International Journal of Information Science and Management (IJISM)

Developing Real-Time Research Data Visualization Dashboard for Academic Institutions and Libraries: Utilizing OpenAlex Database and Open-Source Software

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Vinod Kumar Mishra 1
Durga Sankar Rath 2
Bhaw Nath Pandey 3

1 Assistant Librarian (On Lien), National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Odisha, India, And Deputy Librarian, Tripura University, Tripura, India.

2 Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore West Bengal, India.

3 Associate Prof., Department of Library and Information Science, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India.

10.22034/ijism.2026.2057528.1780
Abstract
The case study proposed a solution for real-time research data visualization for academic Institutions. It developed a model of an interactive, real-time research data-visualization dashboard for academic institutions, using the OpenAlex database API and open-source tools such as Python, Flask, and Plotly. It compares OpenAlex and Scopus to assess the coverage of open-access databases and their future impact, highlighting API-based features for data visualization. Flask is utilized to build a dashboard (Web application) with API URLs, while HTML and CSS organize the charts, tables, colors, etc., on the front end for data visualization. The publication data of the top 10 QS-ranked universities were analyzed using both Scopus and OpenAlex to evaluate OpenAlex's potential as a reliable data source for research assessment and for the present study. The tools and the framework designed offer significant advantages to information professionals and libraries in creating an interactive, real-time research data visualization dashboard. Using publication counts at the institutional level as the unit of analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that OpenAlex coverage is strongly aligned with that of Scopus. The flexibility of the OpenAlex API permits seamless visualization of statistics through charts and graphs. The charts are downloadable from the dashboard and can be further embedded in websites/blogs; they streamline the report preparation process and data presentation for researchers and administrators, saving valuable time and effort. A literature review and online observation indicate that this research introduces a framework and dashboard, and that these services are not visible on any academic institution's website, making this idea novel. Although prior research has compared Scopus and OpenAlex, the novelty of this study lies in assessing their coverage based on publication data from the world’s top-ranked universities. Information professionals, libraries, and educational institutions can use the framework to develop real-time research-visualization dashboards. The study also supports academics in making informed decisions when choosing between proprietary and open-access databases and their APIs.

Keywords

Data Visualization
Plotly
Open-Source Software
OpenAlex
Open Access
API
Subjects
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International Journal of Information Science and Management (IJISM)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 June 2026

  • Receive Date 09 April 2025
  • Accept Date 10 June 2026

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