Academic Analytics vs Interfolio at UIC
What’s the difference—and when should you use each?
text 1
UIC offers two complementary systems that support faculty success, but they serve very different purposes. Understanding the distinction will help you quickly choose the right tool for your needs.
- Academic Analytics helps you explore and strategize.
- Interfolio helps you document, review, and evaluate.
- These two systems are complementary, not duplicative.
Academic Analytics: Use for Insight, discovery, and benchmarking
Academic Analytics helps faculty and academic leaders understand research activity, identify opportunities, and make strategic decisions. It focuses on analytics and comparisons, not official records or evaluations. At UIC, Academic Analytics is used to:
- Identify funding and award opportunities
- Discover potential collaborators and mentors
- Support strategic planning and benchmarking
- Analyze research trends and disciplinary strengths
Academic Analytics draws on external scholarly data and provides analytical views, not authoritative personnel records.
Interfolio: Use for Faculty records, reviews, and official processes
Interfolio is UIC’s faculty information system and system of record for faculty activities and reviews. It is designed to collect, store, and route faculty data used in formal academic processes. At UIC, Interfolio supports:
- Promotion & Tenure (RPT) reviews
- Annual faculty evaluations
- Faculty activity reporting
- Centralized, consistent review workflows
- Faculty Web Profiles to showcase work for internal and external visitors
Interfolio is being implemented for university‑wide use beginning Academic Year 2026–27 and replaces fragmented or manual processes with a single, authoritative platform.
Use‑Case Comparison Table
| Common Question or Need | Use Academic Analytics | Use Interfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Identify potential collaborators at UIC or nationally | ✅ Yes – search by discipline, expertise, and research output | ❌ No |
| Discover funding or honorific award opportunities | ✅ Yes – personalized recommendations based on profile and career stage | ❌ No |
| Benchmark a department or college against peers | ✅ Yes – research and disciplinary benchmarking tools | ❌ No |
| Analyze research trends or under‑recognized strengths | ✅ Yes – analytics and trend analysis | ❌ No |
| Maintain an official record of faculty activities | ❌ No | ✅ Yes – centralized faculty activity reporting (FAR) |
| Submit materials for Promotion & Tenure | ❌ No | ✅ Yes – official RPT workflow system |
| Conduct annual faculty evaluations | ❌ No | ✅ Yes – streamlined review processes |
| Serve as the university’s system of record | ❌ No | ✅ Yes – authoritative faculty data source |
| Support shared governance review workflows | ❌ No | ✅ Yes – committee‑based review routing |
text 2
When You Might Use Both
Many faculty and administrators will use both systems for different stages of work:
- A faculty member might use Academic Analytics to: Identify journals, collaborators, or funding opportunities
- The same faculty member then uses Interfolio to: Officially document activities and submit materials for review
Quick Decision Guide
Use Academic Analytics if you are asking:
- “Who else is working in this area?”
- “What funding or awards fit my profile?”
- “How does our department compare nationally?”
Use Interfolio if you are asking:
- “Where do I submit materials for P&T or annual review?”
- “What system holds my official faculty record?”
- “How do reviews move through the approval process?”