Sometimes a Name is Not Enough - Update
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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