Launch of RIOXX Application Profile

The RIOXX Application Profile was released in its final form on 23^rd January 2015.   This is an important development for the UK’s higher education and research institutions since it describes the metadata required to demonstrate institutions’ compliance with RCUK’s open access policy.  Certain metadata elements will also contribute to demonstrating compliance with HEFCE’s recently announced policies, particularly in relation to the next REF process.

The development of RIOXX involved close cooperation with both RCUK and HEFCE.  Some key elements of the Application Profile reflect the outputs of NISO’s recently published Recommended Practice Access License and Indicators.  The community has been widely consulted during the development of RIOXX.

The adoption of RIOXX is endorsed by RCUK and HEFCE and institutions are encouraged to begin to consider how they will manage the process of collecting and exposing the required metadata.  Institutions should be in a position to provide at least the mandatory metadata described in the RIOXX Application Profile by April 2016 but it is recommended that RIOXX be implemented well before that date.

The Application Profile comprises a set of 21 metadata elements and is supplemented by a set of Guidelines that provide contextual information.  It is probable that institutions will already be collecting much of this metadata but there is likely to be some information that is not currently being captured. For example, RIOXX requires that funder names or identifiers and project identifiers be specified in a standard format.  Also, RIOXX requires that the date of acceptance by a publisher of a publication be recorded.  The Guidelines will be updated as required to provide clarity as feedback from institutions is received.

Although the RIOXX Application Profile has been developed for a very specific purpose (that of enabling funders’ to monitor compliance with their open access policies), it provides potentially wider benefits.  As well as providing the basis for a more precise common understanding of a range of bibliographic metadata elements, RIOXX as a whole contributes to broader community metadata efforts such as the Jisc CASRAI-UK Pilot and the development of a data dictionary in the area of OA research reporting.

What should you do now?  To help with the implementation process Jisc is funding the development of applications for two of the most widely used open source repository platforms in the UK, EPrints and DSpace.  A RIOXX plugin for EPrints (versions 3.3 and higher) has already been created and is in the process of being tested by up to ten early adopters.  A similar application for DSpace (versions 3, 4 and 5) will be available in the spring.  If your institution uses other systems, you may need to contact your software supplier to discuss how best to address the requirements set out in the RIOXX Application Profile.

Jisc is also funding technical support for users of the EPrints plugin for twelve months.  Support for installation and technical issues to do with operating the plugin will be provided by EPrints Services for the repositories they host, ULCC for their hosted repositories and Digital Repository Services (Peter West) for non-hosted repositories.  Other supporting activities such as workshops are currently being planned; there will be more information on this in due course.

The RIOXX application profile has been developed by Jisc via Paul Walk (EDINA) and Sheridan Brown (Key Perspectives).

Questions about the Application Profile or its implementation should be referred to Sheridan Brown in the first instance.  You are welcome to post general comments or feedback to this blog.