The Research Information System
The Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is implementing a system for the collection and documentation of research information, as well as for the administrative support of research activities: the Research Information System JLU-FIS.
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The JLU-FIS research information system brings together various pieces of information on the university's research activities as well as relevant contextual information and links them for the purpose of research administration and research monitoring. The research information system is thus a working tool in administrative processes in various fields of science management, both in the central and decentralized administration of the university as well as for the scientists.
The implementation of the research information system JLU-FIS is a measure of the development plan of Justus Liebig University JLU 2030.
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Benefits of the research information system
The collection, storage and processing of meta-information on research in JLU-FIS enables and promotes efficient and sustainable research administration processes. The target groups are in particular the researchers and the deans' offices of the departments, whose administrative duties and activities are simplified by using the system.
Researchers benefit from simplified data collection for the preparation of research reports or third-party funding applications. The provision of data in the research information system simplifies the uniform and systematic presentation of research activities; a correspondingly consistent picture of the Giessen research landscape is recommended, for example, when applying for third-party funding.
The presentation of research activities also makes it possible to search for cooperation partners for research projects. The use of the research information system also reduces multiple queries and relieves researchers and dean's offices of documentation activities.
Supported processes
The JLU-FIS research information system maps various processes of day-to-day research administration operations - both for collaboration between researchers and the administration and for internal administrative cooperation. These processes are simplified and accelerated through structured user guidance.
The following processes are already mapped and supported in the research information system:
- Publication import from external databases
- Automatically generated publication lists
- Standardized exports in BibTex format, for example for import into the reference management program Citavi
- Publication import service of the University Library
The following functions are to be activated as soon as possible:
- Presentation of selected research activities recorded in the research information system for the interested public via a research portal
- Optimization of administrative processes in the third-party funding display
- Generation of dynamic publication lists for the personal website, for departments, institutes and working groups
- Application for reimbursement of publication costs for open access publications
- Generation of CVs from the research information system
- Application for internal research funding
Stored information
Research information that is stored and processed in JLU-FIS is information about research activities. It is metadata on research projects, the people involved, research funding or results. Research information thus differs from research data that is generated in the research process itself, especially in the form of raw data. The JLU University Library operates the JLUdata research data repository to store research data and the JLUpub repository to store publications.
Integrated research information systems have detailed role and rights systems as well as different levels of visibility of the recorded data. This ensures that only those involved in the administrative process have the rights to access relevant data.
The processing of personal data in JLU-FIS is subject to strict data protection rules.
Legal Foundations & Data Protection
The establishment of the research information system JLU-FIS is legitimized by the Hessian Higher Education Act and is carried out with strict adherence to data protection requirements.
Legal Foundations for the Introduction of a Research Information System
For the purpose of quality assurance and reporting, the Hessian Higher Education Act of 2021 (HessHG § 14) mandates the operation of research information systems at the universities in the state. Further details are regulated by the Regulation on the Operation of Research Information Systems of 2017.
Data Protection in JLU-FIS
The research information system holds, among other things, personal data about the scientists at the university. Accordingly, extensive measures have been taken to meet high data protection requirements.
The measures to protect the stored personal data are documented in the processing directories for the processes implemented in JLU-FIS, as well as in the role and permission concept for JLU-FIS.
- Processing Directory for the Doctoral Candidate Management Process
- Processing Directory for the Publication Entry and Management Process
- Role and Permission Concept.
- -> The role and permission concept precisely defines the access rights of the users of the research information system. It ensures that users can only access the information necessary for their activities in the system. The following roles have been defined with specific read and edit rights: "Researcher"; "Doctoral Office"; "Administration"; "Library".
The processing directories and the role and permission concept were developed in close coordination with the data protection officers of JLU.
Get involved
Currently, researchers can transfer their publication lists to JLU-FIS or send them to the University Library for entry through the FIS. To use the FIS, you must first register on a page approved for university members. Please also refer to the FIS instructions, which you can access from the campus network.
We plan to integrate third-party funded research projects into JLU-FIS in the near future. Once implemented, you will be able to view and edit information about research projects and link them to publications resulting from these projects.
Administrative staff can assist researchers in these activities once tasks have been delegated to them by the researchers.
JLU FIS Introduction Project
The introduction of JLU-FIS is being phased in. Processes for capturing statistically relevant doctoral student data and for recording and managing publication metadata are in productive test mode. During the testing phase, the JLU-FIS already handles the delivery of data on doctoral students to the state statistical office, as required by the Higher Education Statistics Act since 2018, in a complete and high-quality manner.
The current focus of the project is the transition of JLU-FIS from the testing phase to live operation. Once this goal is achieved, additional process steps for doctoral student administration will be implemented. These aim to enable the doctoral offices to carry out the entire administration of doctoral students and the doctoral processes in the FIS. Simultaneously, a process for displaying and managing third-party funded projects will be created, and an interface to the university's Identity Management System will be established.
The Justus Liebig University Giessen is introducing its research information system in collaboration with ten other Hessian partner universities. The consortium was funded by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art (HMWK) from 2013 to 2020 as part of the HeFIS project; JLU was the initiator of the HeFIS consortium and held the consortium leadership. The JLU-FIS forms the basis of a project in the Hessian Digital Pact Universities for the introduction of Open Science portals.
Technical Information & Standard
The development of JLU-FIS is aligned with the requirements of the Core Data Set for Research (KDSF) of the German Council of Science and, at the European level, with the specifications of the Common European Research Information Format (CERIF). This ensures that the FIS delivers transparent, standardized, and thus comparable reports.
JLU utilizes the web-based software Converis from the provider Clarivate Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters Science) for its research information system.
User manuals & Training
Members of Justus Liebig University can access the user manuals from the campus network. A connection via VPN is required when accessing from outside the campus.
For training needs or questions regarding operation or the system, please contact the Department for Digital Research Information Systems at the Research Department.
Contact
Department for Digital Research Information Systems
Dr. Rebecca Hahn and Andreas Schieberle
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