ROR’s 2020 Annual Report: A ROR-port on the past year and a look to what’s next

ROR is a specific type of identifier and a specific type of initiative that does not always fit neatly into pre-defined notions and categories. The registry’s focus on providing an open, noncommercial, and community-driven solution to the problem of identifying research organization affiliations sets it apart from similar types of organization identifiers. The collaborative nature of ROR’s approach also sets it apart from other types of identifier providers and infrastructure organizations.

As an initiative, ROR is an effort led by a group of trusted and stable organizations in the research infrastructure community. This means that ROR is not an independent organization by design. ROR is forging a unique path to sustainability that is not dependent on incorporating into a structure that would create unnecessary overhead or require a paid membership model that limits who can participate.

While it is fair to say that ROR strives to be different, it is also true that in order to achieve its goals, ROR should aim to hold itself accountable to a core set of qualities and standards common to many organizations and initiatives in the open research infrastructure space. One way in which ROR has sought to align itself with these common frameworks is by signing on to the Principles of Open Scholarly Infrastructure (POSI).

Another way ROR seeks to frame and present its activities is by preparing our first-ever Annual Report (a “ROR-port,” if you will). Adopting the model of annual reports distributed by nonprofit organizations, this document aims to provide an overview of ROR’s progress in the past year and a preview of work to come. In this first ROR-port, we reflect back on 2020 and look ahead to 2021.

View the 2020 Annual Report

The 2020 report also includes the results of the 2020 ROR Community Survey, which was initiated in November and is expected to run on an annual basis going forward. The 2020 survey received 179 responses from all continents except for Antarctica but primarily Europe and North America.

The results highlight the range of stakeholders interested in supporting and integrating ROR, as well as opportunities and challenges for continued engagement and adoption. This input is valuable for ROR as it continues to grow in the coming years.

Community is at the heart of ROR, and this means accountability, active participation, and consulting with each of you. There are many ways to be involved in ROR. Please get in touch!