For Open Science Week 2026 we'll explore open source alternatives to widely-used research software. Working with SPSS or Qualtrics but yearning for open source alternatives? Join us on Wednesday 16 september for the first Data Conversations of the new semester to get a crash course introduction to both JASP and REDCap.

Location: 3D Dialogue center (accessible from the main campus square, W&N building)

What to expect:

Data Conversations: JASP & REDCap will be a lunch meeting in which data professionals from both VU and UvA will give a short introduction to JASP and REDCap. There will be In addition, we will showcase a short number of other open source alternatives

12:00 - 12:30 JASP

Presenter: dr. Johnny van Doorn (UvA)

JASP is a free, open source statistics package developed at UvA that makes data analysis accessible with limited statistical software experience. It offers a wide range of analyses, including descriptive statistics, regression, ANOVA, mixed models, and Bayesian methods, all through a simple point-and-click interface. Results update automatically and can be exported as publication-ready tables and figures, making it a practical alternative to SPSS for many research projects.

12:30 - 13:00 REDCap

Presenter: Morgan Peterson (VU Library)

REDCap is a secure platform for creating and managing online surveys and research data collection forms. It is widely used for collecting participant data, questionnaires and study information while maintaining strong privacy and security controls. Features such as user permissions, audit trails, encrypted data transfer and support for privacy regulations help researchers manage sensitive data responsibly. REDCap is especially useful for studies that require reliable and compliant online data collection.

Don't miss the free lunch at the beginning of the event! Those who are willing to stay longer than an hour are welcome to continue discussion and networking after the presentations.

Who should attend?

Data Conversations brings together researchers, research support staff and data management and data science experts from all subject areas. Early career researchers, as well as experienced academics, are welcome to attend.

About Data Conversations

Data Conversations started at the University of Lancaster in the UK. The Lancaster Data Conversations aim to bring data practitioners together to talk about how researchers create, collect, use and share data. The Data Conversations at the VU Amsterdam share the same aim and are intended to provide a forum for researchers from different subjects and disciplines to exchange practices and ideas around open data, FAIR data, research data management and related open science topics.

About the Open Science Week

14–18 September 2026

To celebrate and advance the practice of Open Science, the Open Science Community Amsterdam (OSCA) as part of the Network of Open Science Communities in the Netherlands (OSC-NL) hosts a series of interesting talks, workshops and events on open science. Check out the website for the program!