Particular experience in design and implementation of the CRIS in Russia: national specificity

Abstract

We present our experience to implement a Current Research Information System in the Astrakhan State University, Russia. The CRIS covers research information such as publications, funding, projects, and patents. Education, training, professional activity, and expertise are also within the scope of the CRIS. The metadata of research output are stored as a single record, regardless of the number of contributors and their belonging to different divisions. Data linkage associates a research output with contributors and their departments. A faculty fills own profile and links the metadata with co-authors. The more active and responsible users employ the CRIS, the more complete and reliable is information. Some metadata are imported from external data sources, in particular from Russian Science Citation Index. CRIS can generate Statistical Reports, CV’s, Publication Lists, ratings, etc. When implementing the system the main problems are not technical but organizational. The bureaucratic obstacles hinder the exchange of information between different sources. The managerial staff does not demonstrate the real interest in getting actual, complete and accurate information about the research outputs. Some of the faculty has rather little computer skills and low interest in filling the database.