Research Information System for Mobility, Transport and Urban Development (FIS – Forschungs-Informations-System)

The Research Information System (FIS) – Forschungs-Informations-System) funded and published by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS) is an internet-based knowledge platform. Since 2001, the FIS supplies and presents knowledge and research studies from the fields of mobility, transport and urban development. As an instrument of policy advice, it should establish a knowledge transfer from science and research into transport-related practice for various political levels and planning levels.

Synthesis reports are the central element of FIS and provide this knowledge in a compressed way. Synthesis reports of each topic area are interlinked, structured and hierarchised via knowledge maps.

The FIS consists of the three components "Management and Coordination", "FIS Analysis Areas (AWB)" and "Technical Support".

Project

Along with the project partner, Division Research Management of TÜV Rheinland, the DLR Institute of Transport Research manages and coordinates the FIS. In cooperation with the technical coordination and in agreement with the BMVBS, the different areas are interlinked in terms of content and organisation and the FIS Analysis Areas are coordinated.

Objectives

The overall objective is to manage the FIS in terms of organisation and content as well as technical-organisational within the framework of a project management. This includes the continual improvement and development of the system, the achievement of a higher degree of notoriety and the increase of the number of users.

Approach

Both project partners plan and implement project meetings, workshops and conferences with the contracting entity and institutions responsible for content maintenance and analysis (AWB).

The creation of new knowledge maps and synthesis reports is prepared by the identification, definition and coordination of new topics.

To assure the quality, a clearly defined audit process ensures the quality standards in terms of form and content.

Newsletters are provided to communicate with users and as marketing tools. The FIS will be presented at events and in publications.

Beispiel: Wissenslandkarte "Güterverkehrsentwicklung in Deutschland" (Stand 13.01.2012) Quelle: http://www.forschungsinformationssystem.de/servlet/is/293800/

Project phases

• 2008 – 2010 Relaunch
• 2010 – 2011 Consolidation
• 2011 – 2014 Expansion and Development

Results

In the course of the FIS system’s relaunch in 2010, a structure including all relevant subjects was introduced to improve networking of the knowledge maps. In this context, outdated and redundant knowledge contents have been revised, summarised and deleted. New knowledge maps were identified, developed and quality assured to be established. Technically, the layout of the website was updated in a contemporary way.

Newsletters were published, regular FIS workshops were held and a FIS conference was organised during the project.

A survey of FIS users has shown that the user-friendliness has been improved and the targeted search for knowledge contents has been facilitated. The number of users is rising continuously.

Contracting entity

• Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS) - Research and Development Policy Issues Division

Partners

• DLR – Institute of Transport Research
• TÜV Rheinland Consulting GmbH
  Division Research Management
  Project Group BMVBS

Project duration

November 2008 – June 2011 and
July 2011 – June 2014