The Research Information System (FIS) – Forschungs-Informations-System) funded and published by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMDV) 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 BMDV, 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.
Project phases
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 In this context, outdated and redundant knowledge contents have been revised, summarised and deleted.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
Partners
Project duration
November 2008 – June 2011 and July 2011 – June 2015