UNIverse - Research Portal of the University of Basel

UNIverse

Our new Comprehensive Research Information System

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UNIverse is the University of Basel state-of-the-art research information management system. Our goal is to empower researchers, heads of departments, and the public with seamless navigation through our vast research universe.

About

Our platform is a versatile tool to manage a wide range of research information by seamlessly integrating advanced features like automated metadata import, Open Access document workflows and faculty-specific modules for recording academic activities. Starting in 2024, we will offer the Public Portal, a visually appealing UNIverse website for browsing interconnected research projects and personalized profiles to make research easily visible and accessible for the public.

The UNIverse in one platform

The UNIverse application offers the following modules to enable you to capture, manage and share your research information.

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UNIverse Features

Connect your ORCID record to our UNIverse application to profit from automated metadata import without any manual intervention.

    One-time ORCID record connection to UNIverse
    Automated metadata import from your ORCID record
    No manual intervention needed

Easily import metadata from Scopus through an integrated search function. Claim your publication with one additional click.

    Integrated search function
    Time-saving 1-click data take over

The publications module has been adapted to every faculty/department and allows for manual recording of your metadata for 64 different publication types ranging from anthologies and software to legal reports. A specific quick selection keeps it user-friendly.

    Supports 64 different publication types
    Enables you to choose from 2,500 citation styles
    Faculty and department-specific adaptations

Benefit from automated Open Access document retrieval for your Gold Open Access publications or upload your manuscripts and additional information for the UB Open Access support team. They will help you manage embargoes and different versions of the manuscript, making it easy to comply with Open Access regulations. A built-in commenting tool and improved document workflow in the back end facilitate communication between you and the Open Access support team, increasing your productivity.

    Remote automatic upload of Gold Open Access publications
    Improved multi-document upload for increased productivity
    Seamlessly integrated support for self-archiving

Your research output goes beyond scientific publications and a list of research projects. We consider the value of all your research output by allowing you to record information in areas like academic self-administration, reputation, networking, and teaching.

    Expanded Academic Activities work
    Preset of Academic Activities List for each faculty for efficient input

Import third-party funds from the grants tool and create third-party funded projects for internal reporting purposes. Of course you can also create project pages that are funded by own resources. By adding additional descriptions, pictures, members, your network and more, your project can be transformed into project pages for the UNIverse Public Portal.

    Import from grants tool
    Create new research projects pages super fast
    Interconnect research projects

Create data extracts based on the data and information in the application for different purposes such as Scientific Advisory Board meetings, promotions (where applicable) and more.The data extract is currently in an early stage of definition.

    Personal Data Extracts, Research Group Data Extracts, Faculty Data Extracts
    Choose the period and create the extracts with few clicks
    Represented with charts and tables

Keeping an overview of the various roles held by employees who work across multiple departments and diverse research groups, can be challenging. However, with a dedicated module designed specifically for this purpose, you can achieve a full overview.

    Administrate your own roles
    Get a transparent overview about different structures and roles
    Manage the roles of members of your research group

Start now and explore UNIverse

We offer learning materials and online training. Visit the UNIverse help page for more information. We would like your feedback on the application to improve it. Please use the feedback button in the UNIverse application for this.

UNIverse Public Portal - Coming in 2024

The Universe Public Portal is a public website that allows the general public and the global research community to explore the research at the University of Basel. Researchers and Research Groups can publish their own profiles and project pages, which are clearly arranged as sub-pages of the corresponding organizational units on the portal. No additional user accounts are needed to create this and you always decide yourself which information is published. You simply choose the data from the internal UNIverse application, so creating the pages only takes a few minutes. By publishing the content, you strengthen the visibility of your valuable research work to the outside world - for yourself and for the entire University of Basel.

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Organizational Units

Heads of organizational units can showcase the research of the organization by creating the public pages just with some clicks. The data for this e.g. Publications, Research Units and Projects will be automatically available from the system. Just decide the visibility settings and publish. This offers the public a look inside the valuable research results and strengthens your visibility.

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Research Groups

As a research group you have the possibility to present yourself as a group and your research results. Publications and projects can be added to your page clearly and with a few clicks. The members are linked and lead to the respective personal profiles.

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Personal Public Profiles

Create personalized profiles highlighting your research expertise, interests, divers research outputs, and more facilitating visibility for the public and press.

