Quality is the Product is Quality – Information Management as a Closed-loop Process

Abstract

When discussing the issue of which criteria should be used to assess the quality of a current research information system, the following aspects are frequently mentioned: How is the assessment’s underlying data model conceived? Is the system technically stable? How user-friendly is the design of the user interface and navigation structure? However, another factor is often overlooked: How is the quality of the information provided by a system? From our point of view, it is precisely this quality that is the main factor governing the acceptance and usage, or rather usefulness, of a research information system. It thus deserves particular attention.

This article begins by describing the organisational context, within which the information systems developed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) are generated. It will then go on to present the “product-governed quality assurance” model. This model was developed with the goal of achieving the highest possible data quality. The principles on which it is based can be generalised and are thus ideally suited to apply to other systems. Taking a practical example, we will then look at the multifactorial approach that characterises this model. Finally, we will look at the future prospects and outline the measures intended to lead to application of “product-governed quality assurance” throughout the entire organisation.