Open Science Framework
OSF (Open Science Framework) is free, open-source infrastructure for documenting and sharing the research process, developed and maintained by the nonprofit Center for Open Science (COS). OSF supports two core functions:
- A structured registration workflow for publishing study plans with linked data, code, materials, and papers as a persistent, citable record of the research process.
- Community-operated preprint services — infrastructure for research communities, journals, and institutions to share and discover working papers and open-access publications.
OSF is free to use, assigns persistent identifiers (DOIs) to records, and is maintained by a nonprofit with no commercial interest in the research it holds.
OSF for MIT
MIT affiliates can now sign into OSF with your MIT credentials here (Choose “login” and then select “login through your institution”). Use this OSF for MIT portal to affiliate your registrations, public projects, and pre-prints with MIT.
OSF in Open Science and Open Access
Open science is an approach to research that emphasizes transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility at every stage of the research process — from study planning through to publication and data sharing. OSF can be part of the infrastructure supporting this approach.
Where OSF fits in the open scholarship landscape:
| Stage | What you need | Recommended tool |
| Study planning | Document hypotheses & methods | OSF Registries (preregistration) |
| Data collection & analysis | Active file management & code version control | GitHub, institutional storage |
| Data archiving | Long-term, citable data deposit | Zenodo, Dryad, institutional repository |
| Sharing findings early | Preprint before peer review | OSF Preprints server (community-specific) |
| Connecting the full record | Link plan → outputs → outcomes | OSF Registries (linked registration) |
| Publication | Peer-reviewed, open-access publishing | Open access journals, institutional open access support |
Don’t know what preprints are or are interested in exploring preprint options? Contact the Scholarly Publishing team at Ask Scholarly Communications.
Resources
OSF Support Resources (from COS)
- OSF Help Center: step-by-step guides for registrations, preprints, account management, and more (help.osf.io)
- OSF FAQs: answers to common questions about account setup, privacy settings, DOIs, and registrations (https://help.osf.io/article/406-faqs-home-page)
- OSF Support: contact the OSF support team directly for technical issues (support@osf.io).
- OSF YouTube Channel: recorded tutorials and webinars on using OSF and other open science topics youtube.com/CenterforOpenScience).
If you would like assistance using OSF for MIT or need help determining if OSF will meet your needs, contact Data Management Services at data-management@mit.edu.