JISC

JISC Portfolio for Senior Managers: Employing technology to support your business goals

Universities increasingly have to justify their research role in terms of academic rigour, impact and efficiency. Drivers include the Research Excellence Framework and the strategic direction of the Research Councils. Furthermore, with cuts in higher education public spending likely over the next few years, universities will also be looking for additional funding from the private and third sectors, as well as needing to ensure their operations are as efficient as possible.

Open Access offers one straightforward way for universities to increase the visibility and impact of their research, within and beyond the academic community, within existing budgets. Recent research suggests that universities could gain efficiency savings, as well as giving their research much more impact, by making the research papers openly available. Furthermore, arguments are increasingly being made that both research and the wider economy benefits when research data and even workflows are shared.

The infrastructure, such as repositories, used for disseminating research outputs can also help universities manage their research information more effectively, to improve business intelligence and external reporting. The University of Glasgow offers an excellent example of this kind of institutional infrastructure. When researchers at Glasgow put their papers into Enlighten, the institutional repository, they also record them for the Research Excellence Framework and internal management. It is a straightforward process because the repository is integrated into the systems researchers use every day. Furthermore, this integration means that researchers are reminded at the right times of any relevant funder grant conditions.

While there are important managerial factors driving change, there are also significant developments in the ways in which research is being done. JISC has funded a range of work on ‘virtual research environments’, whereby researchers can share resources and collaborate effectively throughout the research lifecycle. The research process is closely linked to the research lifecycle (including publishing and grant acquisition) and interoperability of systems between these two levels is imperative for success and long term sustainability. Furthermore, emerging research practices based on social networking, and new kinds of research, such as such as data-driven ‘predictive science’, ‘open notebook science’ and ‘citizen science’, can all carry significant implications for institutions and funders, in terms of the infrastructure, policies and skills needed.

How JISC can help

The Houghton Report

According to the Houghton report (January 2009), core scholarly publishing system activities cost the UK higher education sector around £5 billion in 2007. The sector could save £80m per year by shifting to Open Access publishing, as well as making a considerable contribution to the UK economy and society in general by allowing easier access to research outputs. JISC has funded work to take the evidence from the Houghton report and present it at an institutional level. The result is a methodology and a way of collecting data that will enable any institution thinking of moving towards an Open Access model to build the case for that move and assess the costs and benefits to them of doing so. It has been trialled in a wide range of institutions and all of them estimate significant benefits by going down the Open Access route.

Economic Implications of Alternative Scholarly Publishing Models: Exploring the costs and benefits

Data Audit Framework

There are both potential risks and opportunities from holding and sharing data and institutions need to manage these at the highest level. If institutions are to realise the full potential value of their data through its reuse, they must establish an overview of holdings and the practices in place to manage them. The audit generates two key outputs to this end – an inventory of data assets and a report recommending how data management could be improved. The Framework’s four-step audit methodology and online tool are designed to bring order, continued access and therefore added value to the existing and future data assets of institutions. The four stages of the Data Audit Framework are: planning the audit; identifying and classifying assets; assessing management of data assets; reporting and recommendations.

Digital Curation Centre

Research has shown that there are significant skills gaps around the new socially networked research lifecycle and in data management skills. JISC has invested in support and training via the Digital Curation Centre to address these gaps. The Centre supports UK institutions who store, manage and preserve digital data to help ensure their enhancement and their continuing long-term use.

Lives and technologies of early career researchers

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