CRIStin (Current Research Information System in Norway) is the national research information system of Norway, and is owned by the Ministry of Education and Research. CRIStin documents all scholarly publications by Norwegian researchers, and complements the BIBSYS database, which focuses on books. The CRIStin system includes the Norwegian Scientific Index. CRIStin is the successor of the earlier Forskdok, which was originally established by the University of Oslo. Forskdok was renamed Frida in 2003 and became a national system, named CRIStin, in 2010. CRIStin is the first database of its kind worldwide.
Norwegian Scientific Index
The Norwegian Scientific Index (Norwegian: Norsk vitenskapsindeks, NVI) is a comprehensive Norwegian bibliographic database established by the Norwegian government, aimed at covering all academic publication channels worldwide, i.e. academic journals, series with ISSN and scholarly presses. It is operated by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Research, and is a part of CRISTIN (Current Research Information System in Norway).
The index divides journals and publishers considered to meet scientific quality criteria (including peer review) into "level 1" and "level 2," where "level 2" is reserved for the internationally most prestigious journals and publishers within the discipline. "Level 2" status is granted by national expert committees for each discipline, and may only be given to 20% at most of all publication channels in a given discipline. "Level 1" status is given to all other journals and publishers considered to meet basic scientific criteria. Journals and publishers that are designated as not scientific are identified as "level 0." Funding of research institutions in Norway is partially tied to the Norwegian Scientific Index, and only recognised "level 1" or "level 2" publications generate funding, with publications in "level 2" journals/publishers leading to significantly increased funding compared to "level 1."
In 2009, a journal article published in a Level 1 journal (the most common level, including 80% or more of all peer-reviewed academic journals) led to the government funding of the author's institute being increased with 38,540 NOK (one point). An article in a Level 2 journal led to an allocation of 115,620 NOK (3 points). A monograph published on a Level 1 publisher led to an allocation of 192,700 NOK (5 points). A monograph published on a Level 2 publisher led to an allocation of 308,320 NOK (8 points). A chapter in an anthology published on a Level 1 publisher led to an allocation of 26,978 NOK (0.7 points). A chapter in an anthology published on a Level 2 publisher led to an allocation of 38,540 NOK (one point).
The Norwegian Scientific Index includes over 20,000 journals and publishers.
The responsibility for the European Reference Index for the Humanities and the Social Sciences, now called ERIH PLUS, was transferred from the European Science Foundation to the Norwegian Social Science Data Services in 2014 and is now available on the same website as the Norwegian Scientific Index.