Report by Grégory Miras as AILA ReN Coordinator

The AILA Research Networks (ReNs), created in accordance with the statutes of the Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée (AILA), aim to stimulate collaborative research on current applied linguistics challenges rooted in real-world contexts. For the 2024–2027 period, a dedicated promotional campaign has been introduced to provide visibility of these networks. This initiative features a variety of formats tailored to the applied linguistics community, including written interviews, video presentations, webinars, and other innovative outreach activities. In this second written interview, we talk to Meng Liu (Beijing Foreign Studies University, China), Ali H. Al-Hoorie (Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia), Phil Hiver (Florida State University, USA), Xuechun Huang (University of Leeds, UK), Mehdi Shaahdadi (Independent Researcher, Iran) about the ReN Open Applied Linguistics. Our ReN (https://openappliedlinguistics.org/) was established in February 2022, inspired by a rapidly growing interest in open scholarship within applied linguistics over recent years. As of November 2025, we have around 500 subscribers to our mailing list, about 150 YouTube subscribers, 3000 followers on Facebook, and 1170 followers on X (formerly Twitter). While many leading scholars actively championed open scholarship, the broader community in applied linguistics was only just beginning a deeper engagement with this concept. The ReN was created to bridge this gap. It aims to increase awareness, facilitate discussions, and foster collaborations on critical issues such as research quality, accessibility, and inclusion. As a field-specific initiative, Open Applied Linguistics is well-positioned to play a unique role. It contextualizes open scholarship to reflect the distinct values, epistemologies, and priorities of the field, with the ultimate goal to serve the diverse needs of the applied linguistics community. Applied linguists interested in our ReN can gain several scientific insights focused on enhancing research quality, transparency, and accessibility. The ReN provides a platform for engagement with cutting-edge discussions on methodological rigor, ethical considerations, and innovative practices in applied linguistics research. Through initiatives like the “Meet the Authors” reading club series, members receive direct insights from leading scholars on topics such as metascience, replication studies, and open access publishing. The ReN also actively curates an Open Applied Linguistics Research Library, which offers a centralized resource for essential readings and exemplary open scholarship practices. Furthermore, the ReN's activities, including future special issues and symposia, encourage a critical examination of the benefits and challenges of open scholarship. This includes tensions between open scholarship and various research traditions (e.g., qualitative research epistemologies). It also promotes methods that enhance inclusion, diversity, and equity (e.g., citizen science, decolonization of knowledge). Ultimately, the ReN equips applied linguists with the knowledge and resources to adopt open scholarship practices, fostering more robust, transparent, and responsible research. Belonging to the AILA community as a ReN offers significant benefits, especially in amplifying the reach and impact of Open Applied Linguistics' mission. AILA provides a prestigious international platform that lends credibility and visibility to the ReN's efforts to promote open scholarship. This affiliation facilitates broader dissemination of the ReN's initiatives, such as talks and symposia, to a global network of applied linguistics researchers and practitioners. The tradition of the ReN symposia at AILA Congresses is an excellent example of such benefits. This institutional backing strengthens the ReN's ability to lower barriers to entry into open scholarship by reaching a diverse membership and curating valuable resources. The triennial renewal process for the ReN also serves as an external incentive for us to strive our best to deliver our plans and keep innovating. We are pleased to share that we have recently built our most dynamic and largest committee to date. Specifically, we have introduced six specialized roles, ranging from Events Coordinator to Impact Analyst, all positioned to transform the ReN into a collaborative space for open scholarship. Our signatory “Meet the authors” Reading Club series this year has kicked off with a focus on AI and open scholarship. We interviewed Dr. David Resnik regarding AI disclosure in research back in September, and have two upcoming events in December. On December 4, we hosted Shuhui Yin and Professor Carol Chapelle to discuss AI guidelines in applied linguistics journals. This was followed on December 16 by a session with Dr. Benjamin Luke Moorhouse regarding the study quality of TESOL journal articles in the age of AI. The previous recordings of our “Meet the authors” Reading Club series can be found on our YouTube Channel. Our newly built Educational Resources team is currently exploring interactive and structured learning pathways, with the aim of developing curriculum-based tools that may offer certification for participants. On the communication front, we are moving toward more frequent and diverse engagement. Our Newsletter team is working to better integrate global perspectives and practical applications. Our Social Media team is working to unify our digital voice across existing channels on X and Facebook, while exploring the possibility of expanding to LinkedIn to reach a broader professional audience. Stay updated and get all the details—subscribe to the AILA Newsletter today. Click here