Becoming an OIEx University Partner


PARTNER DATA REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES

The OIEx initiative is not just a response to barriers to information; it is a visionary solution aimed at revolutionizing the way universities across Ohio share and access data with industry partners. By creating a robust data-sharing framework and information system, OIEx has not only broken down barriers but also paved the way for greater collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange. This groundbreaking initiative has significantly enhanced the visibility and accessibility of resources and expertise available across the state's universities, empowering them to reach new heights of academic and research excellence.

The OIEx focuses on researchers, services and technologies from the STEM disciplines, including but not limited to, biomedical, natural and physical sciences, engineering, technology, mathematics, participation by Ohio universities is welcomed and encouraged. 

Contact the OIEx team to learn more about the steps to becoming a partner university.

As a preparatory step, Ohio universities seeking to join complete a data use agreement prepared by ODHE detailing the data types, use, retention and protection of two key categories of university-derived data needed to participate.  Honoring data privacy, OIEx repurposes information already in the public domain requesting data already captured and used in many public university websites (i.e., public online directory, departmental, center and faculty web pages.) The categories of data sourced from the partner universities include:

  1. Faculty directory information (i.e., name, title, department, college) sourced from your enterprise information technology and likely feeding a publicly accessible, online directory
  2. Research equipment, technologies and supporting services.  Information detailing institutional resources that you want to make available to customers and collaborators for a no-cost or fee-for-service basis.

These core data are typically collected, organized and submitted at the university level.  Detailed below are the data specifications, file formatting, and submission processes to get started.


IMPORTANT DATA CONSIDERATIONS

Underpinning the OIEx portal is an information system that confederates data aggregated from a combination of authoritative university and third-party sources into information-rich, Web-based profiles optimized for search engine detection. 

The following details the data categories, specifications, formatting and processes for universities seeking to share data with the Ohio Innovation Exchange portal.  

Handling Corrections / Deletions

OIEx is not the authoritative source of data; the institutions are responsible for the data they transmit. If there is an error or incorrect data is transmitted, please correct the data at the source and re-transmit.

Marking the DELETE_FLAG with Y will mark the record deleted and it will no longer be visible on the Ohio Innovation Exchange portal.

File Specifications

CSV (comma separated values) files, are the primary method for sharing data. Ideally we would like to have all the data elements defined below, however we recognize that not all institutions will have all these data elements available, or easily accessible. For that reason we are only requiring a minimal amount of data to provide at least enough information to be useful in the Ohio Innovation Exchange portal. Please keep in mind the more data, and the better quality data, that are shared, the more visibility into your institution and faculty expertise will follow.

Important Notes about CSV Files

  • Fields with embedded commas or double-quote characters must be quoted
  • Each of the embedded double-quote characters must be represented by a pair of double-quote characters

Importance of ID

Each file asks for some kind of unique identifier which is unique to that record, examples: PERSON_ID, CAMPUS_ID, COLLEGE_ID, DEPARTMENT_ID, etc. This along with the institution the record is tied to uniquely identifies a record in our system. We use these IDs to determine if a record should be created, updated, or deleted. This also serves to link all the different data files together to normalize the data. We cannot accept records without a unique identifier.

Required Fields

Fields that are marked as required must be present and in the correct format specified. If they are not present the whole file will be rejected.

Foreign Keys

Fields that are marked as foreign keys indicate they reference an ID from another file. This is how data elements are linked to one another. If a foreign key field is given an invalid or blank value it will be treated as a NULL value. If it is required and invalid or blank the record will be rejected.

Note: Failure to follow the file specification listed below may result in records being ignored, incomplete, or incorrect. Please pay careful attention to the data types and comments.


DATA SPECIFICATIONS

Categories of Data

For inclusion in OIEx, partner universities are asked to provide the following data for inclusion in OIEx.

  • Faculty directory information (i.e., name, title, department, college, contact.)
  • Institutional resources, technologies, and supporting services  (i.e., facilities, equipment, and instrumentation) that are available for inter-institutional research collaborations on a no-cost or fee-for-service basis.

The following details the data specifications and processes guide partners universities during the submission process.  Core data services are provided by the Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH), an operational extension of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. 

1. Campus definitions.

These data define regional location of main, branch, extensions campuses of the partner university.

Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
CAMPUS_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
NAME VARCHAR(255) YES NO Name of the Campus
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y or N
2.  College definitions.

These data define the organizational hierarchy of colleges, schools, VP offices of the partner university. Although this is the COLLEGE file, you may place colleges and schools in it. There is no need to distinguish between a college and school.

Examples:

  • College of Medicine
  • School of Neuroscience
Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
COLLEGE_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
NAME VARCHAR(255) YES NO Name of the College
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y or N
3.  Department definitions.

These data define departments and divisions in which most university personnel are appointed.

Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
DEPARTMENT_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
NAME VARCHAR(255) YES NO Name of the Department
URL VARCHAR(255) NO NO Department's URL
COLLEGE_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Must match COLLEGE_ID from COLLEGE file
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y or N
4.  Building data.

