While full service documentation will be released with the launch of the RDN this summer, consult this page in the meantime for further information.
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Using the RDN
Accounts on the RDN will be available to the following groups:
- Faculty researchers
- Post-doctoral researchers
- Librarians/archivists
Note that the RDN governance group may consider opening access to additional groups in the future.
No, the RDN service will be centrally-funded and free to use for all eligible researchers.
Yes, you will be able to grant others secure access to your RDN account to update your profile and/or CV information.
Functionality
Every account on the RDN provides access to the platform's two main components:
- Profiles: Create profiles on the network for you, your research group(s), and research resources (e.g., equipment) for discovery by visitors to the network
- CV Management: Manage your academic and funding CVs - this includes a full integration with the Canadian Common CV (CCV) and built-in error checks for funding CV templates (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC, etc.)
Note that further information about how to use these features will be released when the RDN launches this summer.
Initially, the RDN will feature two key data integrations:
- PeopleSoft: will automatically populate and update your profile's membership information (e.g., name, faculty/department, email, phone, etc.)
- Canadian Common CV (CCV): import your complete CCV to your RDN account
However, once the RDN is launched, a major ongoing priority will be to introduce additional data automation enhancements.
Additionally, the long-term vision for the RDN is as the 'source-of-truth' for researcher data at Queen's, such that it can be used to feed other researcher profiles across the Queen's digital ecosystem (e.g., Faculty / Department site profile).
Research on RDN will be organized by theme, using the recently released Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC) , a standard developed by the Tri-Agency.
To learn more about how research themes will work on the RDN, please consult the Research Themes section of the UNIWeb Help Centre (by Proximify).
Connections on the RDN are powered by the research theme tags you attach to your profile, with anyone using common tags appearing in your Research Connections map.
Besides your profile, you can also add research theme tags to your groups, publications, resources, and research places, increasing your discoverability on the network by ensuring these items appear in users' search results.
To learn more about how tagging will work on the RDN, please consult the Tagging with Research Themes section of the UNIWeb Help Centre (by Proximify).
The advantage of the RDN is in its connecting power, breaking down traditional academic silos and allowing researchers from disparate disciplines to connect for impactful collaborations. The network will also be the go-to destination for external stakeholders looking for Queen's experts, with visitors from industry, the media, community groups, or prospective graduate/post-graduate students quickly and easily discovering you and your research!
The implementation and ongoing oversight of the RDN service is guided by the following governance groups:
- A cross-institutional working group consisting of research administration and communications staff from Vice-Principal (Research), the six Faculties and Schools, University Relations, along with support from IT Services
- A steering committee consisting of the Vice-Principal (Research) and the six Associate Deans (Research)
After conducting an intensive market scan of available discovery network platforms, including interviews with client institutions across North America, the RDN governance group evaluated UNIWeb as the most suitable technology to meet Queen’s requirements, including:
- intelligent/active connections (i.e., system-generated connections, based on common interests)
- simple, user-friendly interface
- full integration with the Canadian Common CV (CCV)
- Canadian vendor preferred, with other Canadian client institutions
To learn more about UNIWeb and its vendor (Proximify), please consult Proximify's website .