Overall visions

The PURE Committee has set out three overall visions for the work with PURE:

• PURE shall be an effective and preferred tool for researchers
• PURE shall support efficient administration of high quality at all levels in the organisation
• PURE shall be a central and effective tool in Aarhus University’s aim of being a communicative university. Publishing data from PURE shall contribute to boosting the university’s prominence, reputation and influence

These visions are clarified in the following pages.At the same time, a number of principles are presented regarding the further development of PURE, and these shall contribute to ensuring that the visions can be achieved. A number of specific development initiatives are also described, and these shall contribute to fulfilling the visions.

PURE shall be an effective tool for researchers

Using PURE can only be a success if the researchers – who are the suppliers of information to PURE – regard the system as a help rather than a hindrance in their day-to-day work.

To meet this challenge, it is important that the system makes certain facilities available that can help the researchers and make them want to take ownership of the data entered in the system.At the same time, it is important that the researchers see the system as being both flexible and easily accessible.

Among the facilities that contribute to ensuring this ownership are:

• standardised staff homepages
• the ability to reuse PURE data via the report module
• the opportunity to publish data from PURE in Danish and international open databases

At the same time, it is important that the researchers see the system as being both flexible and easily accessible.Ways to ensure this include:

• giving the researchers full data rights
• providing proper support
• making sure to develop the system with a focus on user-friendliness at all times

To live up to the challenge demanded by increased ownership, the working group will develop PURE in accordance with the following principles:

1. All development of the system takes place with regard to user needs.
2. Priority in developing the system is given to doing away with any current inconvenience experienced by researchers using the system.
3. New facilities and functionalities must not be an unnecessary burden for the individual researchers.
4. Developing punctual and easily accessible professional and technical support for the researchers is given the same high priority as the technical development of the system.
5. It must be possible to reuse all data entered – printout options must be made as flexible as possible so that they support the different requirements of the researchers. Assurance must also be given that data in PURE can be exported to all relevant databases in all subject areas.
6. In developing PURE, assurance must be given that it is never necessary to enter registered data in other systems as well.The ability to reuse data already entered in open databases around the world (e.g. MedLine and PubMed) must be ensured.
7. PURE must be regarded as being interconnected with other systems as regards login procedures, passwords, etc.
8. Staff homepages are designed so that they contain the information given priority by the researchers, and come across in such a way that the individual researchers are proud of them.

PURE shall support efficient administration of high quality

• Data contained in PURE can be used as a basis for a number of administrative activities such as:
• producing key figures for research publications and communication activities
• the analysis and evaluation of publishing and communication strategies
• staff development interviews

A prerequisite for the quality and efficiency of these activities is that administrators at all levels of the organisation find the system to be easily accessible and the analysis tools to be adequate. Another prerequisite is the quality assurance of all data in PURE, so that the analyses carried out are valid and adequate. Finally, it is important that PURE is sufficiently flexible to cover all requests for analyses arising from the different main academic areas.

To meet this challenge, it is important that all development is carried out in accordance with the following principles:

1. PURE is developed in a way that enables flexible adjustments to the system (selection and deselection of modules) depending on the affiliation with the unit
2. All quality standards and quality assurance systems are documented, and ongoing development and highlighting of quality criteria are ensured
3. PURE is developed so that entering data ensures compliance with international standards
4. Developing PURE shall ensure flexible options for extracting data with considerable variation in sorting and filtering options
5. Developing PURE shall create an opportunity for designing output suitable for the purpose for which data shall be reused

PURE shall support the university’s knowledge dissemination/branding nationally and internationally

Profiling and branding are of great strategic importance for Aarhus University.Data contained in PURE can be reused in a considerable number of contexts that support this branding. Developing PURE shall therefore be accompanied by ongoing efforts to get to and reveal the contexts in which data from PURE can contribute to profiling Aarhus University. Examples of such contexts include:

• Staff homepages
• Find a researcher
• A joint web portal for publications from the whole of Aarhus University
• Archives for publicly accessible student theses and dissertations
• Profiling in external databases (open archives)
• Building up publicly accessible institutional repositories
• Web-based annual reports that draw directly on data from PURE