Western’s Research Information Management System (RIMS) Resource Hub

The Western Research Information Management System (RIMS) is a research information ecosystem powered by Symplectic Elements. It is designed to empower faculty and researchers across the university. RIMS streamlines the collection, management, and showcasing of research, teaching, and professional activities, improving research visibility and supporting collaboration both within Western and with external partners.

The system will be implemented in phases, with an emphasis on user-friendly reporting, seamless collaboration, and accessible support for all faculties.

This introduction outlines the system’s key benefits, core functions, data sources, and practical applications for faculty and administrators.

Whether you're new to Research Information Management Systems or looking to deepen your understanding, this webinar explores how RIMS can transform academic workflows and elevate institutional research strategy.

• Less Manual Work

  Imports and matches publications to your profile.

• Open Access Compliance

  Supports full-text deposits to meet funder and institutional requirements.

• Increased Visibility

  Enhances discoverability through comprehensive, public-facing profiles.

• Simplified Reporting

  Generates up-to-date CVs, grant summaries, and reports for reviews, funding applications, or award nominations.

• ORCID Integration

  Syncs publication data with your ORCID iD, creating a consistent scholarly identity across platforms.

Western RIMS supports a wide range of academic and administrative needs. Here are some examples:

• As a researcher, you can easily extract a list of publications to use in your CV or qualifications portfolio.
• As a researcher, you can supplement and add information about yourself and your research in addition to the automatically generated information to increase visibility and findability.
• As the coordinator of a network or centre, you can use keywords to describe your research, making it easier for others to find the right research area.
• As a Dean, Head of Department, or Research Coordinator, you can explore what research exists at Western departments to promote collaboration.
• As a Research Group Leader, you can find out who at Western is doing research in areas related to your own in order to propose collaborations.
• As a PI, you get an easily maintained website that allows others to find information about the group's members, research, publications, ongoing and completed projects.
• As a scientific leader, you can get an overview of the research within your group to help you plan your activities.
• As a journalist, administrator or decision-maker, you can find an expert in a certain research field at Western to get material for your work.

*Adapted from Karolinska Institute: About KI RIMS.

Western RIMS uses Symplectic Elements, a leading research management platform used by universities worldwide. It automates the collection of research outputs and integrates seamlessly with:

• ORCID
• Crossref
• Scopus
• PubMed
• Institutional repositories
• Faculty profiles

This integration reduces administrative workload while improving data quality and research visibility.

Watch the video below for an overview of Symplectic Elements: