Overview of content related to 'research'

Editorial Introduction to Issue 30: Centering the Periphery - A New Equity in Information Access?

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Philip Hunter introduces Ariadne issue 30.

Welcome to the December/January issue of Ariadne.

Digitization: Do We Have a Strategy?

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

David Pearson suggests that the library sector should find a mechanism to put digitisation high on the agenda.

The notion that we are living through times of great change in the communication of information and the transmission of texts is a truism which will bring a weary look to most professionals with any kind of involvement in the area. The digital age, the information age, the electronic age – we’ve all heard these terms so many times and have sat through innumerable discussions, and seen even more documents, trying to sort out what it all means.

Open Archiving Opportunities for Developing Countries: Towards Equitable Distribution of Global Knowledge

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Leslie Chan and Barbara Kirsop explore some of the implications of using the OAI Protocol.

Although the World Wide Web is less than a decade old, it already has had a profound impact on scientific publishing and scholarly communication. In particular, open standards and low-cost networking tools are opening many possibilities for reducing and even eliminating entirely the cost barriers to scientific publications. (1)

Access to Archives: England’s Contribution to the National Archive Network

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Caroline Thibeaud discusses the Archive 2 Archive project.

The Access to Archives project is one of the most exciting initiatives in the world of archives in England. It aims at developing a virtual national archival catalogue for the country. At a click of the mouse one will be able to find multilevel descriptions of some of the most important historical records of England. For family historians, school teachers and pupils, academic researchers or just curious life long learners the A2A gateway is a unique facility to pursue their interests and research from a PC terminal any time of the day, anywhere in the world.

The JISC User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Jenny Rowley introduces the JISC User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

The JISC User Behaviour Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (hereafter the Framework) is an ambitious project to design and use a research framework that monitors and maps the development of user behaviour with electronic information resources in higher education. Initially approved for three years, the Framework is currently in its third and final annual cycle. The methodology and findings relating to the first and second cycles are located in the First Cycle and Second Cycle Annual Reports, available through the JISC web site.

Managed Learning?

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Nicole Harris on current developments towards Managed Learning Environments in the ANGEL project.

The terms MLE (Managed Learning Environment) and VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) are frequently found in use within UK HE institutions at present. They are applied, along with a range of alternative terms, to products that provide teaching and learning tools within an online environment. These products range from commercial offerings from companies such as Blackboard [1] and WebCT [2], project developments such as COSE [3] and CoMentor [4], and institutional portal developments that allow users easy access to all required services such as the Edinburgh Student Portal (ESP) [5].

My Humbul: Humbul Gets Personal

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Randy Metcalfe describes new functionality available for users of the Humbul Humanities Hub.

Humbul helps humanities professionals access relevant online resources. Employing a distributed network of subject specialist cataloguers across the UK, the Humbul Humanities Hub (http://www.humbul.ac.uk/), based at the University of Oxford, is building a catalogue of evaluated online resources that enables teachers, researchers and students to find resources that make a difference.

Content Management Systems: Who Needs Them?

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Paul Browning and Mike Lowndes explore the CMS concept and look at the available tools.

Content management? That’s what librarians do, right? But we’ve already got a library management system (LMS) – why should we consider a content management system (CMS)?

The second initial is perhaps misleading – “manipulation” rather than “management” might better summarise the goals of a CMS. Content creation and content re-purposing are fundamental aspects which tend to lie outside the current LMS domain.

Do They Need to Know?

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Andrew Cox and James Currall on the issue of Web security.

Do users need to know about computer security? The vast and growing literature of computer security suggests that solutions to most security issues are currently being sought purely through technology. Humanity obtrudes into the literature primarily in the guise of hackers and disaffected administrators, in the debate over which is the greater threat. The average user is strangely absent, like the labourer in eighteenth century landscape painting.

EEVL: Brand new EEVL service

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Roddy Macleod introduces a new service.

EEVL is the Hub for engineering, mathematics and computing. It is an award-winning free service, which provides quick and reliable access to the best engineering, mathematics, and computing information available on the Internet. It is created and run by a team of information specialists from a number of universities and institutions in the UK. EEVL helps students, staff and researchers in higher and further education, as well as anyone else working, studying or looking for information in Engineering, Mathematics and Computing.

Public Libraries

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Penny Garrod's first outing in Ariadne as Public Libraries Focus.

My predecessor, Sarah Ormes, in her final ‘Public Libraries’ column for Ariadne, owned up to having spent five and a half years at UKOLN. Coincidentally, I too have just concluded five and a half years at the University of Plymouth. This led me to speculate, as one does in those brain numbing moments when awaiting yet another delayed train on a drafty platform in grey November (yes, its ‘leaves on the line’ season again folks), whether, after five and a half years in a post, some of us need to regenerate, like ‘Seven of Nine’, the ice maiden in the current Star Trek series -Voyager.

Web Focus: Mobile E-Book Readers

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus, writes about Mobile E-Book Readers in his regular column.

Over the past 30 years or so we have seen a wide range of computer devices. Those of us over 40 may have distant memories of paper tape and punch cards. Over time these were replaced by terminals, followed by VDUs. Although the VT100 terminal became a de facto standard developments still continued, especially in the area of graphical devices.

Web Watch: An Update On Search Engines Used In UK Universities

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Brian Kelly with an Update On Search Engines Used In UK Universities.

In September 1999 we published our first report [1] on the search engines which were used to provide search facilities on UK University Web sites.

Since then we have updated our survey at roughly six monthly intervals.

Following a recent update, we will now discuss the findings and comment on the trends we have observed.

Development of Digital Libraries for Blind and Visually Impaired People

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Jennie Craven reports on the IFLA/SLB conference in Washington in August 2001.

The 2001 IFLA pre-conference SLB took place in Washington with a theme of Digital Libraries for the Blind and the Culture of Learning in the Information Age [1]. Papers delivered at the 2001 conference were from a wide range of subjects relating to digital libraries for the blind. Subject areas included meeting the educational needs of children and youth through libraries for the blind, digital library services and education, creating inclusive models of service and building small digital libraries for the blind.

Multi-media and Image Handling: The future is Textless

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Marieke Napier on a DTI multimedia day in London in November 2001.

The Software Technology Outreach Programme (1) was initiated in Autumn 2000 by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to bridge the gap between academia and industry. As Tony Stock explains “More than 1,000 advanced projects are carried out in UK universities every year, each producing on average five potential business applications - but companies are missing out because they and the universities are out of touch with each other”.

Digital Curation: Digital Archives, Libraries and e-Science Seminar

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Neil Beagrie and Philip Pothen report on the Digital Preservation day in October 2001, held in London.

Digital preservation remains a significant and growing challenge for libraries, archives, and scientific data centres. This invitational seminar held in London on the 19th October sponsored by the Digital Preservation Coalition and the British National Space Centre, brought together international speakers to discuss leading edge developments in the field.

Newsline: News You Can Use

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Ariadne presents a brief summary of news and events.

Multimedia Archive Preservation - a practical workshop

Organised by IASA, FIAT, PRESTO, ECPA ... and more!

22-24 May 2002 in London, UK

Overview:

80% of audio and video archive content is at risk, according to the results of EC project PRESTO. Unless preservation procedures are funded and implemented - quickly - unique heritage and commercially valuable material will be lost. This workshop will provide, in a concentrated three days, the combined experience of ten major European broadcast archives, and the new technology developed by PRESTO.

Book Review: The Invisible Web

editor — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Marieke Napier reviews the book: The Invisible Web.

Chris Sherman and Gary Price

The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can’t see

Cyber Age Books, 2001. ISBN 0-910965-51-X

Price: $29.95

I first became interested in the Invisible Web after seeing Chris Sherman and Gary Price talking at the Internet Librarian International Conference in March this year.