Research Outcomes Collection and

Researchfish

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

Research Outcomes Collection

1. Why capture research outputs?Research Outcomes Collection

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• Research Organisations and Funding Bodies have a responsibility to demonstrate the value obtained from investment of public money in research.

• Each year Research Councils invest £3 billion in research.

• Research outputs provide a strong evidence base to support the continued funding of research in the UK.

• Tracking outputs in Researchfish will aid understanding of the impact of research over the longer term, and the progress that is being made.

2. Research Council Harmonisation

• Previously AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and NERC used a system called ROS (Research Outcomes System) for capturing research outcomes.

• 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

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

4. More about Researchfish?

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

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

• Electronic submission of outcomes replaces the requirement to submit a final grant report.

• 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.

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

Research Outcomes Collection

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

6. Common Question Set - Overview 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. 

7. Using Researchfish

• Research outcomes can be recorded in the system at any time, including after the grant finishes.

• If your grant ended more than 5 years ago it is unlikely that you will be required to enter any new data.

• Data previously held in ROS has been cleaned and transferred into Researchfish.

• PIs will be able to see their awards and the migrated outcomes data after they have registered to use the new system.

• For existing Researchfish users there are minimal changes but there may be the need for additional information to be entered.

• PIs will be asked to check this migrated data to ensure that the right data has been attributed to the right awards and enter any mandatory information that may be missing.

Research Outcomes Collection

8. Using Researchfish (2)

• Missing data may include data that is very old or structured in a way that made it difficult to migrate, or full text documents previously uploaded to ROS that were not transferred as this functionality is not supported by Researchfish.

• Researchfish enables researchers to enter an outcome just once and then re-use that data in reports to multiple funders and in other documents for their own use such as CVs.

• Only the Principal Investigator of a project (or a delegate authorised by the PI) can add, edit or delete outcomes in their account.

• Funders can only see the outcomes that have been allocated to awards they have funded, and can only make use of them after they have been submitted.

Research Outcomes Collection

• Register with system (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).

• Formally Submit outcomes data in the Submission Periods requested

– including a nil submission where there is nothing to report.

• Read the Principles of Use statement

– to ensure data is not commercially sensitive or confidential as it will be published in the public domain.

• Keep your Research Organisation informed of changing circumstances

– exceptions may be permitted where a return is not possible.

9. PI ResponsibilitiesResearch Outcomes Collection

10. Further InformationResearch Outcomes Collection

Doctoral Training Centre grants and Studentships• DTC grants and studentships are not currently in Researchfish.• MRC are trialling the collection of information from PhD students.• Other Councils will review this trial and may decide to include

studentships in the future but have no plans to do so at present.

RCUK Research Outcomes System (ROS) data• ROS will exist in its current read-only form until December, 2015. After

this date the Research Councils will retain ROS data and PIs can request individual records from ROS if required.

Sanctions Policy• A harmonised Sanctions Policy for all Councils will be published on 30

September 2014. Councils other than MRC will not apply sanctions this year, but anticipate applying the policy from 2015.

Data can be entered at any time but only submitted as accurate and correct during the formal submission period.

Submission period this year is 16th October - 13th November 2014

For note: Other funders using Researchfish may have different submission periods or compliance requirements. Award holders who are required to submit outcomes to other funders should follow the guidance received directly from them.

From 2015 the harmonised Sanctions Policy will be applied (MRC policy already in place). Sanctions will apply to grant holders who do not make a submission each year.

11. RCUK Submission PeriodResearch Outcomes Collection

RCUKThe Research Councils have a Research Outcomes website with a wealth of information and guidance for grant-holders on using the new Researchfish system.

ResearchfishThe Researchfish website includes introductory videos, an online Help Centre with FAQs and Live Chat facility, and regular webinar sessions for both researchers and RO administrators.

University of SurreyWe have our own webpage for Research Outcomes that includes latest information and useful links: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/research/ROS/

QuestionsDee Summers: d.summers@surrey.ac.uk

12. Help AvailableResearch Outcomes Collection

Research Outcomes Collection

13. 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