[BOAI] News release: JISC and UK Research Councils to build a robust repository infrastructure for the future

[Peter Suber]

[Forwarding from JISC, via the JISC-Repositories list.  --Peter Suber.]


News release
22.11.2011

JISC and UK Research Councils to build a robust repository infrastructure
for the future

Tracking the UK's research outputs will become easier in the future thanks
to JISC and Research Councils UK (RCUK) working together to utilise their
expertise.

Over the coming months a piece of work called the RIO Extension project
will take place to scope the issues and requirements from universities,
funders and researchers in managing the information about research outputs.
The aim of the work is to provide the UK education and research sector with
clear, practical guidance on recording and sharing information about its
research outputs, so that it can be reused for a variety of purposes,
including by the systems used by the Research Councils.

Neil Jacobs, JISC's digital infrastructure programme director, says, "The
UK research community punches well above its weight in terms of the quality
and quantity of research outputs.  However, these are not systematically
recorded, so it can be hard to demonstrate that impact.  Researchers,
universities and funders have a common interest in ensuring that the
outputs from UK research are visible, and that this is achieved without
putting undue burden on the sector.

"This can be done using both institutional repositories and more
sophisticated research information systems but, in either case, it is
important that these interoperate effectively with the systems operated by
research funders and others.  The RIO Extension project will describe a
roadmap for the sector to achieve that."

Four of the Research Councils are shortly to launch the Research Outcomes
System, which will be the primary means by which these Research Councils
will collect this kind of information. JISC is supporting the creation of
this service by ensuring that it works effectively and efficiently with
institutional systems, including the UK repository infrastructure.  This
flexible and community-owned infrastructure is well suited to meet the
demands of the 21st century research community.

Dr Sue Smart, Chair of the RCUK Research Outcomes Project, comments, "With
this clear and practical guidance agreed for the research community and
Research Councils to use, we can work together to significantly lessen the
burden on institutions and organisations wanting to collect this data."

The RIO Extension project is also part of a larger programme of work
scoping and delivering shared repository and curation infrastructure
services at a national and international level.  This work supports the
strategic requirements of universities, colleges, JISC and the Research
Councils to build a robust repository infrastructure for the future.  It
also contributes to the aspirations of the UK Open Access Implementation
Group's 2012 strategy.

Find out more about the wider programme at <
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/di_researchmanagement/repositories.aspx
>

Find out more about the project at
<
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/di_researchmanagement/repositories/rioextension.aspx
>

Explore JISC's repository infokit and how it could help your organisation at
<http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/repositories>
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