Gandhinagar, Gujarat:
A delegation from Uttaranchal University, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dharam Buddhi and Director (IQAC) Er. Rajesh Deorari, held a strategic meeting with Prof. Devika Madalli, Director of the INFLIBNET Centre (Information and Library Network Centre), at the INFLIBNET campus in Infocity, Gandhinagar, on January 20, 2026. The discussion centered on enhancing research data quality, increasing the national visibility of research outputs, and aligning with major ranking frameworks, including NIRF, NAAC, QS, and THE.
During the interaction, Prof. Madalli briefed the University delegation on the role of INFLIBNET as a national research information infrastructure and its importance in third-party validation of institutional research data. Discussions were held on the functioning of the Indian Research Information Network System (IRINS), including how publication data is ingested and synchronized from external sources such as Scopus, Web of Science, ORCID, and other scholarly databases.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of standardized metadata and accurate affiliation details for effective institutional research capture. INFLIBNET officials highlighted that correct author identification, uniform affiliation names, and integrated internal systems-such as faculty profiles, research offices, and institutional repositories-are crucial for improving research visibility and ensuring accuracy in national platforms and ranking submissions.
Key discussions were held on patent and intellectual property tracking, where INFLIBNET explained mechanisms for integrating patent data and ensuring proper attribution to institutions. The role of validated patent databases and proactive institutional practices was underlined as essential for reflecting true research and innovation output.
On rankings, INFLIBNET shared insights into common data quality issues faced by higher education institutions while submitting data for NIRF and international rankings. Discipline-specific keyword mapping for areas such as Pharmacy, Management, Law, Engineering, and the Overall category was discussed, along with strategies to enhance research indexing and discoverability.
The delegation also interacted with the senior scientists at the Director’s Secretariat. The scientists showcased INFLIBNET’s in-house developed analytical dashboards and research portals, which assess research performance of institutions across the country. They informed that INFLIBNET’s systems are developed entirely by its own on-roll expert staff and are not dependent on third-party platforms.
INFLIBNET scientists recommended that Uttaranchal University ensure systematic creation and linkage of Scopus IDs, ORCID IDs, Web of Science Researcher Profiles (Publons), IRINS registrations, and Google Scholar profiles for all faculty members. They emphasized that mere registration is not sufficient and that Universities must actively motivate faculty members to undertake discipline-specific quality research and regularly map their outputs on national and international platforms to strengthen the overall research profile.
The meeting concluded with discussions on future collaboration, capacity-building initiatives, and optimization of IRINS implementation at Uttaranchal University. The interaction ended with a formal vote of thanks, marking a significant step towards improving the University’s research governance, visibility, and data-driven decision-making.