This will take only a few clicks as the existing data of the internal UNIverse application will be used. Just decide which Academic Activities shall be shown, create a personal overview page and publish your profile to a modern webpage in the UNIverse Public Portal.

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Projects & Collaborations

Projects and Collaborations can be clearly summarized on one page. The projects can be sorted into predefined categories so that they are easy to filter for visitors of the website. In addition to an individual description of the project, members, research groups and connected projects can be linked. Academic Activities related to the project can be easily added so that readers can get a comprehensive picture of the project.

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Spin-Offs

Discover the many Spin-Offs of the University of Basel. Spin-Offs will have the opportunity to showcase their work on the same public portal as the University of Basel and will benefit from the visit of users from all over the world.

UNIverse Public Portal - Release end of 2023

The Universe Public Portal is a public website that allows the general public and the global research community to explore the research at the University of Basel. Researchers and Research Groups can publish their own profiles and project pages, which are clearly arranged as sub-pages of the corresponding organizational units on the portal. No additional user accounts are needed to create this and you always decide yourself which information is published. You simply choose the data from the internal UNIverse application, so creating the pages only takes a few minutes. By publishing the content, you strengthen the visibility of your valuable research work to the outside world - for yourself and for the entire University of Basel.

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Organizational Units

Heads of organizational units can showcase the research of the organization by creating the public pages just with some clicks. The data for this e.g. Publications, Research Units and Projects will be automatically available from the system. Just decide the visibility settings and publish. This offers the public a look inside the valuable research results and strengthens your visibility.

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Research Groups

As a research group you have the possibility to present yourself as a group and your research results. Publications and projects can be added to your page clearly and with a few clicks. The members are linked and lead to the respective personal profiles.

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Personal Public Profiles

Create personalized profiles highlighting your research expertise, interests, divers research outputs, and more facilitating visibility for the public and press.

This will take only a few clicks as the existing data of the internal UNIverse application will be used. Just decide which Academic Activities shall be shown, create a personal overview page and publish your profile to a modern webpage in the UNIverse Public Portal.

Heading photo

Projects & Collaborations

Projects and Collaborations can be clearly summarized on one page. The projects can be sorted into predefined categories so that they are easy to filter for visitors of the website. In addition to an individual description of the project, members, research groups and connected projects can be linked. Academic Activities related to the project can be easily added so that readers can get a comprehensive picture of the project.

Heading photo

Spin-Offs

Discover the many Spin-Offs of the University of Basel. Spin-Offs will have the opportunity to showcase their work on the same public portal as the University of Basel and will benefit from the visit of users from all over the world.

For Whom?

Researchers

Within the UNIverse application, you can find integrated tools to manage and report your academic activities. By deciding which content you want to publish, you can showcase your valuable information to the public to maximize your visibility.

Profit from faculty-specific publication modules, allowing you to import metadata automatically from Scopus and ORCID. Furthermore, integrated is an Open Access document workflow and an expanded model to capture and report your academic activities in areas like academic self-administration, reputation, networking, and teaching. Integrate your grants and research projects, encompassing editions, living books, and networks. Choose to publish comprehensive details about your research activities through your public profile.

Heads of Departments and Faculties

By analyzing the collected research information, you achieve a transparent and valuable view of your department´s output and structures. Seamlessly manage research-specific structures, such as research groups, and assign different roles to enhance clarity. Generate comprehensive data extracts tailored to your department's needs for events like scientific advisory board meetings and more.

Public and Press

The application allows the public and the press to easily discover your cutting-edge research by browsing your projects and publications, thereby fostering transparency and accessibility to the public. You have full control over the content you choose to publish, ensuring that you always retain ownership of your information.

For Whom?

Researchers

Within the UNIverse application, you can find integrated tools to manage and report your academic activities. By deciding which content you want to publish, you can showcase your valuable information to the public to maximize your visibility.

Profit from faculty-specific publication modules, allowing you to import metadata automatically from Scopus and ORCID. Furthermore, integrated is an Open Access document workflow and an expanded model to capture and report your academic activities in areas like academic self-administration, reputation, networking, and teaching. Integrate your grants and research projects, encompassing editions, living books, and networks. Choose to publish comprehensive details about your research activities through your public profile.

