Flanders Research Information Space: an indispensable regional CRIS system to efficiently monitor progress in open science

Abstract

The FRIS-portal is a regional current research information system (CRIS) and a research discovery platform governed by the Department Economy, Sciences and Innovation (EWI) of the Flemish government. The platform allows metadata of publicly funded research data (e.g. researchers, research institutions, publicly funded projects and publications) to be retrievable. More than 60 research performing and research funding organisations (e.g. universities, higher education colleges, strategic research centres) supply metadata to the portal, legally governed by a variety of decrees and covenants. As the metadata are used to monitor the Flemish policy on science and innovation, the accuracy of the data is of great significance. The FRIS portal operates with a knowledge model with data objects related to research output (researchers, projects, publications etc.) that are interlinked and to which metadata, information models and classifications are attached. A part of the research performing and funding institutions deliver metadata on research information (persons, organizations, projects, publications, etc.) in real-time directly to FRIS via CERIF-XML (Common European Research Information Format) 1 via their institutional repositories and research infrastructures. In that sense, information about research data can be linked and enriched with information about related projects, publications etc. To ensure a standardised and uniform delivery of the data, the diverse stakeholders use the same underlying information models and classifications, which are developed by ECOOM-Hasselt, strategic partner of FRIS, in consultation with the data providers. 1