Migrating to a new RIMS is rarely a clean copy. Legacy data is inconsistent, partially duplicated, and structured for a different system. A disciplined migration playbook prevents importing old problems into a new platform.
The principle: reconcile, don't just transfer
The goal is not to move records as-is but to land a clean, reconciled dataset. Migration is an opportunity to fix attribution and duplication, not preserve it — the essence of a single source of truth.
A migration playbook
- Inventory and assess — what exists, where, and how reliable it is.
- Define the target model — the entities and relationships the new RIMS expects.
- Reconcile against authoritative sources — rebuild from Scopus, OpenAlex, ORCID, Crossref, and Scimago rather than trusting legacy fields; see how ingestion works.
- Validate against known truth — sample units and confirm before cut-over.
- Cut over with a fallback — keep the old system readable until the new one is trusted.
Why source-led migration wins
Rebuilding the record from authoritative sources, then layering institutional specifics, produces a cleaner result than lifting-and-shifting legacy data — and it is faster to trust.
Frequently asked questions
Will we lose historical data? No — historical outputs are recovered from sources and reconciled, often more completely than the legacy record held them.
How long does migration take? It is part of implementation; see the implementation timeline.
Getting started
Discover RIMS migrates by reconciling from authoritative sources, not by importing legacy inconsistency — see the end-to-end buying guide.