Heads of Departments and Faculties

By analyzing the collected research information, you achieve a transparent and valuable view of your department´s output and structures. Seamlessly manage research-specific structures, such as research groups, and assign different roles to enhance clarity. Generate comprehensive reports tailored to your department's needs for events like scientific advisory board meetings and more.

Public and Press

The application allows the public and the press to easily discover your cutting-edge research by browsing your projects and publications, thereby fostering transparency and accessibility to the public. You have full control over the content you choose to publish, ensuring that you always retain ownership of your information.

Benefits

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Visibility over University Research Activities

Gain comprehensive insight into research activities across the university. Our platform provides a centralized hub, enabling you to explore research projects, publications, and collaborations, fostering transparency and facilitating informed decision-making.

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Ticketing System

Utilize our built-in ticketing system to streamline and track internal requests, inquiries, and support tickets, ensuring timely and effective resolution of your enquiries.

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Academic Research Activity Management

Effortlessly import metadata to publications and grants. Input and manage user-friendly information about your research activities, including  conferences, teaching and more.

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Smooth Publication Metadata Import

Importing metadata of your research articles and publications has never been easier. Seamlessly import and organize your metadata from various sources, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process.

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Secure and Confidential

You can be confident that your research information is safeguarded by robust security measures, ensuring the protection of your data in compliance with Swiss and international data protection laws. Our commitment to data integrity further enhances the security measures in place.

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Scalable and Adaptable Application

The application is designed to adapt to changing requirements, ensuring flexibility and scalability in response to evolving user needs and technological advancements. It employs a robust architecture that allows for seamless integration of new features and functionalities.

Start now and explore UNIverse

We offer learning materials and online training. Visit the UNIverse help page for more information. We would like your feedback on the application to improve it. Please use the feedback button in the UNIverse application for this.

FAQ

  • Is there any learning material or tutorials for the application?

    Yes, we support you with remote training, recorded video tutorials, and a help page that explains the modules and functionalities. Use this link to our help page, where you will have information about a quick start or detailed articles. The help page is written in German, but you can translate it in real-time on the top right corner (system-generated translation). https://universe.help/

  • Are all functionalities, modules, and the public research portal already available?

    We are developing intensely to offer you all the stated functionalities. The UNIverse Public Portal is not ready yet but will be launched in January 2024.

  • Can Ph.D. candidates enter their research output and have a personal profile on the UNIverse Public Portal?

    Yes, doctoral students can showcase their research activities and outputs, including publications, conference papers, and more, on the UNIverse Public Portal by entering them into the application. These accomplishments will be displayed on their personal profile, allowing them to showcase their academic contributions.

  • Can I delegate the data entry to someone else?

    Yes. The research portal provides the possibility to delegate the data entry to other designated individuals. As a Data Owner, you will receive notifications about changes made to your data.

  • What are the available options regarding publication types?

    The publications module has been adapted to every faculty/department and allows for manual recording of your metadata for 64 different publication types ranging from anthologies and software to legal reports. A specific quick selection keeps it user-friendly.

  • Who has access to the data?

    The research portal incorporates role-based access control, assigning different rights and permissions to specific roles. For example, research group leaders can access and view information related to their entire group, while heads of departments can access the information within their respective departments. This hierarchical access control ensures data privacy and confidentiality.

  • Can I update my data in UNIverse from my ORCID profile?

    Yes. Connect your ORCID record with the UNIverse application just once. From then on, our application detects changes in your ORCID record and automatically updates your UNIverse record. Besides the on-time connection, no other manual intervention is needed.

  • Can I import metadata from Google Scholar?

    Currently, we do not offer an import feature from Google Scholar due to the unavailability of an API for this purpose. However, we continuously explore ways to enhance data import capabilities for a seamless research management experience.

  • Can I use the data from the research portal for SAB (Scientific Advisory Board) reports?

    We are actively working on providing different solutions to export data from the research portal in an editable format, enabling you to utilize the data for SAB reports and other reporting purposes. Stay tuned for updates on this feature.

  • Why does the system send so many emails?

    To ensure data integrity, any changes made to metadata in the research portal are recorded and documented through email notifications. This allows for transparent tracking of data modifications, providing a reliable audit trail for data management and integrity purposes.

  • How secure is the research portal in terms of data privacy?

    Data privacy and security are of utmost importance to us. The research portal employs robust security measures, including encryption, access controls, and regular data backups, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your research information. We adhere to industry best practices and comply with relevant data protection regulations.