Overview of content related to 'virtual research environment'

Book Review: University Libraries and Digital Learning Environments

lisrw — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:38:31 +0000

Sylvie Lafortune reviews a collection of essays that examine the transformation of academic libraries as they become part of digital learning environments.

This book examines how academic libraries are realigning themselves with the university of the 21^st century, which is increasingly becoming a digital learning environment. The expectations of the Google generation, the interdependence of teaching and research, and the changing roles of library staff and technology all play a fundamental part in this environment–and to lead the discussions in this book, the editors have called on 18 experts and practitioners.

eSciDoc Days 2011: The Challenges for Collaborative eResearch Environments

lisrw — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:20:52 +0000

Ute Rusnak reports on the fourth in a series of two-day conferences called eSciDoc Days, organised by FIZ Karlsruhe and the Max Planck Digital Library in Berlin over 26-27 October 2011.

eSciDoc is a well-known open source platform for creating eResearch environments using generic services and tools based on a shared infrastructure. This concept allows for managing research and publication data together with related metadata, internal and/or external links and access rights. Development of eSciDoc was initiated by a collaborative venture between FIZ Karlsruhe – Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure and the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) and was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Connecting Researchers at the University of Bath

editor — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Jez Cope and Geraldine Jones describe a recent series of events introducing social media to research students at the University of Bath.

The Connected Researcher initiative is a response to both local and sector-wide events. At the University of Bath groups of postgraduate research students from Chemistry and Social Sciences separately expressed an interest in finding out how to profile their own research and establish links with other researchers in their fields.

International Digital Curation Conference 2010

editor — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Alex Ball reports on the 6th International Digital Curation Conference, held on 7-8 December 2010 in Chicago.

The International Digital Curation Conference has been held annually by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) [1] since 2005, quickly establishing a reputation for high-quality presentations and papers. So much so that, as co-chair Allen Renear explained in his opening remarks, after attending the 2006 Conference in Glasgow [2] delegates from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) offered to bring the event to Chicago.

Book Review: Supporting Research Students

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Brian Whalley reviews a work which helps Library and Information Science Staff at Higher Education Institutions to support their research students.

The purpose of this book is to support Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals at Higher Education institutions (HEIs) who may be involved with doctoral students. Supporting Research Students emanates from Dr Allan's own experience in gaining a PhD and as a Senior Lecturer in Student Learning and Management Learning at the University of Hull. She thus has considerable expertise in seeing postgraduate research from the student point of view and from support provision by LIS staff. I came to this review with interest and I should lay out my own credentials.

Towards a Toolkit for Implementing Application Profiles

editor — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Talat Chaudhri, Julian Cheal, Richard Jones, Mahendra Mahey and Emma Tonkin propose a user-driven methodology for the iterative development, testing and implementation of Dublin Core Application Profiles in diverse repository software environments.

A Research Revolution: The Impact of Digital Technologies

editor — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Dicky Maidment-Otlet and Judy Redfearn describe a new JISC activity to highlight how digital technologies are changing research.

At the end of November 2009, JISC launched a year-long suite of activities under the heading Research 3.0: driving the knowledge economy. A series of events, publications and Web activity are stimulating discussion about how advanced digital technologies are creating a revolution in research and the way researchers work.

Fedora UK & Ireland / EU Joint User Group Meeting

editor — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Chris Awre reports on the first coming together of two regional user groups for the Fedora digital repository system, hosted by the University of Oxford in December 2009.

The Fedora digital repository system [1] (as opposed to the Fedora Linux distribution, with which there is no connection) is an open source solution for the management of all types of digital content. Its development is managed through DuraSpace [2], the same organisation that now oversees DSpace, and carried out by developers around the world. The developers, alongside the extensive body of Fedora users, form the community that sustains Fedora.

Editorial Introduction to Issue 59: The Loneliness of the Long-distance Worker

editor — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Richard Waller introduces Ariadne issue 59.

I am grateful to Marieke Guy not least since she still manages to write for Ariadne when she has her own blog [1] on remote working to maintain.

To VRE Or Not to VRE?: Do South African Malaria Researchers Need a Virtual Research Environment?

editor — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Heila Pienaar and Martie van Deventer identify the requirements of a Virtual Research Environment (VRE) for malaria researchers in South Africa.

Worldwide, the research paradigm is in the process of expanding into eResearch and open scholarship. This implies new ways of collaboration, dissemination and reuse of research results, specifically via the Web. Developing countries are also able to exploit the opportunity to make their knowledge output more widely known and accessible and to co-operate in research partnerships.

eResearch Australasia 2008

editor — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Tobias Blanke, Ann Borda, Gaby Bright and Bridget Soulsby report on the annual eResearch Australasia Conference, held in Melbourne, Australia, 29 September - 3 October, 2008.

