Open Research Spotlight: Dr. Ramiro Bravo on OSF
Using OSF as a collaborative framework for Open Research
In this Open Research Spotlight, Research Data Manager Dr Ramiro Bravo speaks with Open Research Specialist Josh Emsley about an exciting new project involving using the tool (Open Science Framework) as a collaborative framework in Core Facilities, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH). This conversation is part of a wider project, led by the , which is engaging with researchers and research support colleagues across the University of Manchester (UoM) to explore how are being adopted in different research contexts.
The challenge: fragmented and under-recognised research practices
Collaboration lies at the heart of research, but in practice it can be unorganised, fragmented, and difficult to manage. As Ramiro explains, 鈥淐ore Facilities, research groups and institutes frequently operate independently, leading to inconsistencies in data management, documentation and accessibility. This fragmentation can limit data reuse, interdisciplinary collaboration and reproducibility.鈥�
Time and resource constraints add further pressure. 鈥淩esearchers often lack dedicated time and funding to engage with Open Research tools and frameworks,鈥� Ramiro notes. 鈥淲ithout institutional support, Open Research practices are deprioritised in favour of immediate research outputs鈥�.
For those wanting to engage, there are additional technical and procedural hurdles that stand in the way. 鈥淢any researchers are unfamiliar with tools like Protocols.io or OSF,鈥� he says. Without clear guidance, the potential of these platforms to support collaborative, reproducible science is left underrealised.
The impact of these challenges is significant and often unseen. As Ramiro points out, 鈥渨ithout clear, open documentation and the sharing of research contributions, the vital role of Core Facilities and technical teams can be overlooked. Missing authorship and inadequate acknowledgement can obscure how research is truly carried out and hinder reproducibility, collaboration and accountability.鈥�
The project: embedding OSF into Core Facilities
Ramiro is leading a project to tackle these challenges head on. 鈥淭he project will start with a group of Core Facilities designing OSF projects that will serve as a template on how they will collaborate with research groups in the development of research projects,鈥� he explains. 鈥淩esearch groups are creating their OSF projects to start documenting every step of the research lifecycle, including cross-disciplinary collaboration with Core Facilities.鈥�
By embedding OSF into the day-to-day practices of Core Facilities, the project aims to provide a practical, collaborative framework for documenting contributions and supporting transparency.
For Ramiro, OSF鈥檚 strength lies in its flexibility. He highlights several features of the tool that are particularly relevant to collaborative research:
- Project structure and hierarchical organisation 鈥� OSF allows researchers to create projects and component sub-projects, supporting complex, multi-part studies.
- Role-based permissions and access control 鈥� OSF supports assigning custom roles (read, write, admin) for each user or group, ensuring collaborators can contribute appropriately without compromising sensitive information. This is especially useful when managing external collaborators.
- Integrated file storage and version control 鈥� OSF supports uploading and organising all research materials (protocols, datasets, manuscripts, scripts, etc.). It integrates with cloud storage services like OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud storage providers, ensuring everyone is working with the most up-to-date documents.
- Electronic lab notebook (ELN) functionality 鈥� while not a traditional ELN, OSF offers a lightweight and interoperable way to record progress, link protocols, and maintain transparency.
Together, these features provide a tool that can streamline collaboration, enhance oversight, and embed transparency into the way research is carried out.
Beyond usage: Ramiro鈥檚 role in shaping OSF itself
Ramiro鈥檚 involvement with OSF doesn鈥檛 stop at adoption. He also identified a gap in the platform: the need to export projects into formats such as PDF for preservation and backup. 鈥淭here was no way to preserve a project as a complete, portable record,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭hat lack of functionality was a barrier for many researchers.鈥�
To address this, Ramiro secured a grant with the (COS) - the organisation responsible for developing and maintaining OSF - and worked with colleagues in Research IT (Sarah Jaffa and Benito Matischen) to develop a solution. The outcome was a new python library called , allowing users to use the CLI (Command Line Interface) and a that enables anyone including UoM users to export their OSF projects to PDF format.
Ramiro and Benito presented the new tool functionality in Washington DC in August 2025 during a conference (hackathon) hosted by COS. The success of the project has since led to Ramiro being invited to join the OSF Open-Source Steering Committee, helping shape the platform鈥檚 future development.
Looking ahead
The next stage of the Manchester project will see OSF rolled out as a collaborative framework in Core Facilities, beginning with a mid-September kick-off meeting, bringing together FBMH Core Facilities, the Manchester Cell-Matrix Centre, and the Lydia Becker Institute. Cancer Research UK is also a potential future collaborator.
For Ramiro, the potential of this project is significant: 鈥淒ifferent Core Facilities and research groups can use OSF as a collaborative framework to help document the evolution of research projects. Key benefits include detailed documentation, version control, and privacy controls serving as the foundation of a responsible research culture.鈥�
Conclusion
This spotlight shows how OSF is more than just a tool that individual researchers can use. It is a framework that holds potential to change how research teams collaborate. By embedding open documentation into research practice and contributing directly to OSF鈥檚 development, Ramiro鈥檚 work demonstrates how openness, recognition, and reproducibility can become part of the everyday life of research.
The Office for Open Research provides institutional access to many essential Open Research tools like , , and OSF. To learn more about what these tools enable, check out the .
If you want to learn more about OSF as a collaborative framework for research projects and data management in your area, contact Ramiro (ramiro.bravo@manchester.ac.uk) for collaboration opportunities and support.
If you liked this spotlight, check out the other posts in this series: