Republic Of Botswana

Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology

Research Information Management System User Guide Manual

for Administrator, Research Officer and Researcher roles.
July 2023
 Abbreviation Meaning
BDRS Birth and Death Registration System
BEC Botswana Examination Council
BGCSE Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education
BOB Bank of Botswana
BQA Botswana Qualifications Authority
BRD Business Requirements Definition
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and
CAPTCHA
Humans Apart
DIT Department of Information Technology
DRKB Department of Research & Knowledge Business
DRST Department of Research Science & Technology
DSSS Department of Special Support Services
DOI Data Object Identity
ETP Educational and Training Providers
ID Identity
IGCSE International General Certificate of Secondary Education
IT Information Technology
MHA Ministry of Home Affairs
MNIG Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs
MoA Memorandum of Agreement
MoTE Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology
ORCiD ID Open Researcher and Contributor ID
PDF Portable Document Format
RHEL RedHat Enterprise Linux
RMU Records Management Unit
RIMS Research Information Management System
SSL Secure Socket Layer
TLS Transport Layer Security
UAT User Acceptance Testing
URL Uniform Resource Locator

1 Introducing the RIMS.

The RIMS is a web based system developed by the Botswana Government led by the
Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology (MCKT). MCKT engaged services of

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Clarivate Analytics (UK) Limited to tap into their globally known expertise with the view to
profile the national research and innovation landscape. The system is accessible via any of the
latest versions of common browsers (Microsoft Edge, latest version of Safari, Firefox, Google
Chrome) at www.rims.gov.bw .

1.1 Background

The concept to develop a national RIMS was conceived having observed the operational
challenges faced by Government in coordinating research. The challenges include but are not
limited to:

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 1. The local RSTI landscape has no defined and adopted common data format. The current
RSTI landscape is flawed with missing or not readily available data on research. Where
some data may exist, it is often outdated, existing in different formats with institutional
datasets capturing different aspects of research data. From the coordination perspective,
credible and up-to-date data is critical. The lack of a nationally adopted RSTI data format
presents a problem as collating data to build an informed RSTI outlook is difficult.
2. It is difficult to collate the data into informative information that may drive strategy;
3. The absence of centralised, coordinated information about research inhibits opportunities
for collaboration.
4. Research Institutions operate in silos across the RSTI landscape. This current scenario has
inherent risks of duplication of effort, under-utilisation of key research equipment across
the landscape.

The RIMS, shall make researchers and their work shall more discoverable and more visible,
with enhanced opportunities for collaborations and funding. The RIMS shall enable:

1. Profiling of researchers;
2. Profiling of research institutions;
3. Profiling of research activities across the national landscape articulating research inputs
(key traits of the researcher populace, weight of efforts towards (R&D, applied, basic)
research, efforts in key (or priority) research fields, national budget and expenditures) and
outputs (publications, Intellectual Property, rate of bankable knowledge generation);
4. Profiling of research infrastructure utilisation and thus expose collaboration and funding
opportunities;
5. Automation of the submission, review, and approval of research permits for all Government
agencies. This functionality shall enable the Government to better coordinate the research
permit issuance process and bring down the silos between Government agencies.
1.2 Who Should Use It

This guide is intended for users of various backgrounds and assumes no prior knowledge and
experience with the RIMS. It covers functionalities available and accessible by various roles in
the system:

✔ Researcher:

✔ Approver (Research Permit) ✔ Research Administrator Officers :

✔ Researcher Units:

✔ General Public

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1.3 The DRST Helpdesk

The DRST Helpdesk is a one point service desk for RIMS technical assistance. All queries and enquiries
related to the RIMS must be directed to the helpdesk either by telephone or email.

Contact Details
The RIMS Helpdesk has the following operating hours:

✔ 07:30 – 16:30 Monday to Friday, excluding Weekends and Holidays.

✔ 12:45-13:45 is lunch hour.

Users can log their calls through two (2) communications channels specified below:

✔ Helpdesk Telephone Number: +267 396 0171

✔ Email Address: ……………….. rimshelpdesk@gov.bw

Nature Of Complaints/Problems For Helpdesk:

All users may report submit an enquiry or request support via phone, email for the following or
related services:

✔ Regarding complaints/problems related to entry of new data for researchers, projects, or

publications;

✔ Application and issuance for research permits;

✔ All Login, password and webpage not found, webportal related issues.

2 End User Guide - Public

2.1 Purpose

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 This chapter covers all the RIMS functionalities on the research portal and thus available
to the public.

