About SOAR²

What is SOAR²?

The Summer Open and Reproducible Research (SOAR²) Camp is a three-day, hands-on program that introduces UCSB students to the research process while building practical skills for working with data, documenting research, and engaging in open scholarship.

Designed for undergraduate students from all disciplines and levels of research experience, SOAR² combines interactive workshops, small group discussions, hands-on activities, and conversations with researchers to help students navigate research with confidence. Throughout the program, students develop an understanding of how research works, learn practices that support transparency and reproducibility, and develop plans that they can apply to their own research journey.

Why SOAR²?

Research often comes with a hidden curriculum — expectations, practices, and norms that experienced researchers learn over time but are rarely taught explicitly. At the same time, today’s researchers are increasingly expected to manage data responsibly, document their work clearly, collaborate effectively, and share research in transparent and reproducible ways. SOAR² was created to help bridge these gaps. Rather than treating open research as an advanced or specialized topic, the program introduced openness, transparency, and responsible research practices as integral parts of the research process early in students’ research journey.

SOAR² also recognizes that modern research is increasingly collaborative and interdisciplinary. Researchers often work across disciplinary boundaries and draw on diverse methodologies, forms of evidence, and ways of asking questions. By bringing together students from different academic backgrounds, SOAR² aims to broaden participants’ perspectives on how research is conducted, while emphasizing that many core research practices — such as careful documentation, responsible data management, and clear communication — are valuable across disciplines.

Program Learning Objectives

By the end of SOAR², participants will be able to

• Understand how research works — and how to get involved
• Develop practical skills for working with data
• Organize and document research for clarity and reuse
• Explore what it means to do research openly and responsibly
• Build a foundation for communicating research
• Think critically about the opportunities and limitations of Gen AI use in research
• Develop a plan for the next steps in their research journey

Program Structure

SOAR² extends beyond traditional workshops. The program combines interactive instruction, experiential learning, and community-building activities to create a holistic introduction to undergraduate research.

• Six interconnected modules explore different stages of the research process. Through hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and reflection exercises, students build practical skills they can apply to their own research.
• Keynote lecture from a researcher actively engaged in open and reproducible research. Participants hear firsthand how openness, transparency, and collaboration have shaped a research career and influenced scientific discovery.
• Visits to campus research facilities provide opportunities to explore cutting-edge instruments, specialized collections, and research environments while learning from the researchers and staff who support them.
• Pasta & Possibilities brings together representatives from campus programs that support undergraduate research. This informal networking lunch helps students discover research opportunities, campus resources, and pathways for continued involvement in research beyond SOAR²:

See the SESSIONS page for more information, including the program schedule and module descriptions.

Organizers & Partners

SOAR² is a collaborative initiative led by Research Data Services (RDS) at the UCSB Library in partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA). It brings together librarians, research facilitators, and invited speakers who contribute expertise across research methods, data practices, scholarly communication, and open scholarship. See the INSTRUCTORS page for intructor bios.

SOAR² is also made possible through the generous support of campus partners who welcome students into their spaces and share their expertise. We are grateful to the many research facilities, centers, and campus programs that contributed to SOAR².

SOAR² is supported through the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) Catalytic Awards Program, which funds innovative projects that advance open research practices and community engagement.

Reuse and Adaptation

SOAR² was designed to be an adaptable curriculum that can be modified for different institutions, disciplines, and educational contexts.

Whenever possible, instructional materials (including slides, handouts, and assessment instruments) will be shared openly to encourage reuse and adaptation. We hope these resources help other educators introduce students to research while fostering practices that support transparency, reproducibility, and open scholarship.

If you adapt SOAR² material or would like to discuss implementing similar programming at your institution, we would love to hear from you. Contact rds [AT] library.ucsb.edu.