, standard file formats such as TXT, PDF, or CSV and deposit each version in a trusted repository such as the Open Science Framework (OSF), Zenodo, or Figshare. Ensure that every version receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for permanent citation and discoverability.
Include anonymisation notes and ethical documentation, such as consent form templates or data-sharing statements, to demonstrate integrity and transparency. Add reflexive notes, analytic memos, and, where appropriate, example coding frameworks or excerpts that illustrate your interpretive process. Apply a clear Creative Commons licence that specifies reuse permissions while protecting participant confidentiality.
Actively integrate sharing into your research cycle and mentorship. Reference your materials and DOIs in publications, presentations, and teaching, and use metrics from Zenodo, OSF, or OpenAIRE to track reuse and impact. Contribute to community repositories such as the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) or the UK Data Service, and advocate for transparent qualitative data practices within your institution. By doing so, you help shape the culture of open and ethically grounded qualitative research.