Adding An Organization To ROR: A Step-by-Step Guide

by Alex Johnson 52 views

Have you ever wondered how research organizations are identified and tracked in the vast world of scholarly publishing? The Research Organization Registry (ROR) plays a crucial role in this process, providing a unique identifier for research institutions worldwide. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the process of adding a new organization to ROR, using the recent example of Hillside Teachers' College.

Understanding the Research Organization Registry (ROR)

Before diving into the steps, let's first understand what ROR is and why it's important. The Research Organization Registry (ROR) is an open, community-led registry of research organizations. It provides a unique and persistent identifier (ROR ID) for each organization, which helps to disambiguate affiliations in research publications, data repositories, and other scholarly systems. This ensures that research outputs are accurately attributed, making it easier to track and analyze research trends.

The ROR database is a valuable resource for researchers, institutions, and publishers alike. By providing a standardized way to identify research organizations, ROR helps to:

  • Improve data quality: Consistent organization identifiers reduce ambiguity and errors in research data.
  • Enhance discoverability: Researchers can easily find publications and data associated with specific organizations.
  • Streamline reporting: Institutions can track their research output and impact more effectively.
  • Facilitate collaboration: Researchers can identify potential collaborators at other institutions.

Why Add an Organization to ROR?

Adding a new organization to ROR ensures that its research outputs are properly attributed and discoverable. This is particularly important for institutions that are actively involved in research but may not yet be included in the registry. By adding your organization, you are contributing to the accuracy and completeness of the ROR database, benefiting the entire research community.

The process of adding an organization to ROR is straightforward, but it's important to provide accurate and complete information. This will help ensure that the organization is properly identified and that its ROR ID can be used effectively in scholarly systems.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding an Organization to ROR

Adding a new organization to ROR involves gathering the necessary information and submitting a request through the ROR website. Let's break down the process into manageable steps:

1. Gather Essential Information

Before you can add an organization to ROR, you'll need to collect some key information. This includes:

  • Name of organization: The official name of the institution.
  • Website: The organization's official website URL.
  • Domains: The domain names associated with the organization (e.g., ac.zw for Hillside Teachers' College).
  • Link to publications: If available, provide a link to a list of publications from the organization.
  • Organization type: Select the appropriate category (e.g., Education for universities).
  • City and Country: The location of the organization's main campus or headquarters.
  • Year established: The year the organization was founded.

In the case of Hillside Teachers' College, we have the following information:

  • Name of organization: Hillside Teachers' College
  • Website: https://hillsideteachers.ac.zw
  • Domains: ac.zw
  • Link to publications: No publications at the moment
  • Organization type: Education (A university or similar institution involved in providing education and educating/employing researchers)
  • City: Bulawayo
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Year established: (To be determined through further research)

2. Check for Existing Records

Before submitting a new record request, it's essential to check if the organization already exists in ROR. You can do this by searching the ROR website using the organization's name or website URL. This helps to avoid duplicate entries and ensures the accuracy of the database.

If you find an existing record, review the information to ensure it is correct and up-to-date. If any changes are needed, you can submit an update request instead of adding a new record.

3. Prepare Additional Information (If Available)

While the essential information is sufficient to create a basic ROR record, providing additional details can enhance the organization's profile and improve its discoverability. Consider including the following if available:

  • Wikipedia page: A link to the organization's Wikipedia page (if one exists).
  • Wikidata ID: The organization's Wikidata identifier.
  • ISNI ID: The International Standard Name Identifier (if applicable).
  • GRID ID: The Global Research Identifier Database ID (if applicable).
  • Crossref Funder ID: If the organization is a research funder, its Crossref Funder ID.
  • Aliases: Alternative names or former names of the organization.
  • Labels: Translations of the organization's name in other languages.
  • Acronym/abbreviation: The organization's acronym or abbreviation (e.g., MIT for Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
  • Related organizations: Information about any parent organizations or affiliated institutions.
  • Geonames ID: The organization's Geonames identifier.

For Hillside Teachers' College, some of this information may not be readily available, but it's worth investigating further to create a comprehensive ROR record.

