About NWO

For a Faculty of Design Sciences, the extension of the Institutional Repository of the University of Antwerp (IRUA) with registration of non-written outcome (NWO) is significant. It is an asset for the development of its research conduct, for better validating individual research activity, for proper dissemination of its findings, and for enhancing its visibility at all levels (within the own university, within Flanders, and internationally).

The registration of NWO is still in its infancy. The initiative to expand the institutional repository corresponds to an international tendency to adopt more inclusive data collection policies regarding research activity, performance and impact. In line with this international tendency, an expert group of ECOOM – the Centre for Research & Development Monitoring of Flanders – investigated the option for registration of NWO in artistic research and the designing disciplines, and developed a template that secures the collection of a systematic set of specific meta-data (that are partially different from those for written outcomes), and that allows for linking the registered data not only to the institutional repositories of each Flemish university, but also to the FRIS portal (Flanders Research Information Space).

The ECOOM expert group has concluded that registration is meaningful, but that nevertheless there is a need to further develop a registration culture among the research groups and individual researchers.

The working group on NWO of the Faculty of Design Sciences aims to contribute to this call for developing a proper registration culture. The working group is composed of representatives of each research group within the faculty, and not only supports this further development – for instance by establishing this website, or by curating exhibitions - but also peer reviews the registrations before entering the IRUA, as a process of internal quality control.

In a first stage, the working group focusses on sensitizing researchers for registration, and increasing the visibility of this type of outcome. In a second stage, the focus will be redirected towards quality evaluation of research through the registered meta-data, and discuss aspects as peer-review and dissemination, as well as the issue of the registration of impact.

Members working group

• Guy Bovyn (Heritage and Sustainability)
• Johan De Walsche (chair, and member of the ECOOM expert group)
• Geert Driesen (Henry van de Velde)
• Uta Pottgiesser (Henry van de Velde)
• Patrick Storme (Heritage and Sustainability)
• Kristof Vaes (Product Development)
• Nathalie Vallet (vice-dean)
• Maarten Van Acker (Urban Development)
• Thomas Vanoutrive (Urban Development, chair OPO)
• Lukas Van Campenhout (Product Development)

Administrative staff

• Guy Mertens
• Griet Peeraer