Research Outcomes Collection and

Researchfish

Slides for use by research organisations in presentations to research staff.

AcknowledgementsThanks to Cancer Research UK for their input into this presentation.

Research Outcomes Collection

1. Why capture research outputs?

2. Research Council harmonisation

3. What is Researchfish?

4. More About Researchfish

5. The Common Question Set

6. Overview of Common Question Set

7. Making information public

8. Impact of research

9. PI responsibilities

10.Submission periods

11. RCUK Website

12.Future developments

13.Harmonisation Timeline

ContentsResearch Outcomes Collection

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1. Why capture research outputs?Research Outcomes Collection

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2. Research Council Harmonisation

• Previously AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and NERC used a system called ROS (Research Outcomes System) for capturing research outcomes. ROS was ‘frozen’ in April 2014.

• STFC and MRC used Researchfish – this meant some multi-disciplinary researchers had to use both systems.

• Maintaining 2 systems for outcomes collection was expensive and confusing for end users.

• Outcome data sets could not be readily compared making it difficult to analyse across disciplines.

• All seven Research Councils have now harmonised around the use of the Researchfish system for the collection of outcomes information from grant holders.

Research Outcomes Collection

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3. What is Researchfish?

• RCUK have chosen Researchfish as they believe it to be a sophisticated and user-friendly web-based outcomes collection system

and it is already used by 90+ funders.

A few examples:

Research Outcomes Collection

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4. More About Researchfish

• To find out more about Researchfish a short introductory video is available on the Researchfish website.

• More videos are available on a dedicated YouTube channel and Vimeo.

• There is an online Help Centre available within the system, with FAQs, context sensitive enquiry functionality and Live Chat from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday–Friday).

• Training webinars typically lasting about 10 minutes are available at https://www.researchfish.com/contact/webinar/pis. Different webinars are intended for various kinds of user including both researchers and RO administrators.

Research Outcomes Collection

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5. Common Question Set

• As part of the move to Researchfish, Research Councils have harmonised on a single framework for research outcomes information – the ‘Common Question Set’.

• This Common Question Set covers outcome types for all disciplines and is thought to be a European, if not global, first.

• The Common Question Set is available on the RCUK website (pdf), and also in xml format on the Researchfish website to enable its use by other organisations and system developers.

Research Outcomes Collection

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6. Overview of Common Question Set

Research Outcomes Collection

Common – an output type presented to all researchers in the system.  Funder specific – an output type presented to all researchers funded by a specific funder. Grant specific – an output type presented to a subset of researchers defined by the award

NoteHolders of multiple awards from multiple RCs may have more sections to complete than has been the case hitherto. 

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7. Making information public

• Researchfish enables grant holders to record details of research outcomes at any time, including after the grant finishes.

• It is vital that grant holders record and confirm the outcomes and outputs from their projects so that we can use this to make the case for continued investment in research.

• Reporting outcomes of research is required as part of the Terms And Conditions of grant acceptance.

• RCUK have arranged the migration of existing ROS data into Researchfish and will work with stakeholders to move towards better interoperability during 2015.

• Information returned to the Research Councils is made available through the Gateway to Research, thereby raising the visibility of your research to the public and potential collaborators.

Research Outcomes Collection

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8. Impact of ResearchResearch Outcomes Collection

Each year the Research Councils invest around £3 billion in research covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines including:

• arts and humanities

• biological and medical

• economics, social sciences, environmental sciences

• engineering

• maths, chemistry, physics and astronomy

The Councils support excellent research, as judged by peer review, that has an impact on the growth, prosperity and wellbeing of the UK.

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• Register (on receipt of personalised email)

• Check data – missing data will be flagged with a black triangle containing an exclamation mark.

• Update Researchfish regularly (or use delegate capability)

• Submit outcomes data in the periods requested

• Ensure inappropriate data is not submitted as it will be published in the public domain

Clarification of what is appropriate to report and what is not (e.g. personal details) can be found in the Principles Of Use statement.

Electronic submission of outcomes information replaced an earlier process of grant holders submitting final reports.

9. PI ResponsibilitiesResearch Outcomes Collection

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Submission period this year is 16th October - 13th November.

Enables RCs to draw on the most up-to-date information for impact reports to Government.

Notes

• PIs can log onto Researchfish at any time and add details of new outcomes.

• During the annual ‘submission period’, grant holders are asked to formally confirm that the outcomes attributed to their grants are complete and up-to-date.

10. Submission Periods Research Outcomes Collection

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The Research Councils will maintain a website with a wealth of information including:

• Researchfish training and tips including how PIs can check their migrated data

• The Principles of Use statement

• Information about harmonised sanctions policy

• Main differences that ex-ROS users will see

• Contact details for Research Organisation

• Future plans for Research Outcomes

11. RCUK WebsiteResearch Outcomes Collection

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12. Future Developments

• Currently MRC has a sanctions policy in place for grant holders, but all Councils will adopt a harmonised sanctions policy.

Current MRC sanctions:

• PI may be unable to apply for further awards

• payments may be withheld

• A harmonised sanctions policy for all Councils will be in place from the outset. Councils other than MRC will not apply sanctions this year, but anticipate applying the policy from 2015.

Sanctions will apply to grant holders who do not make a submission to the relevant Research Council each year (ie a declaration of what outcomes and outputs, if any, have been achieved).

• RCUK will work with all stakeholders in the research community to move towards better interoperability during 2015.

Research Outcomes Collection

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13. Harmonisation TimelineResearch Outcomes Collection

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Research Outcomes Collection

Links

Description Hyperlink URLResearchfish Website

Researchfish https://www.researchfish.com/

Training webinars Webinars https://www.researchfish.com/contact/webinar/pis

Videos YouTube http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS0ZZxGCvTDTL-cnOdhfDiw

Videos Vimeo http://vimeo.com/search?q=researchfishHelp Centre FAQs https://www.researchfish.com/faq-

questions-topHelp Centre Live Chat https://www.researchfish.com/user/helpCommon Question Set

Researchfish XML format

https://www.researchfish.com/questions

Common Question Set

RCUK PDF format http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/RCUK-prod/assets/documents/documents/ResearchOutcomesCommonQuestionSet.pdf

RCUK outcomes website

RCUK Outcomes Information

http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/researchoutcomes/

Gateway to Research

GtR http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/

Terms And Conditions of grant acceptance

Terms And Conditions

http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/RCUK-prod/assets/documents/documents/tcfecJune2014.pdf

Principles Of Use Not yet published Not yet available

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