The tool was developed by Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center, and was officially released to the open source community by Harvard University.
Profiles Research Networking Software is a form of social networking and expertise mining technology that facilitates collaboration among academic researchers. The web-based software utilises advanced algorithms that go beyond the display of directory information to encompass all of the professional connections individuals have accrued through their research communities.
Profiles Research Networking Software was developed under the supervision of Griffin Weber, chief technology officer of Harvard Medical School and assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, with the support of Harvard Catalyst.
Recombinant said that it has taken on responsibility for day-to-day software activities including setup, configuration, customisation, documentation, and integration services to third parties seeking to implement the technology at their own institution, while Harvard Catalyst remains focused on continued development of the software.
Additionally, Recombinant is also expected to be principally responsible for coordinating open source contributions, but the overall project is being managed via a governance committee chaired by Griffin Weber that others can join.
Peter Emerson, CEO of Recombinant Data, said: “Recombinant has been providing successful commercial open source support for a full range of NIH-funded tools such as the i2b2 Research Workbench and the Shared Health Research Information Network (SHRINE). Profiles Research Networking Software is another great product that is quickly gaining traction and looks as though it will become the standard across many research institutions.”