These data describe key attributes of campus buildings and facilities (e.g., names, identifying code, street addresses, etc.)

Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
BUILDING_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
NAME VARCHAR(255) YES NO Name of the building
CAMPUS_ID VARCHAR(30) NO YES Associates a building to a campus, should match CAMPUS_ID from CAMPUS file
STREET_ADDRESS VARCHAR(255) NO NO Street address. Example: 123 Fake Street
CITY VARCHAR(255) NO NO Example: Columbus
STATE VARCHAR(2) NO NO Must be 2 character state code, Example: OH
POSTAL_CODE VARCHAR(10) NO NO Zip Code, example: 43123 or Zip+4, example: 43123-1234
LONGITUDE NUMBER(8,6) NO NO Example: -82.996653
LATITUDE NUMBER(8,6) NO NO Example: 40.113292
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y or N
5.  Directory data.

These data is a roster of faculty experts to be included in OIEx and their university contact information.  N.B., OIEx targets STEM-focused faculty with the proviso that partner universities have complete discretion over who is included in OIEx. 

Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier
FIRST_NAME VARCHAR(50) YES NO First Name
LAST_NAME VARCHAR(50) YES NO Last Name
MIDDLE_NAME VARCHAR(50) NO NO Middle Name
PREFIX VARCHAR(50) NO NO Examples: Dr. Mr. Ms.
SUFFIX VARCHAR(50) NO NO Examples: I, II, Jr.
PREFERRED_NAME VARCHAR(255) NO NO Preferred display of the name: Example: John H. Smith
PREVIOUS_LAST_NAME VARCHAR(50) NO NO Previously used last name, such as a maiden name
GENDER CHAR(1) NO NO M for Male, F for Female
CAMPUS_ID VARCHAR(30) NO YES Associates a person to a campus, should match CAMPUS_ID from CAMPUS file
PRIMARY_EMAIL VARCHAR(255) YES NO Valid email address
SECONDARY_EMAIL VARCHAR(255) NO NO Valid email address
PRIMARY_PHONE VARCHAR(30) NO NO Examples: 614.555.5555, (614) 555-5555, 555-555-5555
SECONDARY_PHONE VARCHAR(30) NO NO Examples: 614.555.5555, (614) 555-5555, 555-555-5555
STREET_ADDRESS_1 VARCHAR(500) NO NO Example: 123 Fake Street
STREET_ADDRESS_2 VARCHAR(500) NO NO Example: Suite 200
CITY VARCHAR(100) NO NO Example: Columbus
STATE CHAR(2) NO NO Example: OH
POSTAL_CODE VARCHAR(5) NO NO Example: 43123
TAG VARCHAR(4000) NO NO Tags should be semi colon separated tags. All spaces between words should be substituted with underscore; “_”. For example Cosmetic Dentistry should be reflected as cosmetic_dentistry.
BUILDING_ID VARCHAR(30) NO YES Associates a person to a building, should match BUILDING_ID from BUILDING file
ORCID VARCHAR(255) NO NO Person's ORCID, it is highly encouraged this is provided
TR_RESEARCHER_ID VARCHAR(255) NO NO Thompson Reuters researcher id
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y or N
6.  Appointment data

These data details primary appointment information of academic title and academic rank of profiled university experts.

Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
APPOINTMENT_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match PERSON_ID in DIRECTORY file, indicates whom the record belongs to
TITLE VARCHAR(255) YES NO Title awarded
DEPARTMENT_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match DEPARTMENT_ID from DEPARTMENT file, indicates the department the appointment was in
JOB_CODE VARCHAR(20) NO NO Code or ID identifying job held
DATE_APPOINTED DATE (YYYY-MM-DD) YES NO Date the appointment became effective
PRIMARY CHAR(1) YES NO Indicates record is a person's primary appointment, Y for Yes, N for No, if null assumed to be N
ACTIVE CHAR(1) YES NO Indicates if an appointment is active or not, Y for Yes, N for No
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y for Yes, N for No
7.  Certification data - optional
Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
CERTIFICATION_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match PERSON_ID in DIRECTORY file, indicates to whom the record belongs
TITLE VARCHAR(255) YES NO Title or name of the certification
CERTIFYING_BODY VARCHAR(255) YES NO Governing body that issued the certification
YEAR_AWARDED DATE (YYYY) NO NO Date certification was awarded
YEAR_EXPIRES DATE (YYYY) NO NO Year the certification expires, leave blank if there is no expiration
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y for Yes, N for No
8.  Degree data - optional
Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
DEGREE_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match PERSON_ID in DIRECTORY file, indicates whom the record belongs to
TITLE VARCHAR(255) YES NO Title of the degree: Example: Bachelors of Science
INSTITUTION VARCHAR(255) YES NO Institution that awarded the degree, Example: Capital University
AREA_OF_STUDY VARCHAR(255) NO NO Major or field of study: Example: computer science
YEAR_AWARDED DATE (YYYY) YES NO Year degree was awarded
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y for Yes, N for No
9.  Honors - optional
Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
HONOR_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match PERSON_ID in DIRECTORY file, indicates whom the record belongs to
TITLE VARCHAR(1000) YES NO Title of the award
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR(5000) NO NO Description of the award
AWARDING_BODY VARCHAR(255) NO NO Organization presenting the award
YEAR_AWARDED DATE (YYYY) NO NO Year awarded
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y for Yes, N for No
10.  Memberships - optional
Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
MEMBERSHIP_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match PERSON_ID in DIRECTORY file, indicates whom the record belongs to
ORGANIZATION VARCHAR(1000) YES NO  
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR(5000) NO NO  
TITLE VARCHAR(255) YES NO  
START_YEAR DATE (YYYY) NO NO  
END_YEAR DATE (YYYY) NO NO If no date is present assuming they are still active in the organization
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y for Yes, N for No
11.  Works - optional

