Integrating IR with CRIS – a novel researcher-centric approach

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a solution for building an institutional information system (IIS) for the university, so that it combines the functionality of institutional repository (IR) with the functionality of current research information system (CRIS). The paper presents functionality of a system that has been implemented at Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), which solves the requirements of both system types. In addition, applied AI technologies aiming at providing features attractive for the system beneficiaries are presented. Design/methodology/approach The authors have reviewed various approaches to IIS, analyzed the problems observed by researchers in combining CRIS with IR, and have shown how the problems can be solved within a system that integrates various functionalities. Based on this analysis, the authors have implemented software Ω-ΨR (OMEGA-PSIR) for an academic IIS, which integrates requirements of both system types, and then deployed it at WUT. Findings It is shown that although a classical repository is an important part of the CRIS/IR system, the essential value of the solution is in providing analytical tools for “research management.” Based on the example of OMEGA-PSIR, the authors have also presented how the researcher-centric approach influences the acceptance rate of the academic community. It is also shown how the researcher-centric approach can take advantage from integrating the conflicting functionalities of IR and CRIS. Practical implications The paper bridges the gap between theory and practice in the area of IIS for academic institutions. It constructively discusses the role of institutional IR and it provides guides how to develop a system combining functionalities of CRIS and IR, as well as how to make IIS more attractive for the users by making the system researcher centric. Originality/value The survey of various approaches to IIS is unique. The research-centric approach and its implementation within OMEGA-PSIR system are original. Lessons learned from deploying the software at the WUT are of great value for institutions planning to install IR/CRIS solutions. A survey research concerning the system usability is provided, showing practical usefulness of the proposed approach.

Sob a lente da Ciência Aberta: Olhares de Portugal, Espanha e Brasil

“…(Sales & Sayão, 2015), que se refere especialmente à interoperabilidade entre estes dois tipos de sistemas. No trabalho (Rybinski et al, 2017) discute-se como uma abordagem centrada no investigador pode ser incorporada num sistema de informação institucional que integra funcionalidades, por vezes conflituantes, de um IR e de um CRIS. Recentemente, no "OR19 Workshop on Repository/ CRIS Interoperability" 23 apresentaram-se vários exemplos de sistemas que incorporam funcionalidades de IR e de CRIS.…”

Blockchain and OECD data repositories: opportunities and policymaking implications

“…Those functions are traditionally provided by repositories, while semantics in archival should be applied as usual (Llanes-Padrón and Pastor-Sánchez, 2017), and decentralization brings the benefit of not depending on the sustainability and security of a particular provider organization. However, the important benefits come from the use case of LHT 37,1 fully reproducing the analytic procedures end-to-end, including references to people and organizations that are accountable, using similar models as those in IR/CRIS systems (Rybinski et al, 2017). This may start from a particular policy action and then go back to the analytical artifacts that support or provide the motivation or rationale for the action, finally being able to retrieve the original data providing the supporting base evidence.…”

Implementation and user acceptance of research information systems

“…data integration of heterogeneous systems (including institutional repositories, cf. Rybinski et al, 2017), structural changes in data sources, a variety of interfaces, the lack of integrity checks and transformation errors.…”