Research libraries play a pivotal role in scholarly communication by curating resources, services, and tools that enable responsible research assessment and informed decision-making. They offer compelling evidence for Open Science investments, aligning with the principles of openness and transparency. In this blog post, we will explore how the OpenAIRE Graph empowers librarians, providing them with powerful tools and resources to support research, drive innovation, and facilitate informed decision-making at their institutions.
What is the OpenAIRE Graph? The OpenAIRE Graph is an open resource that aggregates research outputs from various sources, including repositories, CRIS systems, and trusted resources. It currently houses over 275 million* research products, with 85 million* of those being open access (*stats of July 2024). This vast collection includes publications, data, software, and other research products, making it a comprehensive resource for the research community.
How Does the OpenAIRE Graph Benefit Librarians?
1. Enhanced Discoverability and Access
By indexing repositories and CRIS systems in OpenAIRE, librarians can significantly increase the discoverability of their institution's research outputs. This ensures that valuable research is easily accessible to the wider academic community, and properly attributed.
2. Metadata Curation and Standardisation
The OpenAIRE Graph provides detailed and curated metadata thanks to a rigorous production workflow. This enhances the quality of information and ensures that research outputs are properly described and easily findable.
3. Compliance Management
As an open infrastructure platform, the OpenAIRE Graph helps librarians ensure that research outputs meet funder requirements for open access and data sharing. This is crucial for maintaining compliance with various research policies and mandates.
4. Impact Tracking
Using the authoritative data from the OpenAIRE Graph, librarians can monitor and report on the dissemination and impact of research outputs. This is invaluable for demonstrating the value of research to stakeholders and funders.
5. Support for Decision-Making
The OpenAIRE MONITOR service, which draws data from the OpenAIRE Graph, provides librarians with powerful analytics and visualisations. These insights can inform institutional decision-making on investing in Open Science policies and practices, upskilling researchers and research staff.
How Can Librarians Contribute?
The Power of Community
One of the most significant aspects of the OpenAIRE Graph is its community-driven nature. Librarians are not just users of the system; they are active contributors and curators. Through services like the OpenAIRE Provide Community and the OpenOrgs curator community, librarians play a crucial role in:
- Enforcing interoperability guidelines
- Validating entries in the Graph
- Fixing affiliation duplicates
- Collaborating with other registries like the Research Organisation Registry (ROR)
Moreover, librarians can directly influence our strategy by becoming OpenAIRE members. This membership opens the doors to active participation in standing committees and working groups.
A Service for the Future of Open Science
As research becomes increasingly collaborative and data-driven, services like the OpenAIRE Graph are essential for librarians to support their institutions effectively. By leveraging this resource, librarians can:
- Enhance the quality and reach of their institution's research
- Support compliance with Open Science mandates
- Provide valuable insights for strategic decision-making
- Contribute to a more open, transparent, and interconnected research ecosystem
Conclusion
The OpenAIRE Graph represents a significant opportunity for librarians to amplify their impact on the research process. As we move forward, the synergy between librarians and open infrastructures like the OpenAIRE Graph will be crucial in leading the charge to transform how we approach research in the digital age. This collaboration will shape a more open, efficient, and impactful research landscape.
Read more: Malaguarnera, G., Amodeo, S., Papadopoulou, A., Di Giambattista, C., Dimitropoulos, H., Pispiringas, L., Grypari, I., & Koncic, I. (2024, July 10). Research libraries at the forefront: empowering Open Science decision making with the OpenAIRE Graph. LIBER 2024, Limassol, 3-5 July. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12705255
Read more about the support for research performing organisations: https://www.openaire.eu/openaire-for-rpos