2.2 Research Portal

The Research Portal is the publicly accessible module of RIMS that is reachable online
at www.rims.gov.bw. The portal showcases an overview of research activities and
achievements in the country. It is intended for use by the general public, so it is usable
without a login. It provides generic searching and browsing of the main perspectives on
research activities:
The RIMS provides a number of standard modules for browsing research information.
These are:

✔ Home Page

✔ Projects

✔ Publications

✔ People

✔ Organisations

✔ (Research) Area

✔ Research Facilities

✔ Funding Opportunities

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Logged-in Users

Dashboard
This chapter covers all the RIMS functionalities not available to the public. The functionality
accessible by registered logged in by valid username and password. When logged in to the RIMS
you start from the Dashboard page as shown below.

1. My Profile – This provides a summary of the logged-in user profile.

2. Things To Do -The Things to do, which are displayed on the start page, provides the user with
a shortcut into the corresponding list page already filtered on only those items where any
action is required. For example:

✔ The role Researcher should be requested under Things to do to complete all his or
her own publications that are in the workflow status Non-validated.

✔ The role Research Officer should be requested under Things to do to check a new
submission for research permit application.

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3. Module Navigation - The Module navigation is located down the left hand side of the RIMS
window. It provides access to the system modules and sub-processes. When you click on a
Module heading the sub-processes that make up that Module will be displayed beneath it,
slightly indented toward the right.

4. Recently Edited – The Recently Edited area shows the last items this user has edited. The
active links to the previously edited records allow one click access to the same record
worked on previously. So, for example, if you Save a record at the end of the day but you
have not finished working on it, the next day when you log in to RIMS the link to that record
will be shown in the Recently Edited area, allowing immediate return to the Edit View for that
record and completion of your work on it.

5. Add New Content - Click the Add New Content button at the top right of the screen to open
the menu for adding different types of records to the system, e.g. projects, publications, etc.
The Add New Content button allows creation of those record types for which the logged in
user has appropriate rights.

2.3 Logged User Menu

. RIMS that is reachable online at

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 are:The following options will appear in the
-down
drop menu:

Menu Description
View Profile See your internal profile
If several roles have been activated for your account, they expand
Switch role when hovering over this menu item. Click on the role you wish to
switch to and you will be taken to the dashboard of that role.
Research Portal View the RIMS Research Portal.
My Settings Change a variety of user settings, e.g. change your password.
Logout End your current RIMS session.

2.4 Module Navigation

The Module navigation is located down the left hand side of the system window. It provides access
to the modules.

When you click on a Module heading the sub-processes that make up that Module will be

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displayed beneath it, slightly indented toward the right, as in the picture below.

When you click on a sub-process the main windows will show the List View of all records of
that type that you are authorized to see.

Click on the Dashboard link at the top of the navigation bar to return to the main Dashboard
display.

2.4.1 Add New Publication

The user role Researcher can enter publication data in the RIMS manually or import it. A
validation process checks for duplicates and performs other quality checks when publications
are imported. A validation workflow ensures that only publications that have been quality
checked by the relevant roles are added to RIMS.

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 RIMS supports search and retrieval from several sources, including Web of Science (lite
or premium), Scopus, PubMed, Europe PMC, DNB (German National Library), SwePub
(search vice for scientific publications at Swedish universities), Crossref and ORCID.
Publications can be searched and imported manually by the researcher or administrative
staff, or the module can make use of the auto publication importer feature and automatically
import publications belonging to the institution in a nightly cycle from Web of Science.

However, when manually creating a publication, publication meta-data can be imported

straight into the input form for the publication, if the DOI of the publication is known.

From the Dashboard, click on the Add New Content button near the top right of the
screen. Navigate through Publication Management and click on Research Output. You
should see this screen:

The default option is "Create Manually", allowing you to create a new Publication record and fill
in the relevant details yourself.

Once you select the type of Research Output you want to create, from the list shown, you will
go directly to the blank Edit page for that type of record. Fill in as much information as you
have, navigating through the tabs and up and down just as you do with any browser.

If you know the DOI of your publication, you can fill it in and then automatically get the
publication meta-data. For this, fill in the DOI in the DOI field. The button "Get output data" will
enable, and a click on it imports the metadata available for this publication.
⮚ This last option ("Save & close") will ask you to choose a status in which to save the

record (see picture below) and then return you to the List page for Research Outputs. ⮚
Choose from the available Status steps and then click the "Done" button.

In the following List page you will see your new publication at the top of the screen. Note the
Status shown as we set it in the previous illustration:

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 Once you have Saved and Closed the record in this status, you can view it but you cannot edit
it any further.

