PURE FAQs

1. About PURE

1.1 What is PURE?

PURE is the University of Reading’s new research information system. It will bring together information about researchers, research activity and research outputs in one place, providing a more consistent source of information for managing, reporting and showcasing our research.

PURE will support:

  • research reporting and management
  • researcher profiles and visibility
  • REF preparation and reporting
  • recording research impact, engagement and other activities
  • promotion and recognition processes
  • making the University’s research and expertise more discoverable to internal and external audiences.

 

1.2 When will PURE be introduced?

PURE will be rolled out in phases.

From October to December 2026, the focus will be on establishing PURE within the University, embedding new ways of working and enhancing profile information.

From January to March 2027, we will prepare for and launch the PURE Portal, providing a public showcase for research at Reading.

 

1.3 What will change first?

The first major change will be research output deposit. Once this part of PURE goes live, researchers will deposit new outputs through PURE rather than directly into CentAUR.

CentAUR will remain the University’s full-text research repository, with PURE becoming the entry point for new deposits. Existing requirements for deposit, including Open Access requirements, will remain unchanged.

 

2. PURE profiles

2.1 Who will have a PURE profile?

All research staff, research students, including PGR and MPhil students, and technicians will have a PURE profile by default.

Relevant Professional Services colleagues involved in research may also be able to have a profile, depending on their role.

 

2.2 What information will my profile contain?

Your PURE profile can bring together information including:

  • your name, role and organisational affiliation
  • research interests and areas of expertise
  • publications and other research outputs
  • research projects
  • awards
  • impact
  • prizes and recognition
  • media activity and professional contributions
  • research datasets
  • other research activities.

Not all information held in PURE will be publicly available. Some information will only be available to appropriate users within the University.

 

2.3 Will I have to create my profile from scratch?

No. Much of your information will already come from existing University systems. PURE will draw information from sources including:

  • iTrent for staff information
  • RISIS for research student information
  • CentAUR for historic publications and outputs
  • Worktribe for research applications and awards as the relevant integration is introduced

This means that for many types of information, you will be reviewing, checking and enhancing what is already there rather than creating everything from scratch. You will also be able to add information that is not currently captured systematically, including prizes and activities such as conferences, visits and external roles.

 

2.4 Will information come from external sources too?

External research system integrations are planned to be introduced progressively rather than all being available at the initial go-live.

Systems currently being considered include Newsflo, Scopus, Web of Science, ORCID, Crossref, DataCite, Altmetric, PlumX, SciVal and Espacenet.

 

2.5 Will I need to keep my information up to date?

Yes. Keeping your PURE information accurate and current will help make sure your research is represented correctly.

Information held in PURE will support REF and, in the longer term, other University processes including promotion and workload models.

Your PURE information will also form the basis of your public PURE profile, so keeping it current will help ensure external audiences see an accurate picture of your research and expertise.

 

3. The PURE Portal and public profiles

3.1 What is the PURE Portal?

The PURE Portal will provide a public showcase for research at Reading, making our research and expertise more visible and accessible to external audiences.

Public profiles can help external colleagues, potential collaborators, funders and others discover researchers and their areas of expertise.

 

3.2 Will I need to create a separate profile for the PURE Portal?

No. The information held in PURE will form the basis of your public PURE profile. You will not need to create a second profile for the Portal.

 

3.3 Will everything in PURE be publicly visible?

No. Not everything held in PURE will appear publicly.

Some information will only be available to appropriate internal users. Users will also be able to choose whether certain activities and achievements are made public. Research outputs made public through approved workflows will appear publicly, while awards will generally be public unless confidential.

Further guidance will explain what information will be publicly visible and what you need to review or manage before the Portal launches.

 

3.4 Who will have a public profile?

Research staff, research students and technicians will have public Portal profiles by default.

Individuals will be able to opt out or request that their profile is not made public.

 

4. PURE and other University systems

4.1 Will PURE replace CentAUR?

No.

CentAUR will remain the University’s full-text research repository.

What will change is how you deposit new research outputs. Once PURE goes live, researchers will deposit new outputs through PURE rather than directly into CentAUR. PURE will store the metadata and act as the entry point for new deposits.

All other requirements for deposit, including Open Access requirements, remain unchanged.

 

4.2 Will PURE replace the Research Data Archive?

No. The Research Data Archive will continue to provide the University's dedicated service for research data.

Information about datasets may be included within PURE to help users discover research data and related activity, but PURE will not replace the Research Data Archive itself.

 

4.3 How will PURE and Worktribe work together?

Worktribe will continue to support the management of research applications and awards and, as relevant modules are introduced, other post-award activity.

Information about applications and awards will be shared with PURE through an integration between the systems. This is intended to reduce the need for researchers to enter the same information in both systems.

 

4.4 Will PURE replace ROSS?

Yes. Researchers will be able to nominate outputs for REF assessment through PURE.

The ROSS Tool in CentAUR will be decommissioned once the REF reviews functionality in PURE is live.

 

4.5 Will PURE replace existing reporting tools?

Not all of them.

PURE will provide a central source of research information to support University reporting, research management and planning, as well as future REF preparation and reporting.

Tools such as Power BI will continue to be used where aggregated data and advanced reporting are required.

 

5. What do I need to do?

5.1 What do I need to do now?

Ahead of PURE's launch, there will be a pause in uploading research outputs into CentAUR during October/November. The exact date is still to be confirmed.

For now, the most important thing is to make sure you are up to date with research outputs that need to be deposited in CentAUR and that Open Access requirements are met.

Further information will be provided before the pause takes place.

 

5.2 What will I need to do once PURE becomes available?

As PURE is introduced, you will be asked to:

  1. deposit new research outputs through PURE rather than directly into CentAUR
  2. access and review your PURE profile
  3. check that information about you and your research is accurate
  4. add or enhance information where needed, particularly your research interests and expertise
  5. review what information is publicly visible
  6. use the guidance and support available to help you get the most from PURE.

You do not need to do everything immediately. Communications and guidance will explain what you need to do and when as PURE is rolled out.

 

6. Further information and support

6.1 Where can I find out more?

The main PURE information page will be updated as implementation progresses, with further guidance and support added as it becomes available.

Updates will also be shared through University research communications.

If you have a question about the PURE implementation, contact PURE@reading.ac.uk.