Austin Health excels at research output - but how do we know?

Abstract

Background: Austin Health Research Online (AHRO) has been designed by the Austin Health Sciences Library to capture the research outputs from our vibrant research precinct. As of August 2020, the repository has nearly 10,000 entries published by Austin Health and Austin LifeSciences researchers. Methods: Metadata is harvested from PubMed and uploaded into AHRO. The Library team creates and manages author and affiliation authorities to ensure search integrity. Copyright compliance is adhered to, with open access articles available in full-text. The repository supports compliance under funding mandates for digital accessibility as required by grant bodies such as NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council), MRFF (Medical Research Future Fund) and ARC (Australian Research Council), and supports the effective management of research data and information; research data can be stored as needed. Results: Recording publications in a single central database increases options for sharing and showcasing research outputs. In 2020, Austin Health authored 39 papers per week and to date has contributed to 45 publications on COVID-19. AHRO is used to provide research activity trends and benchmarking for hospital departments, collaborative research centres such as DARE (Data Analytics Research and Evaluation), and research partners including ONJCRI (Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute) and IBAS (Institute for Breathing and Sleep). Conclusion: This open access repository increases the exposure and impact of Austin research by improving visibility and availability through global search engines such as Google and Trove (Australia’s national repository) and social media platforms.