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ORI Connect

Open Research Information (ORI) Connect was a collaborative working group at the California Digital Library (CDL) that supported CDL’s strategic commitment to advancing open scholarship by exploring and expanding the use of open research information (ORI). ORI encompasses the infrastructure, services, and systems, such as persistent identifiers and open metadata, that enable transparent, community-governed access to research information.

CDL’s CONNECT process applies portfolio evaluation and management approaches where CDL’s investment is distributed across multiple programs, with the goal of clearly defining our desired portfolio impact and aligning all activities around it. With this framework as its guiding purpose, ORI Connect was convened to examine how CDL utilized research information tools and services, both open and closed, and to recommend actionable steps for adopting and supporting more open, sustainable and interoperable research information practices. The group’s formation was inspired by the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, which calls on institutions to transition from proprietary to open research information systems that serve the public good.

Scope of Work

ORI Connect focused on conducting a comprehensive landscape analysis that:

  • Documented how research information systems were deployed at CDL and how they shaped services at CDL and across University of California (UC) campuses.
  • Identified opportunities and unmet needs related to ORI for business intelligence, decision making, service development, and impact assessment.
  • Assessed CDL’s contributions to the ORI landscape (e.g., ROR, DataCite) and highlighted areas for further investment.
  • Evaluated current and emerging ORI systems for alignment with CDL’s goals and identified gaps requiring further development or partnership.

Based on the analysis, the group recommended ORI priorities and identified where CDL could adopt or collaborate on ORI initiatives that would benefit both UC and the broader research community.

Membership and Recommendations

ORI Connect included members from various CDL programmatic areas and systemwide planning, with guidance from CDL leadership. The group reported to the CDL Director’s Cabinet and shared its findings to inform CDL’s strategy, partnerships, and engagement with the wider ORI community. One key output of ORI Connect was the recommendation that CDL become a signatory of the Barcelona Declaration.

Original Charge: https://cdlib.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CDL-Charge_OpenResearchServicesInfrastructure_LandscapeAnalysis.pdf

Final Report available on eScholarship: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/34m053gb