Sometimes a Name is Not Enough - Update

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Cite this blog as Habermann, T. (2020). Sometimes a Name is Not Enough - Update. Front Matter. https://doi.org/10.59350/ec8fd-s5t94

Last October I pulled together a list of organization names that occur multiple times in the ROR database. These non-unique organization names represent the most extreme case of the essential problem that RORs are trying to address, ambiguous affiliations. They can cause problems in automated ROR search algorithms that use only affiliation strings. The ROR database includes supporting information that can help address some of these ambiguities. Use it if you have it! If you don’t, the data included here can help avoid some kinds of mistakes.

During October, I identified 778 non-unique names that occurred 2090 times. A new version of the ROR database was released recently, so I wanted to update the list. The number of non-unique names decreased to 732 with 1960 occurrences. The non-unique organization data are available here.

A second related problem has emerged in searching the Dryad Repository for RORs: use of acronyms as affiliations strings. It is well known that using acronyms in academic literature without introduction, i.e. spelling them out first, should be avoided. The same is certainly true for affiliations. The ROR database includes almost 40,000 acronyms and 4,928 are used multiple times. Together the non-unique acronyms are used over 17,000 times. The non-unique acronyms data is here.

One particularly pernicious case is acronyms that are also abbreviations for U.S. States and Countries. These acronyms are common in affiliation strings that include addresses along with organization names (another practice that should be avoided when possible). Examples of these problems for U.S. States and the two most common countries (USA and UK) are shown in this Table. Keep an eye out for these organizations and RORs in your data – they could be incorrect.

State

ROR

Country

Organization

AK

https://ror.org/027vj6z88

United States

International College of Applied Kinesiology-USA

AK

https://ror.org/00zdzzf56

Austria

Chamber of Labour

AZ

https://ror.org/03ma9wk70

India

AstraZeneca (India)

AR

https://ror.org/05tt6ka81

United States

Associated Radiologists

CA

https://ror.org/050p5ky47

United States

CollegeAmerica

GA

https://ror.org/02prx6004

Germany

Generic Assays (Germany)

GA

https://ror.org/01j78w442

United States

Germantown Academy

GA

https://ror.org/058n53b84

United Kingdom

Geographical Association

HI

https://ror.org/01ty7bz40

United States

Humanities Iowa

HI

https://ror.org/00sngv739

Germany

Herder Institute

HI

https://ror.org/00darzp70

United States

Health Innovations (United States)

ID

https://ror.org/00w7etd19

United Kingdom

Independent Dance

IN

https://ror.org/0240rwx68

Italy

Neuroscience Institute

IN

https://ror.org/000nhpy59

Spain

Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante

IA

https://ror.org/044mbfr67

Canada

Institute of Aging

IA

https://ror.org/04e5d6174

India

Indian Army

IA

https://ror.org/006bxqs05

Portugal

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

KS

https://ror.org/029znv963

Norway

Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities

KS

https://ror.org/00f96dc95

United States

Kamehameha Schools

LA

https://ror.org/017d9yp59

France

Laboratoire d'Aérologie

ME

https://ror.org/02xv42m49

Portugal

Ministry of Education

ME

https://ror.org/00ck9ex56

Malta

Malta Enterprise

ME

https://ror.org/058zzep76

Italy

Museo Egizio

MD

https://ror.org/01mke9645

Brazil

Ministry of Defence

MI

https://ror.org/043esfj33

United States

Medical Institute for Sexual Health

MI

https://ror.org/01efzmh71

United States

Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

MI

https://ror.org/03t9wc557

France

Medical innovation (France)

MI

https://ror.org/05g1gph86

Canada

Nutrition International

MS

https://ror.org/043fwdk81

United Kingdom

Multiple Sclerosis Society

MS

https://ror.org/00aphdz18

United States

Morgan Stanley (United States)

MS

https://ror.org/00hc2mf91

Brazil

Microsoft (Brazil)

MO

https://ror.org/01heyg366

France

Musée d'Orsay

MT

https://ror.org/02n1hzn07

United States

Middle Tennessee State University

NE

https://ror.org/05tj7dm33

United States

Office of Nuclear Energy

NC

https://ror.org/05ngeh012

United States

Northwestern College - Illinois

NC

https://ror.org/049ezvq17

Czechia

Newton College

NC

https://ror.org/01kc9gs57

United Kingdom

Northampton College

OR

https://ror.org/0178qr782

Switzerland

Oral Reconstruction Foundation

PA

https://ror.org/0562sdw81

United States

Phillips Academy

PA

https://ror.org/0310kd428

Pakistan

Pakistan Army

PA

https://ror.org/048qnxy85

United States

Pulmonary Associates

PA

https://ror.org/0086v0m15

United States

Consumer Healthcare Products Association

PA

https://ror.org/0409tje58

United Kingdom

Press Association

PA

https://ror.org/044v30149

United States

People's Action

RI

https://ror.org/037m83a38

United Kingdom

Royal Institution of Great Britain

RI

https://ror.org/04jpp6j90

United Kingdom

Rothamsted International

RI

https://ror.org/05dvpaj72

United States

The Rogosin Institute

RI

https://ror.org/04yaxh485

Singapore

Raffles Institution

RI

https://ror.org/032hzqh22

Czechia

Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment

SC

https://ror.org/04t104d61

United States

Southwestern College - Kansas

SC

https://ror.org/05njdn771

United States

Stiefvater Consultants (United States)

UT

https://ror.org/03z77qz90

Estonia

University of Tartu

UT

https://ror.org/03g9v2404

Albania

University of Tirana

UT

https://ror.org/057zh3y96

Japan

University of Tokyo

UT

https://ror.org/05vf56z40

Iran

University of Tehran

UT

https://ror.org/007h1g065

United States

University of Tampa

UT

https://ror.org/020f3ap87

United States

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

UT

https://ror.org/011bqgx84

Colombia

University of Tolima

UT

https://ror.org/039e7bg24

Taiwan

University of Taipei

UT

https://ror.org/04y8eg478

Mexico

Universidad Tecnológica de Nayarit

UT

https://ror.org/05yq37p91

Brazil

Centro Universitário do Leste de Minas Gerais

UT

https://ror.org/05nfkgg69

Senegal

Université de Thiès

UT

https://ror.org/03zwesg40

Indonesia

Indonesia Open University

UT

https://ror.org/00vab0213

Lebanon

University of Tripoli Lebanon

UT

https://ror.org/04n3n8t23

South Korea

U-Tel (South Korea)

WI

https://ror.org/006nw5s10

Canada

Wellesley Institute

WI

https://ror.org/03b9pqg16

Indonesia

The Wahid Institute

USA

https://ror.org/01s7b5y08

United States

University of South Alabama

USA

https://ror.org/00afsp483

United States

United States Army

USA

https://ror.org/02hda4733

Philippines

University of San Agustin

USA

https://ror.org/01sfz7q36

Pakistan

University of South Asia

USA

https://ror.org/00sx7n004

United States

University Surgical Associates

UK

https://ror.org/03e47dk66

Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy

Argentina

UK

https://ror.org/04j9dfg85

Kongo University

Democratic Republic of the Congo

UK

https://ror.org/001pma463

University of Kara

Togo

UK

https://ror.org/04sdbjc29

Kristal University

Albania