Adding An Organization To ROR: A Comprehensive Guide

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The Research Organization Registry (ROR) is a vital tool for the research community, providing a global, open registry of research organizations. Adding a new organization to ROR ensures that its contributions to the research landscape are accurately identified and credited. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of adding a new organization to ROR, covering everything from the initial request to the information required.

Understanding the Research Organization Registry (ROR)

Before diving into the process, it’s essential to understand what the Research Organization Registry is and why it's important. ROR serves as an authoritative source for identifying research organizations worldwide. It assigns unique identifiers (ROR IDs) to institutions, making it easier to track affiliations in research publications, datasets, and other scholarly outputs. By adding an organization to ROR, you contribute to a more transparent and interconnected research ecosystem.

Why is ROR Important?

  • Standardized Identification: ROR IDs provide a consistent way to identify research organizations, overcoming issues caused by variations in names and affiliations.
  • Improved Data Accuracy: By using ROR IDs, databases and systems can accurately link research outputs to the correct organizations.
  • Enhanced Discoverability: ROR facilitates the discovery of research outputs by making it easier to search for and identify contributions from specific organizations.
  • Streamlined Reporting: ROR IDs simplify reporting and analysis by providing a reliable way to track research funding and outcomes.
  • Open and Accessible: As an open registry, ROR promotes transparency and collaboration in the research community.

Initiating the Request to Add a New Organization

The process of adding a new organization to ROR begins with submitting a request. This request is typically made through the ROR website or a designated channel for community contributions. The request should include detailed information about the organization, which we will cover in the subsequent sections. To ensure a smooth process, it's crucial to gather all necessary information beforehand. When initiating the request, you'll typically engage with the ROR community through discussion categories such as ror-community or ror-updates. This collaborative approach ensures that the information is accurate and the process is transparent.

Categories for Discussion

The ROR community utilizes discussion categories to manage different types of requests and updates. Understanding these categories can help you direct your request appropriately:

  • ror-community: This category is for general discussions and questions related to ROR, including suggestions for improvements and new features.
  • ror-updates: This category is specifically for requests to add, update, or modify organization records in the ROR database.

When adding a new organization, the ror-updates category is the most relevant. It ensures that your request is directed to the team responsible for maintaining the ROR database.

Essential Information for Adding a New Organization

Adding a new organization to ROR requires providing comprehensive information to ensure accurate identification and categorization. The following details are typically required:

Name of Organization

The official name of the organization is a fundamental piece of information. It should match the name used in official documents and publications. For the example provided, the name of the organization is Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering.

Website

The organization's website is a crucial resource for verifying its existence and activities. It provides a direct link to the organization's official information. The website for the example organization is https://www.researchpublichealth.net/.

Domains

Listing the domains associated with the organization helps confirm its online presence and affiliations. For Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering, the domain is .net.

Link to Publications

Providing a link to the organization's publications demonstrates its research output and impact. This link helps establish the organization as an active contributor to the research community. The link to publications for the example organization is https://www.researchpublichealth.net/.

Organization Type

Specifying the type of organization is essential for categorization and understanding its role in the research landscape. Common types include:

  • University or College: Higher education institutions involved in research and teaching.
  • Research Institute: Organizations primarily focused on conducting research.
  • Hospital: Healthcare facilities that conduct medical research.
  • Nonprofit: Organizations with a non-profit status involved in research or funding research.
  • Company: Commercial entities that conduct research and development.
  • Government: Government agencies and departments involved in research.

For Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering, the organization type is Nonprofit (a non-profit and non-governmental organization involved in conducting or funding research).

Identifiers (Wikipedia, Wikidata, ISNI, GRID, Crossref Funder ID)

Including identifiers from other databases helps link the ROR record to related information. These identifiers may include:

  • Wikipedia Page: A link to the organization's Wikipedia page, if available.
  • Wikidata ID: The Wikidata identifier for the organization.
  • ISNI ID: The International Standard Name Identifier for the organization.
  • GRID ID: The Global Research Identifier Database ID for the organization.
  • Crossref Funder ID: The Crossref Funder Registry ID for the organization.

In the provided example, these fields are left blank, indicating that this information may not be available or has not been provided.

Aliases, Labels, and Acronym/Abbreviation

Providing alternative names, labels, and acronyms for the organization helps improve searchability and recognition. This information is particularly useful for organizations with multiple names or common abbreviations.

  • Aliases: Alternative names the organization may be known by.
  • Labels: Additional descriptive labels for the organization.
  • Acronym/Abbreviation: Shortened forms of the organization's name.

For Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering, these fields are currently empty, but it's beneficial to include any known aliases or abbreviations to enhance the organization's profile.

Related Organizations

If the organization is related to other entities, such as parent organizations or subsidiaries, this information can be included to establish connections within the research network. This helps in understanding the organizational structure and relationships.

Location Information (City, Country, Geonames ID)

Geographic information is crucial for accurately locating the organization. This includes:

  • City: The city where the organization is located.
  • Country: The country where the organization is located.
  • Geonames ID: The Geonames geographical database identifier for the location.

For Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering, the city is Ohio, the country is the United States, and the Geonames ID is not provided.

Year Established

The year the organization was established provides a historical context and helps verify its legitimacy. For Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering, the year established is listed as 1, which seems like a placeholder and should be corrected with the accurate year of establishment during the submission process.

How the ROR ID Will Be Used

Understanding how the ROR ID will be used helps ROR administrators assess the impact and importance of adding the organization. Common uses include:

  • To identify affiliations for research publications: Ensuring that publications are correctly attributed to the organization.
  • To identify affiliations for datasets: Linking datasets to the organization that produced them.
  • To acknowledge research funders: Recognizing the organization's role as a research funder.
  • To acknowledge a research facility: Identifying the organization as a research facility.
  • To be integrated into a scholarly publishing system: Using the ROR ID within publishing workflows and systems.

For Research in Health Sciences and Bioengineering, the ROR ID will be used for multiple purposes, including identifying affiliations for research publications and datasets, acknowledging research funders and facilities, and integrating into scholarly publishing systems.

Completing the Submission Process

Once you have gathered all the necessary information, the next step is to submit the request through the appropriate ROR channel. This typically involves filling out a form on the ROR website or sending an email with the required details. Be sure to double-check all the information for accuracy before submitting. After submission, the ROR team will review the request and may contact you for additional information or clarification. The review process ensures that the organization meets the ROR criteria and that the information provided is accurate and complete.

What Happens After Submission?

After submitting your request, the ROR team will review the information provided. This process may involve verifying the organization's details, checking for duplicates, and ensuring that the organization meets ROR’s criteria for inclusion. If additional information is needed, the ROR team will contact you. Once the review is complete, the organization will be added to the ROR database, and a unique ROR ID will be assigned. This ID can then be used to identify the organization in various research contexts.

Conclusion

Adding a new organization to ROR is a crucial step in ensuring accurate and standardized identification within the research community. By providing comprehensive information and following the submission process, you contribute to a more transparent and interconnected research ecosystem. Remember to gather all necessary details, including the organization's name, website, domains, publication links, organization type, identifiers, location information, and intended use of the ROR ID. This guide has provided you with the knowledge to successfully add an organization to the Research Organization Registry, enhancing its visibility and impact in the global research landscape. For more information and updates, visit the official ROR website.