Transitioning from Current to Collaborative Research Information Systems

Abstract

CRIS systems are rapidly being repurposed from systems of record to a source for showcasing and valorization of research. Because research impact is primarily measured through the level of collaboration, researchers are focused on promoting their cooperation with both peers and industry to (potential) funders. Showcasing these achievements through the university website has become a focal point where researcher needs collide with IT practices and regulations, as well as a CRIS system that is not equipped to efficiently handle collaborations with external partners.

In the last three years at Eindhoven university the CRIS system Pure has become the center of the research information chain from proposal to showcasing results on the research website. ‘Data driven’ is key here, as we try to eliminate as much of the repetitive data entry and curation as possible in the entire chain. While implementing this new chain, the boundaries between CRIS, repository and CMS began to fade quickly, and choices had to be made to adapt our systems to a more up to date reality; aligning data driven web exposure with researcher needs became the primary focus. Researchers rediscovered our CRIS system, this time as a PR tool.

In this context interoperability takes on a whole new meaning. This talk highlights some of the issues encountered and the steps taken to improve on them, but ultimately we are coming to the realization that a new breed of CRIS systems or modular structure is needed. The question then is, will we trust this new generation in the hands of a select group of software vendors, or do we start contributing ourselves?