Ayush Research Portal: Matching Traditional Indian Knowledge With Modern Needs

Indexing is a mandatory requirement for the sustenance and progress of any scientific discipline. The AYUSH Research Portal (ARP) (https://ayushportal.nic.in/) is meant exclusively for indexing and dissemination of research findings in the domain of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy (AYUSH) and allied faculties. By 2010, despite the availability of up to 45 databases catering to complementary and alternative medical systems, none was dedicated to index-based search on the literature of AYUSH systems. Though PubMed remained a vast storehouse, limited indexation of AYUSH journals left searches incomplete. To address this problem, a dedicated portal on AYUSH systems was developed with an exclusive focus on bringing research findings in a relatable, user-friendly manner by providing for search using International Classification of Disease-10 terms and International Classification of Primary Care classification while at the same time preserving the ontological nuances of these systems. This endeavour over a decade has resulted in a portal housing more than 30,000 articles with a good reception among the scientific community. We discuss the evolution of the concept and steps involved in the development and sustenance of ARP. We list further steps required to develop the portal into a global treasure house.