Maarten Hornikx, professor of acoustics at the Department of the Built Environment, passionately advocates for open science, especially open research software. "I truly believe open science is the key to making the work we do at universities have more impact on society."
That conviction didn't come to Hornikx overnight. "During my PhD research, I wrote code to simulate the acoustics of courtyards. I was evaluated on the papers I published and whether the results from my software were accurate - but not on whether the software itself was made available."
"It wasn't until my defense that someone said, 'If you build an interface for this, it could actually be useful to others.' That really got me thinking," says Hornikx, who is not only a professor but also vice dean at the Department of the Built Environment.
Making software accessible
A lot has changed since then. Hornikx and his team now develop acoustic simulation software that can predict how sound behaves in and around buildings. This helps optimize spaces for speech and music, and reduce unwanted noise. And importantly, that software is being made increasingly accessible through a user-friendly online platform.
"We're now working on an interface that's much more widely usable - not just for researchers, but also for consultants and companies," Hornikx explains. "For instance, people with hearing impairments could benefit from acoustic simulations of spaces made with our software. Research can only make a real impact on society if the software is both available and usable."
I've come across brilliant papers, but the software behind them isn't available to anyone. It's such a shame - without access, no one can build on that work or take it further.
Maarten Hornikx
Hornikx notices that many academic research results still don't get the attention they deserve. "We put a huge focus on the holy grail: traditionally publishing papers. Of course, those are important in science, but there's so much more - datasets, software, designs, methods. These have potential value for both science and society, but only if you share them."
In his field, acoustics, a lot of software is developed during PhD research. But often, that software just stays on a personal hard drive. "I know brilliant papers where no one can use the accompanying software. It's such a shame, because without sharing, no one can build on that work. When you share, you can collaborate, build on each other's work, improve it - and ultimately create much more impact."
Collective progress
For Hornikx, open science isn't about personal recognition - it's about moving forward together. "I'm just a small cog in the machine. The real strength comes when we, as an academic community, work together. Only then can we take bigger steps forward."
Culture shift is needed
Within his own Building Acoustics group, Hornikx is working to make that change happen in a concrete way. "For example, we organize away days off campus where the whole team uses, tests, and gives feedback on each other's software. It's valuable in terms of content, and it also strengthens the sense of collaboration. That's exactly what open science is about: making things better together."
Internationally, Hornikx is active in promoting this cultural shift in his field through workshops. There, he shows how to best share software, explains licensing, shares best practices, and guides how to review software.
Hornikx notices that younger generations are quick to embrace the open science mindset. "Today's PhD students collaborate effortlessly on platforms like GitHub . Sharing software and helping each other improve is just second nature to them. That's really encouraging."
He also sees positive changes happening at his university. "There's much more support for open science now, which I'm really glad about. For example, regular meet-ups are held where data stewards keep researchers informed about the latest in data management, licensing, and privacy."
Being open is also a responsibility
Hornikx is realistic about the challenges. Sharing openly takes time, and putting your software out there can feel risky - what if there are mistakes? "That's why training is so important. There are great courses through the eScience Center , and we could definitely make more use of them."
Hornikx was a fellow at the eScience Center, the national hub for research software. Their goal is to enable researchers across all fields to access advanced software, computing power, and digital technologies, helping the Netherlands stay at the forefront of research. "The center fosters a culture of learning together and sharing knowledge. I'm a big fan."
Openness is not optional
Hornikx believes openness comes with responsibility. "Our research is funded by public money, so we have a duty to make that work accessible. You might not benefit from it directly, but someone else will. And when everyone shares with that mindset, it strengthens the whole community."
Our research is funded by public money. That means we have a responsibility to make that work accessible.
Maarten Hornikx
Rethinking recognition and rewards
Open science also means changing how we recognize and reward researchers. "Publishing a paper brings citations, which count towards your evaluation and career. But publishing a dataset or software often goes unnoticed. So why invest time in it? Even though it usually takes just as much effort."
Hornikx believes universities have a role to play in changing this. "We need to make non-traditional outputs much more visible - and show the impact they have. That's how you can say: this is modern science, and this is our impact."
Advancing good research
For Hornikx, open science isn't an end in itself - it's a way to ensure that good research goes beyond the walls of the university. "I'm halfway through my career. I still want to explore exciting questions, but more importantly, I want our work to make a real difference. Not just end up as a row of theses on a shelf, but actually help make the world a better place."
