CERIFy: Using Business Process Mapping to Engage with Research Information Management Processes and the CERIF Data Model

Abstract

This paper outlines the approach of the CERIFy project, which involved engagement with four UK universities and one commercial company, and which can be usefully applied to institutions / organisations / companies who are working in the area of Research Information Management (RIM) and Current Research Information Systems (CRISs) to demonstrate the use of CERIF in ways which are immediately meaningful to the institutional research information manager or end-user. The CERIFy methodology puts the ‘user’ at the heart of system development and data exchange by using Business Process Analysis. The results can be used to facilitate data exchange / interoperation with systems and to assist with the procurement / development / modification / improvement of a CERIF-based CRIS system. We believe that the CERIFy approach offers an accessible, transferrable and scalable way for organisations to develop local knowledge and experience of the interoperation between their own systems and data, and the CERIF data model. CERIFy provides concrete examples of how the approach facilitated the data modelling of improved (standardised and integrated) RIM processes such as Indicators of Esteem and a bi-directional data exchange process of CRIS-based institutional data with an external commercial system (Thomson Reuters InCites) using CERIF-XML.