4. Determine How the ROR ID Will Be Used

When submitting a request to add an organization to ROR, you'll be asked how the ROR ID will be used. Common use cases include:

  • To identify affiliations for research publications: This is the most common use case, ensuring that authors' affiliations are accurately recorded.
  • To acknowledge a research facility: If the organization hosts a specific research facility, the ROR ID can be used to identify it.
  • To be integrated into a scholarly publishing system: Publishers and other scholarly organizations can use ROR IDs to streamline their workflows and improve data quality.

In the case of Hillside Teachers' College, the ROR ID is likely to be used primarily to identify affiliations for research publications.

5. Submit the Add Record Request

Once you have gathered all the necessary information, you can submit the request to add the organization to ROR. This is typically done through an online form on the ROR website. The form will ask for the information you collected in the previous steps, as well as any other relevant details.

Be sure to provide accurate and complete information, as this will help the ROR team process your request efficiently. You may also be asked to provide additional documentation or clarification if needed.

6. Await Review and Approval

After submitting the request, the ROR team will review the information to ensure it meets their criteria for inclusion in the registry. This may involve verifying the organization's existence, checking its website, and confirming its research activities.

The review process can take some time, so be patient. If the ROR team has any questions or needs additional information, they will contact you. Once the request is approved, the organization will be added to the ROR database, and a unique ROR ID will be assigned.

7. Using the ROR ID

Once the organization has been added to ROR, its ROR ID can be used in a variety of scholarly systems. This includes:

  • Publication submission systems: Authors can use the ROR ID to specify their affiliation when submitting a manuscript.
  • Data repositories: Researchers can use the ROR ID to identify the organization associated with a dataset.
  • Grant application systems: Applicants can use the ROR ID to identify their affiliated institution.
  • Research information management systems: Institutions can use ROR IDs to track their research output and activities.

By using ROR IDs consistently, the research community can improve the accuracy and discoverability of research information.

Case Study: Adding Hillside Teachers' College

Let's revisit the example of Hillside Teachers' College. Based on the information provided, we can see that the college meets the criteria for inclusion in ROR. It is an educational institution involved in providing education and educating/employing researchers. To complete the process of adding Hillside Teachers' College to ROR, we would need to:

  1. Confirm the year the college was established.
  2. Search for any existing records in ROR to avoid duplication.
  3. Gather any additional information, such as Wikidata ID or Wikipedia page (if available).
  4. Submit the add record request through the ROR website.
  5. Await review and approval from the ROR team.

Once the college is added to ROR, its ROR ID can be used to identify its researchers' affiliations in publications and other scholarly outputs.

Best Practices for Adding Organizations to ROR

To ensure a smooth and successful process, here are some best practices to keep in mind when adding an organization to ROR:

  • Provide accurate and complete information: Double-check all the details before submitting the request.
  • Check for existing records: Avoid duplicate entries by searching the ROR database first.
  • Include additional information: If available, provide details such as Wikipedia page, Wikidata ID, and aliases.
  • Specify how the ROR ID will be used: This helps the ROR team understand the context of the request.
  • Be patient: The review process may take some time, so allow for sufficient time for the ROR team to process your request.
  • Keep information up-to-date: If the organization's information changes (e.g., website URL, name), submit an update request to ROR.

By following these best practices, you can help ensure that the ROR database remains accurate and comprehensive.

Conclusion

Adding an organization to the Research Organization Registry (ROR) is a crucial step in ensuring that its research outputs are properly attributed and discoverable. By providing a unique and persistent identifier for each organization, ROR plays a vital role in the scholarly communication ecosystem. Whether you're a researcher, an institution administrator, or a publisher, understanding how to add an organization to ROR is essential for contributing to the accuracy and completeness of research information.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently add new organizations to ROR and help ensure that their research contributions are recognized and valued. Remember to gather essential information, check for existing records, provide additional details if available, and specify how the ROR ID will be used. With a little effort, you can make a significant contribution to the research community.

For more information about the Research Organization Registry (ROR), visit their official website at https://ror.org/. This valuable resource provides detailed information about the registry, its mission, and how to use ROR IDs effectively.