▲ IRIS research paper performance search screen
The Integrated Research Information System (IRIS), which previously required researchers to manually input paper titles and multiple authors one by one when registering overseas research papers, has been revamped to automatically fill in the information simply by entering a paper's unique identification number.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced today (Nov. 1) that it has implemented a comprehensive overhaul of IRIS's screen layout and user interface.
IRIS is an online system that assists researchers with tasks ranging from project application and evaluation to research fund management and performance reporting when carrying out national research and development (R&D) projects.
However, various inconveniences had been reported, including excessive manual data entry requirements during the drafting of R&D plans and registration of research achievements, complicated navigation between screens, and restricted mobile functionality.
First, by linking with the academic database Web of Science and the National Researcher Information System (NRI), entering a paper's unique identifier (such as DOI or ISSN) will now automatically populate bibliographic information such as the paper title and authors on the screen.
In addition, 24 new mobile-exclusive services have been introduced, allowing simple tasks such as agreeing to research ethics guidelines to be handled on smartphones without a PC.
A notification feature has also been added to send alerts for important schedules directly to mobile phones.
The system was also reorganized to align its screen layouts and terminology with the standard formats of the National Research and Development Innovation Act.
Furthermore, user interface (UI) improvements were made, such as consolidating instructional messages scattered across various screens into a unified guide box and help buttons, and prominently highlighting mandatory fields.
New features include a project information integrated popup that allows users to view the entire contents of a plan in a single window, and a collapsible/expandable function to view only necessary sections on complex research fund screens.
Park In-kyu, head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "This overhaul is significant in that it prioritized the voices of the research field, which have complained about complex administrative procedures and the inconvenience of direct data entry, thereby establishing a user-friendly digital working environment." He added, "We will continue to refine IRIS into a user-centric, innovative research support platform so that researchers can be freed from unnecessary administrative burdens and focus entirely on research and development."
(Photo provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Yonhap News)
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