Chances and challenges of creating a research information platform for the Berlin University Alliance

Abstract

This paper describes some of the challenges we face while developing a research information platform for the Berlin University Alliance (BUA). Since its founding in 2018, the BUA has put its focus on promoting the networking of researchers and their research activities and connecting many research groups within the clusters of excellence as well as beyond. The platform aims at presenting structured, transparent, categorized, and linked information about researchers and their research activities to improve the discoverability of expertise, connect researchers to their work across disciplines and boundaries, and facilitate new research collaborations. The platform is established using the open-source, web-based VIVO software, which uses semantic web techniques to connect research outputs, organizations, people, things, and research activities.