DRAFT
To ensure the uniformity and quality of data research organizations need to provide certain required data fields for each publication they store to VIRTA (see chart below). For data collection, the publications are classified based on features such as their format (publication type classification), scientific quality (publication forum) and contents (field of scientific classification). The information can also be supplemented with optional data fields in addition to the required data. The data must also fulfil certain technical criteria. List of all collected field for each publication can be found here.
Classifications are used in an attempt to harmonise the knowledge base required for evaluating the publication activities of Finnish research organisations. The purpose of the publication data collected and the classifications applied to them is also to serve as a general national standard for outlining publication activities not only in the monitoring of research activities, but also in materials such as researcher CVs or publication lists attached to funding applications.
As owners of the data the research organizations that produce the data sent to VIRTA are responsible for the validity of the data and for keeping the data updated. After each data transfer the organization receives a message of possible errors so that the data information can be supplemented. Organizations can correct and complement the data at any time. However, for the Ministry for Education and Culture data collection the data information of the statistical year must be filled within the timetable defined for the certain data collection.