The following overview of eResearch Australasia 2008 by Ann Borda is intended to give a sense of the diversity of the programme and key themes of the Conference at a glance. A selection of workshops and themes are explored in more detail by fellow contributing authors in the sections below: Bridget Soulsby on the 'Data Deluge', Gaby Bright on 'Uptake of eResearch' and Tobias Blanke on 'Arts & Humanities eResearch'.

The full eResearch Australasia 08 programme and copies of the speaker presentations are now accessible on the Conference Web site [1].

The SPP Alerting Portlet: Delivering Personalised Updates

editor — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Virginia Knight describes the open-source alerting portlet which has been developed as part of the SPP Subject Portals Project (SPP) and the results of user feedback.

Editorial Introduction to Issue 51: Democratising Cultural Heritage

editor — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Richard Waller introduces Ariadne 51.

Having emerged from the political arguments of the 1990s about what culture could be funded and whether it was better to fund soccer or opera, we have moved into an age where, in the UK at least, there are arguments as to what actually constitutes British culture. Fortunately more people are deciding to do culture for themselves than remain passive witnesses to the pundits' debate. The place where they are doing it is online and they are not waiting to see whether their offering attracts the experts' approval - and sometimes, admittedly, one might argue more's the pity.

Developing a Virtual Research Environment in a Portal Framework: The EVIE Project

editor — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Tracey Stanley provides an overview of the EVIE Project at the University of Leeds which was funded under the JISC Virtual Research Environments Programme.

Researchers in all disciplines increasingly expect to be able to undertake a variety of research-associated tasks online. These range from collaborative activities with colleagues around the globe through to information-seeking activities in an electronic library environment. Many of the tools which enable these activities to take place are already available within the local IT infrastructure. However, in many cases, the tools are provided through discrete, bespoke interfaces with few links between them.

The JISC Annual Conference 2007

editor — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Philip Pothen and colleagues provide an overview of the proceedings of this Spring's JISC Annual Conference.

Opening Keynote Address

The 2007 JISC conference began with a welcome from JISC Executive Secretary Dr Malcolm Read who thanked the more than 600 delegates for attending the conference, held for the fifth year running at the ICC in Birmingham.

News and Events

editor — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Ariadne presents a brief summary of news and events.

Introduction to Federated Searching Technology & Developments

Date: 11 May 2007
Venue: Conference Room, Southport College, Mornington Road, Southport, PR9 0TT
Delegate Fee: £50.00

e-Collaboration Workshop: Access Grid, Portals and Other VREs for the Social Sciences

editor — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Rob Allan, Rob Crouchley and Michael Daw cover a one-day workshop reporting on the latest developments in e-Collaboration technology and applications.

Workshop on E-Research, Digital Repositories and Portals

editor — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Rob Allan, Rob Crouchley and Caroline Ingram report on a two-day workshop held at University of Lancaster over 6-7 September 2006

Editorial Introduction to Issue 44: One Day We All Learn the Hard Way

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Richard Waller introduces Ariadne issue 44.

Having opined elsewhere in this august organ that it would not be my policy to produce themed issues, I suppose I had better put my hand up at least to accumulating a majority of main articles which address the theme of accessibility from various and interesting perspectives. Having argued on the grounds that Ariadne issues which concentrate unduly on one topic inevitably leave a lot of readers feeling excluded, I can see that that the majority of readers who do not live with significant visual, physical or other impairments will feel hurt and almost certainly betrayed.

Virtual Research Environments: Overview and Activity

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Michael Fraser provides an overview of the virtual research environment (VRE) and introduces three JISC-funded projects in which Oxford University is participating.

Virtual research environments (VREs), as one hopes the name suggests, comprise digital infrastructure and services which enable research to take place. The idea of a VRE, which in this context includes cyberinfrastructure and e-infrastructure, arises from and remains intrinsically linked with, the development of e-science.

Integration and Impact: The JISC Annual Conference

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Marieke Guy has collated reports on sessions from the JISC Annual Conference held in Birmingham.

The 2005 JISC Conference took place on 12 April at the Birmingham International Convention Centre (ICC) which this year - inexplicably - had a giant Ferris wheel thirty yards from the main entrance, entirely unconnected with the main event. The annual conference [1] is a chance for JISC to showcase the breadth of its activities [2] in providing support for the use of ICT in education and research, and as usual it was a bustle of networking and learning.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations: A Strategy for the UK

editor — Sun, 07 Jul 2002 23:00:00 +0000

by John MacColl considers a strategy for electronic theses and dissertations in the United Kingdom.

‘ETDs’ is the acronym widely used in the US to stand for ‘Electronic Theses and Dissertations’. The father of the ETD movement, Professor Ed Fox of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech), explains the acronym as containing an implicit Boolean ‘OR’: ‘ETs’ OR ‘EDs’ equals ‘ETDs’. This makes for a very convenient shorthand, whereby a digital object which is either an electronic thesis or an electronic dissertation can be referred to as ‘an ETD’.