euroCRIS Best Practice Task Group: a concept and workplan Sergey Parinov TG leader Best Practice

BP TG concept

BP TG aims 1.To record cases of modern practice in developing and using CRISs, including CERIF usage, symbiosis with open access repositories, approaches to connect CRISs with research e-infrastructure, building of information spaces over integrated CRISs content, and other CRIS-related innovations; 2.To propagate recorded best practices and assist CRIS developers and users in implementing advanced concepts, design and tools; 3.To connect main actors in CRIS and research e- infrastructure development for getting mutual benefits.

Proposed instruments for BP TG activities Directory of Research Information Systems (DRIS) as a public and interactive online service for mapping of European research information systems (RIS) environment, including simple analytical and reporting tools Help Desk, FAQ and a Best Practice online knowledge base as one complex Advanced analytical tools for RIS owners / developers as an interactive simulation model of European research data and information space (DIS)

Technical platform MS SharePoint 2007 (mainly WSS 3.0, which is a free software) DRIS as a set of specific directories and related SharePoint lists Help Desk/FAQ/Knowledge base as a SharePoint site template See its current implementation at

DRIS mapping approach based on CERIF entities Directory of Actors (persons, groups, organizations in different roles) Directory of Organization’s RISs –Information objects –Services –Entries for harvesting –Information systems (objects + services + h-entries) Directory of e-Infrastructures –Services –Data and Information Spaces –e-Infrastructure (services + DIS)

Entities relations Information objects Tools and services Entry for harvesting organization’s data Research Information system of an organization Data and Information Space Research e-infrastructure Services Actors

Examples of entities’ substructure Actors: First name Last name Work place Your roles Your personal web page/site Local RIS objects: Title Who provides information Used data type(s) Content of the object Which RIS the object belongs to Organization’s RIS Title Who provides information Presented information objects Implemented tools/services General RIS description This information is correct on Local RIS tools/services Title Who provides information Type of the tool/service Features/functionality Information objects processed by the tool/service Which RIS the tool/service belongs to

Examples of DRIS entities

DRIS interactive features Visualization and reporting of accumulated data with customized filtration and selection (SharePoint’s constructor of customized “views”) Accumulated data can be easily exported over SOAP protocol, by RSS tools or as MS Excel file for its outside re-using and processing Data from different DRIS lists can be combined using XML/XSL technique

Motivations for DRIS users To make the RIS visible on a map of European RISs with a chance to represent it in the Best Practice manual To get some analytic reports for the RIS To make RIS’s elements (objects, services, h-entries) visible for re-using, e.g. by e- infrastructure designers and developers The same as above for the e-infrastructures

Help Desk, FAQ and Knowledge Base The Help Desk SharePoint 2007 site template provides a complex of three tools: the Help Desk itself supports multi-topical channels for service request, tools for requests’ assigning, tracing and controlling the complex as whole provides easy tools to move selected responses from the Help Desk as articles for FAQ Help Desk managers can send requests to euroCRIS experts on creating papers for the Best Practice knowledge base

Advanced analytical tools One of strategic goals is a computer simulation model based on DRIS data, which will serve remote and distributed users (RIS actors): –to get various analytical information about entities registered in DRIS, including "best practice" examples, requirements and other components of the e- infrastructure; –to simulate and research systemic effect from adding new data/services to the e-infrastructure; –to analyze existed state, possible development and future trends of research e-infrastructure as a complex system; –to test/simulate proposals of new architectures (or tools/services) of the e-infrastructure according existed in the model conditions and known trends

BP TG workplan

General remarks If there is no better technical conditions (e.g. hosting on all tools and services will work on SharePoint 2007 platform at eurocris.socionet.ruwww.eurocris.org All accumulated data (DRIS records, HelpDesk records and other) can be easy exported by RSS tool or as MS Excel files for displaying, e.g. at or at other web siteswww.eurocris.org

Online DRIS services Making decision on hosting for DRIS services (May, 09) Testing of a pilot version of DRIS services and approving of DRIS mapping concept and fields’ set (May-June 09) Manual for DRIS users (June-July 09) Announcing of DRIS services for potential users – RIS owners, managers, etc. (Aug.-Sep. 09) Discussing with CERIF TG technical details of creating online checking service on a base of CERIF XML schemas and implementing it (Jun.-Sep. 09) Announcing of DRIS services for developers (Oct.-Dec. 09) Searching funds and partners to establish DRIS as an important “product” for Europe

Help Desk, FAQ, Knowledge Base Making decision on hosting these services and approving its structure, other technical issues (May, 09) Testing of a pilot version of the services and approving of its full configuration (May-June 09) Manual for users and managers (June-July 09) Assignment of managers for the services (Aug. 09) Announcing of the services for potential users (Aug.-Sep. 09)

Advanced Analytical Tools Searching of interested partners (May- Dec. 09) Specification of the model (Jan.-Jun. 10) Building of the model’s pilot version (Jul.- Dec. 10)

Welcome to BP TG Necessary immediate contributions: –improving, discussing of the DRIS concept, if you are interested, join DRIS “developers” group –testing, discussing, improving the DRIS practical realization, join the DRIS “users” group –assisting with Help Desk/FAQ/Knowledge base tools –you are welcome to propose any other ideas for BP TG activity

Contacts: Sergey Parinov, URL: