Where are we now?
With just over 10 days until the launch of the new RIS the team is finalising details including applying permissions and fixing any remaining bugs.
After release, we will continue to implement further enhancements including notifications and to look ahead to integration with the REF2021 submission system.
So what has changed?
A summary of the changes has been included below. Further details on all of these changes can be discussed at any of the awareness raising sessions or training drop-ins.
| Old RIS | New RIS |
| Multiple authors would add the same output | One output will mean one record. Additional authors can be added to a record, removing the need for duplication of efforts. This will benefit all users, ensuring rich metadata and one version of the truth. |
| Reports take a long time to produce and data is often managed outside of RIS due to concerns around data integrity | Additional reporting functionality will be available to support continuous assessment and to ensure we have an accurate view of our position ahead of submission in 2020. This will benefit all UoAs, providing additional information quickly to allow our REF submission to be optimised. |
| Impact Case Studies and Environment narratives not able to be shared within RIS until submission | Updates to the permissions in RIS mean that Impact Case Studies and Environment narratives can be made visible to members of the UoA for feedback once at an agreed point. |
| Assessment managed in a number of ways across Colleges/Schools | UoAs can toggle on and off whether scores are visible to staff. |
What next?
The current RIS will not be accessible from Monday 21st October. The new RIS will be populated by content from the current RIS and will be live on Tuesday 22nd October. From this point onwards, this will be the only RIS is use.
Help and support
A number of training sessions will be held over the coming weeks to assist users with undertaking tasks such as adding an output or uploading Impact Case Studies and Environment Narratives. Please feel free to drop in to any of the following sessions:
RIS training drop-in sessions:
- Wednesday
16th October 2-4pm, SoM109 PC Lab, Bay
- Thursday 17th October 12.30-1.30, Training Room 1, Level 2 Library, Singleton
- Tuesday 22nd October 1-2pm, Training Room 1, Level 2 Library, Singleton
- Monday 28th October 12.30-1.30, Training Room 1, Level 2 Library, Singleton
What if I have a problem?
A comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) will be made available from Monday 21st October, ahead of the new system launching. A link to this information will be circulated at the time.
If you have any queries please contact Laura Bailey (laura.bailey@swansea.ac.uk) and/or Andrew Burrows (a.j.burrows@swansea.ac.uk). We will of course keep you up-to-date on progress and training will be provided should the changes to the system necessitate this.