Working framework of semantic interoperability for CRIS with heterogeneous data sources

Abstract

Purpose Information from Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) is stored in different formats, in platforms that are not compatible, or even in independent networks. It would be helpful to have a well-defined methodology to allow for management data processing from a single site, so as to take advantage of the capacity to link disperse data found in different systems, platforms, sources and/or formats. Based on functionalities and materials of the VLIR project, the purpose of this paper is to present a model that provides for interoperability by means of semantic alignment techniques and metadata crosswalks, and facilitates the fusion of information stored in diverse sources. Design/methodology/approach After reviewing the state of the art regarding the diverse mechanisms for achieving semantic interoperability, the paper analyzes the following: the specific coverage of the data sets (type of data, thematic coverage and geographic coverage); the technical specifications needed to retrieve and analyze a distribution of the data set (format, protocol, etc.); the conditions of re-utilization (copyright and licenses); and the “dimensions” included in the data set as well as the semantics of these dimensions (the syntax and the taxonomies of reference). The semantic interoperability framework here presented implements semantic alignment and metadata crosswalk to convert information from three different systems (ABCD, Moodle and DSpace) to integrate all the databases in a single RDF file. Findings The paper also includes an evaluation based on the comparison – by means of calculations of recall and precision – of the proposed model and identical consultations made on Open Archives Initiative and SQL, in order to estimate its efficiency. The results have been satisfactory enough, due to the fact that the semantic interoperability facilitates the exact retrieval of information. Originality/value The proposed model enhances management of the syntactic and semantic interoperability of the CRIS system designed. In a real setting of use it achieves very positive results.

Research Management Systems: Systematic Mapping of Literature (2007-2017)

“…The publications of each country come mainly from universities, either from a university department or a research institute. Since the 1990s the universities of the world have been developing CRIS in various ways, depending on the organizations and countries involved [4]. In light of CRIS research being primarily Europe-centric, important areas of opportunity for global collaboration, cooperation and exchange are wide open for the rest of the continents.…”

“…Optimal storage, preservation, and exchange of this data are considered a keystone for the realization of Open Science and to address the need for immediate availability of metadata under the "FAIR" scheme: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable [3]. CRIS is designed to manage information from heterogeneous data sources such as digital libraries, knowledge bases, and institutional repositories [4]; they also use standards such as CERIF (Common European Research Information Format) to manage and exchange data [5], [6], and have their foundations in the work of the Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS). A CRIS, therefore, is a comprehensive system of scientific information, management, and analysis of the productivity of research.…”

“…These systems are based on standards for their physical data models, XML message formats [21] and data exchange [22], so their data structure is essential to ensure interoperability. They employ a series of standards and protocols that guarantee interconnection with other systems; also, they are designed to manage homogeneous and heterogeneous data of institutional repositories or external resources like databases and libraries [4], and their main standard is CERIF. Another characteristic of CRIS is that they can be combined with institutional repositories [23] and perform an efficient exchange of information and reinforcement of their particular functions [24].…”