Heinz W. Schmidt ANZSRC Codes

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (www.abs.gov.au) classifies research fields and socio-economic fields for statistical purposes. These codes are used routinely in grant applications, and research performance measures, such as the publications data collection. Formerly RFCD, the Fields of Research (FoR) codes are now (2009) redefined for Australia and New Zealand to cater for a better classification under ERA.

My grants and publications are dominantly in Software Engineering which is classified under 'Computer Software' (details below). Finally the ABS has revised their outdated classification which forced many scientist to classify their research under 'Other' due the lack of following international classification.

Luckily 'Software/Software Engineering' is reasonably well-defined internationally and acceptably structured and represented in both the old RFCD and the new FoR codes. While details are missing, the Australian codes resemble the top of the taxonomy tree jointly agreed by the IEEE-CS and ACM. (Follow the Software Engineering link.) Unfortunately the applications in which I am applying my research, i.e., real-time systems, industrial control, parallel systems, grids, scientific computing are not so lucky. In FoR some of them are now included. Interestingly 'bioinformatics software' made it under Computer Software while distributed systems has a new code of its own now at the very top, although structured differently from international classifications and opportunistically placing terms together, as the Australian research may not be as 'critical mass' as yet, while these domains become much more main-stream internationally. But watch this space!

More info on the classification can be found at the ABS ANZSRC SITE. A local copy of the the Information and Computing Sicences code is included below.

Heinz' FoRs and RFCDs

This note is to assist administrators with classification of my publications and grants.

The ERA process for Mathematics, Information and Computing Sciences (MIC) [2009]

MIC is cluster 5. For ERA, disciplines are defined by 4-digit codes. Thus cluster 5 consists of several disciplines. For each discipline research quality and volume is determined. Volume is possibly normalised per activity, i.e., per capita. Thus volume and activity are measuring staffing and output profile per institution per discipline. Indicators include total outputs, research income and citation analysis or peer assessment (depending on discipline). Discipline codes will be sorted and a volume threshold applies to determine critical mass at institutions for each 4-digit discipline and thus benchmark across institution. Aggregate information will be computed for the institutions at 2-digit level.

Notes: In the case of low volume for a 4-digit code, volume may be aggregated at the 2-digit level but not higher. CRC income counts only for those years where institutions reported it. Quality is determined ranking of outlets and either by citation analysis or peer review.

Quote ERA: "As ERA is a discipline-based research evaluation exercise, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research will be disaggregated based on its discipline components."

The rules for particular disciplines vary and include different quantitative approaches and different degrees of peer review per discipline, i.e., per 4-digit code. One of the indicators in CS is the tiered outlet ranking, for which consultation with CORE has occurred. The battle regarding the relevance of conferences has been won, like in the UK. Indicator methodologies have been developed in accordance with international best practice. At this stage not all MIC methodologies are public. We hope that citation indices will include key scholarly digital search engines too, such as DBLP Trier, Google Scholar and Citeseer. Prof Linda Butler from the ANU is part of the ARC indicators development team as is Prof Max King from Maonsh University. Linda has published a number of critical articles on quantitative indicators. See also:

Note that institutions may identify research themes and tag the data provided to ERA with two institutional codes and two research theme codes. This will be used for recompiling the data but not for evaluation purposes in ERA.

Relevant FoR codes for the ERA Panel Mathematics, Information and Computing Sciences

DIVISION 08 INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

This division covers information and computing sciences.

This division has eight groups:

0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

0802 Computation Theory and Mathematics

0803 Computer Software

0804 Data Format

0805 Distributed Computing

0806 Information Systems

0807 Library and Information Studies

0899 Other Information and Computing Sciences

Exclusions:

a) Mathematics not associated with computer science is included in Division 01 Mathematical Sciences.

b) Cheminformatics is included in Group 0304 Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry.

c) The development of computer software, other than mathematics and bioinformatics software, which has applications to fields other than Division 08 Information and Computing Sciences is included in the appropriate divisions, e.g. computer modelling for atmospheric research is included in Division 04 Earth Sciences; software development for forest management is included in Division 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences.

d) Bioinformatics is included in Group 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

e) Mechatronics for automotive engineering are included in Group 0902 Automotive Engineering.

f) Signal processing and non-manufacturing robotics are included in Group 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

g) Geospatial information systems are included in Group 0909 Geomatic Engineering.

h) Manufacturing robotics, mechatronics (excluding automotive applications) and CAD/CAM systems are included in

Group 0910 Manufacturing Engineering.

i) Communications technologies are included in Group 1005 Communications Technologies.

j) Development of computer hardware is included in Group 1006 Computer Hardware.

k) Health information systems, including surveillance, are included in Group 1117 Public Health and Health Services.

l) Business records and information management and business information systems are included in Group 1503 Business and Management.

m) Computer perception, memory and attention are included in Group 1702 Cognitive Sciences.

n) Computational linguistics is included in Group 2004 Linguistics.

o) Archival, repository and related studies is included in Group 2102 Curatorial and Related Studies.

p) History and philosophy of science is included in Group 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields.

GROUP 0801 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND IMAGE PROCESSING

This group covers artificial intelligence, expert systems and image processing.

