While these two kinds of systems were once seen as competing with each other, nowadays they tend to work together via efficient mechanisms for information exchange around research outputs and their associated metadata. Recent developments in furthering the interoperability between these systems has led to their merging into a single CRIS/repository systems. This is the so-called CRIS/repository integration.

CRIS surveys are regularly conducted in order to capture a snapshot of what is traditionally a swiftly evolving landscape.