The Octopus.ac primary research records platform has been integrated with the Areas of Research Interest (ARI) database, increasing the scope for researchers to share links and contact details with government departments.
Octopus is a publishing platform for research funded by UK Research and Innovation and which is free for governments, academics and non-academic researchers to read and publish internationally.
It said the integration ensures that it will include all the research details published on the ARI database, which covers specific topics and issues in which government bodies are interested.
Each ARI represents specific topics or questions that government departments would like to see more research on. Every week, Octopus will automatically check for new ARIs and updates to ensure it includes the latest content.
It said the change will make it easier for government departments to automatically keep track of academic work relevant to their areas of interest. This will encourage collaboration between researcher teams and the government, ensuring that relevant research reaches decision makers.
Societal impact
Another benefit is that researchers can cite their ARI linked work on Octopus to get credit for its societal impact. This could help secure potential funding, while providing government departments with fresh ideas and insights as well as a broader range of academic contacts.
Professor Dame Angela McLean, government chief scientific adviser (GCSA) at the Government Office for Science, said: “Areas of research interest questions are designed to help researchers and government organisations identify relevant evidence for policy making and highlight opportunities for collaboration, and this UKRI funded initiative can help with those aims.
“The integration of the ARI Database with Octopus.ac represents a new opportunity to connect users with research interests across various government organisations.”
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, executive chair at Research England, said: “This integration offers an excellent way of linking the research community with the research requirements of UK government departments.”
