Academic Tracker: Software for tracking and reporting publications associated with authors and grants

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics
• Scientific Publishing
• Research Administration

Background:

• United States federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) mandate public access to funded research.
• Compliance with these public access policies is typically enforced through annual and final grant reports, requiring registration of all peer-reviewed publications.
• Failure to report publications accurately and on time can lead to significant administrative delays, including issues with report acceptance and funding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the administrative burden of tracking and reporting publications for large collaborative research efforts.
• To develop a software solution that automates the process of identifying and compiling research outputs for grant reporting.

Main Methods:

• Developed 'Academic Tracker,' a Python 3 software package compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS.
• The software searches major publication databases (PubMed, Crossref, ORCID, Google Scholar) using author lists.
• Academic Tracker offers customizable reporting templates for various administrative needs.

Main Results:

• Academic Tracker automates the comprehensive search for peer-reviewed publications associated with given authors.
• The software facilitates the generation of customized reports tailored to the specific requirements of funding agencies.
• The tool is readily installable via the Python Package Index and its source code is available on GitHub.

Conclusions:

• Academic Tracker effectively reduces the administrative burden associated with research publication tracking and reporting for federally funded projects.
• The software enhances compliance with public access policies, ensuring timely and accurate reporting to agencies like the NIH and NSF.
• This tool supports efficient management of research outputs, particularly beneficial for large, multi-investigator collaborations.