How the University of Sussex is building a broader vision for open research infrastructure

Open infrastructure is more than a just a repository; it is a comprehensive framework of technological tools, community governance, and standards that connect and support open practices and a key component to a successful research institution.

For the University of Sussex, it is vital to sharing, discovering and using research more effectively. This shift in thinking hasn’t happened overnight. Bethany Logan, associate library director, has seen the sector's understanding of infrastructure expand significantly over the two decades she has worked in libraries.

"When I came into research support, if you said open infrastructure, people thought about their own individual repository rather than a wider framework, so it's been fascinating to watch those perceptions change."

From publishing platforms to rights retention policies, Sussex has increasingly viewed infrastructure through the lens of supporting open research practice across the institution.

From tools to strategy

While open research was the priority for many years, Bethany and her team recognised that there was more to delivering this than individual systems; it was dependent on people, processes, policies, and technology working together.

Open data provides a good example. The library played a leading role in promoting good practice in this area but success depended on wider institutional engagement and support from other key departments such as IT services and procurement.

"Our open data approach started with the library, but there came a point where we couldn't keep encouraging researchers to do more without the infrastructure to support them, so we quickly realised we needed everybody else on board.”

This realisation reinforced the importance of collaboration across departments and highlighted how open infrastructure is an institution-wide issue rather than a library-only concern.

Supporting openness in practice

The university's approach combines investment in infrastructure with a firm commitment to open research values. One of the most significant developments has been the introduction of a rights retention strategy. While this may not fit everyone's definition of infrastructure, Bethany and the team see it as a foundational part of the institution’s open research landscape. The strategy created what she described as a ‘security blanket’ for researchers and has enabled the university to make other strategic decisions with more confidence.

"We recently made the decision to cancel one of our Big Five publishing deals, and we wouldn't have been able to do that had we not had the rights retention strategy in place."

The university also supports Open Journal Systems (OJS) and invests in the Open Book Collective which supports both independent publishers and publishing service providers such as Thoth Open Metadata, OAPEN and DOAB. As commercial publishing agreements continue to consume a significant portion of library budgets, Bethany and her team are increasingly focusing on how spending can support frameworks that align with open research principles and deliver longer-term, sustainable value.

Navigating challenges and competing pressures

The journey hasn’t been straightforward and financial pressure remains the most significant challenge. Alongside many others across the sector, the university is balancing ambitious research goals against a backdrop of budget constraints and conflicting priorities.

"There is tension around distributing budgets when we're being asked to do more with less. but we really do believe infrastructure is a good use of our content budget. Sussex is a really active, unionised community and it’s been brilliant to see everybody coming together to talk about a community plan that asks how we make more of our infrastructure open.”

Technical capacity is another challenge. Although open-source solutions can offer flexibility and alignment with institutional values, they also require expertise to implement and maintain.

Bethany pointed to the university's experience with a previous repository system. Following a difficult period during the last Research Excellence Framework (REF) cycle, compounded by staff turnover and lockdown disruptions, senior leaders understandably prioritised stability and risk management, so the university ultimately moved to a commercial platform. The experience highlighted a common challenge facing many institutions: balancing innovation and concerns around resilience and operational risk.

“We’ve always worked closely with our procurement team, and they’ve given us a lot of autonomy to make decisions. At the same time, our senior leaders were understandably thinking about stability and reputation, and they had to make a decision that would ensure delivery of our strategic aims."

Building support through strategy

Securing recognition of open research within the university's research and innovation strategy has also been a major milestone. The strategy includes a commitment to ‘promote and embed open research practice across the institution’, creating a clear mandate that Bethany believes will help strengthen future support for infrastructure investment.

Strong engagement with senior leaders, including regular discussions with the pro vice chancellor for research, has helped open research to remain visible in strategic conversations. While financial considerations remain at the forefront, Bethany believes the strategic commitment creates a stronger foundation for future investment.

"By having this as part of our strategy, we have stronger senior leadership engagement, which has led to growing support across the university. This all helps when it comes to demonstrating that an investment here financially presents a saving further down the line."

Advice for other institutions

Asked what lessons she would share with peers, Bethany is a huge advocate for talking to people.

"Consult researchers, engage with academic communities, involve IT services early, and build relationships across your institution. Even difficult conversations can create opportunities to discuss repositories, rights retention, and other tools that support open research."

Ultimately, Bethany feels the University of Sussex's experience shows that sustainable open infrastructure is about more than technology. Systems and platforms will evolve, and new challenges will emerge, but a culture that helps to transform open infrastructure from a background concern into a strategic asset is what underpins the future of open research.

"The sustainability comes from that culture piece. If everybody agrees this is important and this is what we're aiming for, that's what enables long-term sustainability."

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