Alternately, by selecting the "Import from" option, you can import publications meta-data from a
number of online sources, or from a file. The screen will look very much like this:

1. Search & Select Publication Author: Select the Author for whom you want to search
publications.

2. Save Search: You can also save your search, once you have it all arranged as you want it,
and you can reload your saved search from this same screen. This makes it easier and faster
to consistently search the same sources for the same information.

3. General Search or ORCID Search: Select to search a list of publication sources or the ORCID.
4. Search Publications: Select the online source you want to search. In this example we've
used Clarivate owned Web of Science as the source to be searched. As the Researcher
creating a new publication record you're already entered in the authors field.

5. Filter: You can alter the criteria fields to be searched. You can also adjust the range of years
to be searched. If you've only been publishing for ten years then reducing the search range
will reduce the time the search takes to deliver results.

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 2.4.2 Create New Research Permit Application

The user role Researcher can create a new application for Research Permit.
1. From the Dashboard, click on the Add New Content button near the top right of the screen.

2. Navigate through Award Management and click on Project Application.

3. On the next generated screen, click on Research Permit Application.

4. A new Project Application (captured overleaf) form page is displayed next with three tabs at the
top – Key Information; Research Plans; Approvals; Documents.

Complete all the fields as required. Also note that if a tab contains any mandatory fields,
the tab itself will display the asterisk (*) symbol next to its name to indicate this, just as each
mandatory field does.

Multi-language Fields

Some fields are multi-lingual such as Title in this case (refer to screenshot overleaf).
This is a multi-language field. It allows you to record information in any language installed
in the system. The RIMS system is installed with British and American English. Click on the
tabs to switch between the languages. In each multi-language field you can use any
characters normally shown on the keyboard designed for that language.

At the bottom of the Edit page are three buttons.

Clicking the "Cancel" button will remove any changes you have made (since the last time
the record was Saved), and return to the List page.

Clicking the "Save" button will save any changes you have made to the record, and
remain in the Edit page.

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 The Approvals tab ordinarily remains disabled for the Researcher role. The information on
this tab can only be edited by Research Units that have been granted authority to edit the
information.

Clicking the "Save & close" button will save the changes you have made, and allow you to
select a status for the record, and return to the List page.

2.4.3 Assess Research Permit

Each application for Research Permit has a status. Any change in permit status triggers email
notification to the applicant.
The user role ‘Research Unit’ can view and therefore evaluate a new application for Research
Permit.

1. Logged on to the RIMS as ‘Research Unit’;

2. From the Dashboard, click on the Award Management button and proceed to click on Project
Application as shown on the next page;

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3. The next generated screen displays a list Research Permit Applications that have been received
by the currently logged-in organisation research unit officer;

4. To access and asses a Research Permit Application, locate the application by proposal title and
Principal Investigator name.

5. Click on edit on the research permit you wish to view and evaluate.

6. The next page brings up the submitted proposal. The research permit evaluation team can now
assess them application for research permit online.

7. Browse the Key Information, Research Plans and Documents tabs to appraise the respective
research permit application.

The Key Information tab contains the overall information about the permit application,
including the application reference number, title, principal investigator details, field of
research or discipline and co-researcher team details.

The Research Plans form captures all the key information about the research proposal.
Please note all fields denoted with an asterisk (*) are compulsory and must be filled in.

The Documents tabs gives access to the uploaded documents such as the scientific
proposal, CV etc.

8. Click on the Approvals tab to record assessment information.

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 2.4.4 Download Research Permit

Each application for Research Permit has a status thus any change in permit status triggers
email notification to the applicant. Therefore the applicant shall

2.5 Data Properties Configuration

The visibility rules determine which content is made visible to all internal users or external
users via the research portal respectively, and which status the content has to be in. Visibility
is defined per entity and it cannot be distinguished for different dynamic types. Visibility rules
are applied to content irrespectively of individual user role rights.

Visibility of specific content can be manipulated by entitled user roles, offering individual
control over visibility where this is necessary. The visibility defined by the user overrides the
settings defined in the visibility rules configuration. If the visibility of an item is changed
manually, the manually set visibility prevails.

•Internally visible content is visible to logged in users in RIMS. Users can search these entities
using header search and can access the browse pages of such content.

•Publicly visible content is visible to all users of the Research Portal.

2.6 Adding new/Editing Visibility Rules

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 To view the Visibility Rules, open Admin Settings -> Configuration -> Visibility Rules (under
Module Settings).

The visibility rules are also accessible from the entity configuration overview page.

The overview page shows the visibility rules for every entity in the data model. If new entity
types are added to the data model, Converis automatically creates the respective visibility rule.

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