UKWIR opens access to its research library

UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) has updated its library of over 1,000 water sector research reports and launched a "MyLibrary" feature on its website to provide new ways for interested parties such as academics, regulators and others to access, organise and share UKWIR’s work.

The new feature allows UKWIR members and non-members to create personal collections of reports online for easy access and use – for instance, in citation or to see the organisations involved in the delivery of the projects. Users can log in easily using a social media account or email address. PDF downloads are free to UKWIR members or £10 for non-members.

UKIWR said this is the first step of a concerted effort to open up UKWIR’s work to non-members. Over the next year, it is planning several initiatives to share the outputs its work in a more accessible way, including short videos and webinars.

UKWIR chief executive, Steve Kaye, said: “Open sharing of data and information plays a significant role in driving collaborative research, innovation and learning across the sector and beyond. It can also help build bridges to new organisations, instigate new partnerships, and spark new ideas.

"Our stakeholders and members have said they want us to do more to facilitate this – and I wholeheartedly agree. We want to break down barriers, provide open access to our research and hope this will help catalyse the collaborative energy flowing through the sector – bringing in new voices and ideas to refresh and challenge our thinking.”