Keelelike

Keelelike is a term used to describe a research and writing approach associated with Keele University that emphasizes interdisciplinarity, public accessibility, and open science practices. The term is used to characterize projects and publications that aim to integrate methods and perspectives from multiple disciplines, collaborate with non-academic stakeholders, and provide transparent documentation of data, methods, and assumptions. The word is often used in meta-analyses, grant reports, and project documentation to signal alignment with Keele’s institutional ethos, though it has broadened to describe similar practices in other institutions.

Origins and development: The term originated in the Keele research community in the early 2010s, where an emphasis on cross-disciplinary team science and community engagement led to a distinctive style of reporting. It was popularized in internal documents and later referenced in broader discussions of knowledge integration and collaborative scholarship.

Characteristics: Keelelike projects typically feature interdisciplinarity that combines quantitative and qualitative methods; a modular publication structure with summaries tailored for lay readers and detailed technical appendices; open data, code, and materials; stakeholder involvement, including policy-makers or community groups; and an emphasis on transparent, iterative reporting, sometimes including preregistration or registered reports in suitable fields.

Impact and reception: Proponents argue that Keelelike practices improve reproducibility, relevance, and public trust. Critics note potential trade-offs in publication speed and evaluation metrics, and the term can be applied loosely or inconsistently.

See also: interdisciplinary research, open science, knowledge translation, Keele University.