It includes:

✦ technologies supplementing or supporting information systems or presentation, such as computer graphics, natural language processing, pattern recognition and data mining; and

✦ virtual and artificial realities and related simulation.

This group has twelve fields:

080101 Adaptive Agents and Intelligent Robotics

080102 Artificial Life

080103 Computer Graphics

080104 Computer Vision

080105 Expert Systems

080106 Image Processing

080107 Natural Language Processing

080108 Neural, Evolutionary and Fuzzy Computation

080109 Pattern Recognition and Data Mining

080110 Simulation and Modelling

080111 Virtual Reality and Related Simulation

080199 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Signal processing and non-manufacturing robotics are included in Group 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

b) Manufacturing robotics is included in Group 0910 Manufacturing Engineering.

c) Computer perception, memory and attention are included in Group 1702 Cognitive Sciences.

d) Computational linguistics is included in Group 2004 Linguistics.

GROUP 0802 COMPUTATION THEORY AND MATHEMATICS

This group covers computation theory and mathematics of computing.

This group has six fields:

080201 Analysis of Algorithms and Complexity

080202 Applied Discrete Mathematics

080203 Computational Logic and Formal Languages

080204 Mathematical Software

080205 Numerical Computation

080299 Computation Theory and Mathematics not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Mathematics not associated with computer science is included in Division 01 Mathematical Sciences.

GROUP 0803 COMPUTER SOFTWARE

This group covers technologies related to computer software, software programming, computer languages and software

operating systems.

This group has ten fields:

080301 Bioinformatics Software

080302 Computer System Architecture

080303 Computer System Security

080304 Concurrent Programming

080305 Multimedia Programming

080306 Open Software

080307 Operating Systems

080308 Programming Languages

080309 Software Engineering

080399 Computer Software not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Bioinformatics is included in Group 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

b) Mathematics software is included in Group 0802 Computation Theory and Mathematics.

GROUP 0804 DATA FORMAT

This group covers data format technologies in the information and computing sciences.

This group has five fields:

080401 Coding and Information Theory

080402 Data Encryption

080403 Data Structures

080404 Markup Languages

080499 Data Format not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Systems for communicating encrypted data are included in Group 1005 Communications Technologies.

GROUP 0805 DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING

This group covers computing distributed over multiple independent systems. It includes web technologies.

This group has six fields:

080501 Distributed and Grid Systems

080502 Mobile Technologies

080503 Networking and Communications

080504 Ubiquitous Computing

080505 Web Technologies (excl. Web Search)

080599 Distributed Computing not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Web services are included in Group 0806 Information Systems.

b) Web search is included in Group 0807 Library and Information Studies.

c) Hardware for data communication is included in Group 1005 Communication Technologies.

d) Computer hardware is included in Group 1006 Computer Hardware.

GROUP 0806 INFORMATION SYSTEMS

This group covers information systems.

It includes:

✦ computer and information systems organisation, design and management;

✦ interfaces and presentation, including computer-human interaction, and the application of psychology to computer-human interfaces;

✦ web services other than web search;

✦ traditional information and knowledge systems; and

✦ systems theory and conceptual modelling.

This group has fifteen fields:

080601 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Information and Knowledge Systems

080602 Computer-Human Interaction

080603 Conceptual Modelling

080604 Database Management

080605 Decision Support and Group Support Systems

080606 Global Information Systems

080607 Information Engineering and Theory

080608 Information Systems Development Methodologies

080609 Information Systems Management

080610 Information Systems Organisation

080611 Information Systems Theory

080612 Interorganisational Information Systems and Web Services

080613 Maori Information and Knowledge Systems

080614 Pacific Peoples Information and Knowledge Systems

080699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Organisation and retrieval of information is included in Group 0807 Library and Information Studies.

b) Geospatial information systems are included in Group 0909 Geomatic Engineering.

c) Development of computer hardware is included in Group 1006 Computer Hardware.

d) Health information systems, including surveillance, are included in Group 1117 Public Health and Health Services.

e) Business information systems are included in Group 1503 Business and Management.

GROUP 0807 LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES

This group covers library and information studies.

It includes:

✦ management, organisation and retrieval of information and knowledge;

✦ librarianship; and

✦ research on how information is used.

This group has ten fields:

080701 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Management

080702 Health Informatics

080703 Human Information Behaviour

080704 Information Retrieval and Web Search

080705 Informetrics

080706 Librarianship

080707 Organisation of Information and Knowledge Resources

080708 Records and Information Management (excl. Business Records and Information Management)

080709 Social and Community Informatics

080799 Library and Information Studies not elsewhere classified

Exclusions:

a) Cheminformatics is included in Group 0304 Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry.

b) Bioinformatics is included in Group 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

c) Organisation of information systems is included in Group 0806 Information Systems.

d) Business records and information management is included in Group 1503 Business and Management.

e) Archival, repository and related studies is included in Group 2102 Curatorial and Related Studies.

GROUP 0899 OTHER INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

This group covers information and computing sciences not elsewhere classified.

This group has one field:

089999 Information and Computing Sciences not elsewhere classified