Note: Depending on the type of media not all these fields will be applicable, but you should try to provide as much information as possible.

Field Name Format Required Foreign Key Description
WORK_ID VARCHAR(30) YES NO Unique identifier that should not change
PERSON_ID VARCHAR(30) YES YES Must match PERSON_ID in DIRECTORY file, indicates to whom the record belongs
WORK_TYPE VARCHAR(2) YES YES B - Book, J - Journal, AV - Audio Visual, T - Technical Paper, P - Presentation, C - Conference
AUTHOR_LIST VARCHAR(2500) NO NO Author list comma separated
EDITOR_LIST VARCHAR(2500) NO NO Editor list comma separated
TITLE1 VARCHAR(1000) YES NO Title of the specific publication, presentation, etc
TITLE2 VARCHAR(1000) NO NO Title of the event
FORMAT VARCHAR(1000) NO NO  
START_DATE DATE(YYYY-MM-DD) NO NO  
BEGINNING_PAGE NUMBER(4,0) NO NO  
ENDING_PAGE NUMBER(4,0) NO NO  
SPONSOR VARCHAR(1000) NO NO  
PUBLISHER VARCHAR(255) NO NO  
VOLUME VARCHAR(255) NO NO  
EDITION VARCHAR(255) NO NO  
URL VARCHAR(500) NO NO  
ISBN VARCHAR(255) NO NO  
DOI VARCHAR(255) NO NO  
ISSUE VARCHAR(255) NO NO  
ABSTRACT CLOB NO NO  
DELETE_FLAG CHAR(1) YES NO Y for Yes, N for No

DATA SUBMISSION AND PROCESSING

University faculty roster data destined for OIEx is collected through the Higher Education Information System (HEI), a Web-enabled, data management service portal supported by ODHE.  Please contact the OIEx team to learn more.

HEI processes CSV files in the order that they are uploaded, so to ensure data linkages are properly established during data parsing, OIEX files should be uploaded as prescribed in the following table.

Data files and sequencing
Sequence File (.csv) Table Required Description
1 OXCP Campus YES Regional location of main, branch, extensions
2 OXCP Colleges YES Organizational colleges, schools, VP Offices
3 OXDP Departments YES Organizational departments, divisional units
4 OXBL Buildings YES Buildings and facilities names and addresses
5 OXDI Directory YES Faculty listings, contact information
6 OXAP Appointments YES Academic titles and rank
7 OXCT Certifications NO Certifications earned by faculty 
8 OXDG Degrees NO Educational degrees earned by faculty 
9 OXHN Honors NO Honors and awards earned by faculty 
10 OXMB Memberships NO Professional service, memberships, associations
11 OXWK Works NO Products and outcomes of scholarly work

PARTNER UNIVERSITY ACCESS TO PROFILES

Partner universities are strongly encouraged to make use of a single sign on (SSO) service supported by OH-TECH. SSO enables profiled users to securely authenticate and directly access and manage their OIEx profile by simply logging in with their home university credentials.  OH-TECH supports this identity and access management through InCommon, an integrated, subscription-based service and software solution enabling single sign on and access to cloud and local services, among other seamless global collaboration solutions for students, faculty, staff, and researchers (e.g., eduroam). 

Unsure as to whether your university is an InCommon subscriber?   Look up your school and check to see whether you are using the InCommon federation service as an identity provider -- an OIEx requirement that enables your profiled university users to directly edit/update OIEx profiles.  Contact the OIEx team with questions. 


PROFILE ENRICHMENT AND CURATION

Faculty roster data provided by partner universities is used to generate (I.) basic OIEx profiles, which as illustrated here yields a simple public profile.   As described earlier, end users are able to log in via a SSO service supported by OH-TECH and enhance their OIEx profile, which triggers auto-harvesting of publications and grants* and provides a means to enrich and (II.) curate their profile with additional information. 

Basic and curated OIEx expert profiles