OpenAIRE is in a continuous process of collecting new scholarly communication data sources in its infrastructure, so it has been developing new functionalities to improve the onboarding of new data resources.

One of the most recent developments is the new registration interface dedicated to CRIS systems. This new interface offers a dedicated registration process for CRIS systems managers to register their data source in OpenAIRE, thus improving the integration process, which becomes more agile and independent for managers. 

By registering CRIS systems in OpenAIRE, managers will not only be able to make their content available to OpenAIRE, but also to take advantage of all the functionalities offered by OpenAIRE PROVIDE, such as the metadata enrichments offered by the Broker service.

Registration process: some preliminary notes

1) OpenAIRE user account

In order to proceed with the registration of your CRIS system in OpenAIRE, first you need to have an OpenAIRE user account with which you will login at OpenAIRE PROVIDE () the service to register and manage data sources.

The user account used to register the data source will be associated to it.

If you do not yet have an OpenAIRE user account, you can create one at https://services.openaire.eu/uoa-user-management/register.jsp

2) DRIS - Directory of Research Information Systems

Please make sure your CRIS system is registered in DRIS, the Directory of Research Information Systems.

3) OpenAIRE Guidelines for CRIS Managers

Please make sure your CRIS system is compatible with the OpenAIRE Guidelines for CRIS Managers. These guidelines describe the CERIF-XML profile for CRIS managers to be compatible with OpenAIRE.

Aim: The Guidelines provide orientation for CRIS managers to expose their metadata in a way that is compatible with the OpenAIRE infrastructure. By implementing the Guidelines, CRIS managers support the inclusion and therefore the reuse of metadata in their systems within the OpenAIRE infrastructure. For developers of CRIS platforms, the Guidelines provide guidance to add supportive functionalities for CRIS managers and users. Exchange of information between individual CRIS systems and the OpenAIRE infrastructure is an example of point-to-point data exchange between CRIS systems, since the OpenAIRE infrastructure is itself a CRIS system.

You can test the compliance with the Guidelines using the Validator tool at https://provide.openaire.eu/compatibility/validate (login required).

How to validate:

1. Access OpenAIRE PROVIDE and login at https://provide.openaire.eu
2. Select the menu options “Validator” > “Validate”
3. Click on: “CRIS systems”
4. Fill in the form with the required information, namely the OAI-PMH base URL of your CRIS system and start the validation.
5. Check the validation report to identify the overall compliance level and compatibility status for each metadata field.

Starting the registration process

1. Access OpenAIRE PROVIDE and login at https://provide.openaire.eu
2. Select the menu option “Register”
3. Click on: “CRIS systems”
4. Fill in the registration form with required information:
5. Select data source
   Select your CRIS from the list, starting by identifying the country to which it belongs.
6. Register data source
   Fill in or update the basic information. Note: the pre-filled information has been collected from DRIS. Please check it and correct it if necessary.
7. Register interface
   Please add an OAI-PMH interface (base URL) to collect your records from.
   Choose an OAI-set if desired. If no set is chosen, all records will be harvested.
8. Terms of Use
   Select the desired options regarding the terms of use.
9. Finish
   Select the option “Finish” o conclude the registration process.

Upon completion of the registration process, the OpenAIRE Aggregation team will evaluate the registration request, before starting the indexing process. It usually takes about 6 weeks to check your metadata and index it.

For questions, please create a helpdesk ticket writing to helpdesk [at] openaire.eu.