RMIS Building a Research
Management Information System
at the University of Glamorgan
Leanne Beevers & Neil Williams
Topics…
– Project Overview
– Product Map
– Outputs Submission & Integration
with IR
– System Demo
– Questions
The ‘RMIS’ Project: In a nutshell…
• Research Management Information
System project
• Spring 2009: RMIS Project begins
• Research Office commissioned with
Faculty input
• Pro-Vice Chancellor Research
sponsorship
Project Drivers
• Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Need to collect and publicise more information
about research outputs for anticipated use of
quantitative indicators
• Improve collation and management of our response
• Differences in research data management and
quality across Faculties/Departments
• Current system in need of extension and
technology upgrade
Project Aims
• Unify data collection and entry processes
• Centralise the store of research data
• ‘Improved’ research management system, in
summary:
– Wider access to internal users
– More functionality and better usability
– Newer (web based) technologies
• Automate dissemination of research data
across several channels
Project Structure
Project Board
PVC Research
Faculty Head of Research
Faculty Head of Admin
Research Office Manager
Assistant Head Development Services
Assistant Head – Library Services
User Group
Project Team
Research Office Manager
Heads of Research
Faculty Research Admins.
Repository Lead
Project Manager
Systems Developer
Research Office Leads
Project Support
System Aims
• Single system - ‘hub’ for all Research
Management Information
– Staff, Outputs, Funding, Students…etc.
• Key Interfaces
–
–
–
–
Institutional Repository
Research Web Portal & Staff ‘C.V.’ pages
Student Management System
REF data collection system
Product Map
Reporting
Administrators
Researchers
Funding &
Investment Scheme
Applications
REF Database
...?
Research
Assessment Data
RMIS
Research Outputs
Public Users
Institutional
Repository
Harvested
Outputs
Staff Research
Profiles
Staff, Centres/Units.
Projects, Outputs
Staff CVs
(people.glam.ac.uk)
Public Users
Research
Web Portal
Public Users
Progress So Far…
• ‘Person Management’ area – captures staff data (to
use as authors)
• ‘Outputs Management’ area – captures publications
and repository data
• Current focus: automating population of repository
Research
Output
Data
RMIS
Metadata
Metadata
Mapping
Authorisation
IR: Repository
Workflow
Institutional
Repository
(open access)
Research Output Data Collection
and the Integration with the
Institutional Repository
Our Approach...
Data Collection Process
Outputs Data...
• Data Captured
• 8 different output types
• Data fields based on previous RAE requirements
• Making use of the default repository schema
• dublin_core
• Content files
• Upload files of different file types (.pdf, .doc etc)
• Configured up to 10 uploads per output
Captured Fields
1) Common meta data fields
•
•
•
•
•
Titles (s)
Author (s)
Identifier (s)
Keyword (s)
Abstract
2) Fields specific to an output type. E.g. Journal
Article
• Journal Title
• Issue Number
• Part Number
Integration Aims
• Transfer the captured outputs to DSpace
• Allow outputs to be checked in a
predefined workflow
• Make the output publicly available
Getting the captured data into DSpace...
• DSpace Batch Import
• “The batch import system for DSpace is a simple but
primitive method for importing multiple items into a
DSpace repository.”
Scott Phillips - http://scott.phillips.name/2009/05/howto-dspace-batch-ingest/
• Using this built in functionality ensures that the
backend DSpace processes are taken care of
• Reliant on folder structure...
Generating the folder structure
• A folder is created for each output. E.g. item1
Scott Phillips - http://scott.phillips.name/2009/05/howto-dspace-batch-ingest/
• Each folder consists of:
• Physical files
• Dublin_core.xml
• contents
Generation of dublin_core.xml
• Output has all information required
• From this we can create the dublin_core.xml file, using
the following format:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<dublin_core>
<dcvalue element="contributor" qualifier="author“>Williams, Neil</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="subject" qualifier="none">Repositories</dcvalue>
<dcvalue element="title" qualifier="none">
How to feel nervous in front of 30 people
</dcvalue>
</dublin_core>
Scott Phillips - http://scott.phillips.name/2009/05/howto-dspace-batch-ingest/
Executing the import procedure...
• We need some software to execute the DSpace
procedure
• Provides us with control over the whole process
• Execution simplicity
• Scheduling
• Success / Error Messages
Our Next Steps...
• Status reporting
• Direct link to DSpace item from RMIS
– The DSpace item ID is returned from a successful import
– This can then be used to get whatever information we desire
from the backend
• Updates and Deletions...
• Think about retrieving publication data from external
source (reference management software)
– Fill in core details with information retrieved from identifier
– Automatic generation of citation
System Demo
Any Questions?