Overview of content related to 'research'

The AHDS Is Evolving: Changes at the Arts and Humanities Data Service

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Alastair Dunning describes the changes afoot at the AHDS and how it intends to adapt to the changes in both technology and the needs of its stakeholders.

Established in 1995, the Arts and Humanities Data Service [1] was created with the objective of developing an infrastructure to manage the growing number of digital resources being created within the arts and humanities.

One medium for discussing this initial development was Ariadne, and Daniel Greenstein and Jennifer Trant's 1996 article [2] gave a detailed account of the aims and organisation of the AHDS.

The JISC 5/99 Programme: What's in a Number?

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Rachel Bruce and Balviar Notay give an overview of the outputs and influences of the JISC 5/99 Learning and Teaching and Infrastructure Programme.

The 5/99 Programme, as it became known, was funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) [1] in the year 2000. Quite simply the name, 5/99, refers to the number of a JISC circular letter. It was the fifth circular issued by the JISC in 1999. So the name is pretty meaningless to those outside the JISC or not involved in one of 54 projects that were funded via the circular. The majority of the projects have now completed, the programme end date was July 2003.

Improving the Quality of Metadata in Eprint Archives

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Marieke Guy, Andy Powell and Michael Day address the argument that the quality of service to end-users is markedly influenced by the quality of metadata being produced and provide suggestions.

Throughout the eprints community there is an increasing awareness of the need for improvement in the quality of metadata and in associated quality assurance mechanisms. Some [1] feel that recent discussion of the cultural and institutional barriers to self-archiving, which have so far limited the proliferation of eprint archives in the UK, have meant that anything that is perceived as a barrier between academics and their parent institutions needs to be played down.

The European Library: Integrated Access to the National Libraries of Europe

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Britta Woldering describes the findings of the recently completed EU Project The European Library, focusing on technical solutions and metadata development.

The European Library (TEL) Project [1] completed at the end of January 2004. The key aim of TEL was to investigate the feasibility of establishing a new Pan-European service which would ultimately give access to the combined resources of the national libraries of Europe [2]. The project was partly funded by the European Commission as an accompanying measure under the cultural heritage applications area of Key Action 3 of the Information Societies Technology (IST) research programme.

DSpace Vs. ETD-db: Choosing Software to Manage Electronic Theses and Dissertations

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Richard Jones examines the similarities and differences between DSpace and ETD-db to determine their applicability in a modern E-theses service.

The Theses Alive! [1] Project, based at Edinburgh University Library and funded under the JISC Fair Programme [2], is aiming to produce, among other things, a software solution for institutions in the UK to implement their own E-theses or Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) online submission system and repository. In order to achieve this it has been necessary to examine existing packages that may provide all or part of the solution we desire before considering what extra development we may need to do.

How Altis Can Help the Further Education Sector

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:16:11 +0000

Steven Hewitt gives advice on finding quality Internet resources in hospitality, leisure, sport and tourism

Anyone who uses the Internet on a regular basis is only too aware of the problem of finding good quality, reliable information using commercial search engines such as Google and Alta Vista. For students and teachers, short on time to complete assignments or prepare lessons, sifting through thousands of search results to find relevant information can be daunting.

What's in Artifact for Further Education?

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 20:46:17 +0000

Jayne Everard writes about the areas covered by the new subject service Artifact and takes us through the facilities on offer to FE practitioners.

Artifact [1] is the arts and creative industries hub of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN) [2] providing free searchable access to high-quality resources on the Web in the following subjects: Architecture, Art, Communications and Media, Culture, Design, Fashion and Beauty, Performing Arts and a range of general subjects such as business advice, events and exhibitions, funding, training and employment opportunities, and much more.

What's in EEVL for Further Education

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 21:21:06 +0000

Roddy MacLeod gives
an overview of the services and plans EEVL has for students and practitioners
in the Further Education sector.

"Indispensible, much better than using Google" was a comment about EEVL, the Internet guide to engineering, mathematics and computing, from one FE Tutor who attended an RSC (Regional Support Centre) event last year. It is not surprising that he was enthusiastic as there is a great deal of content in EEVL of interest to staff and students in Further Education (FE). In fact, EEVL has a surprisingly wide appeal, as was recognised recently by Schoolzone, a service which features Web sites reviewed by UK teachers.

What's in GEsource for Further Education?

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 21:32:59 +0000

John Blunden-Ellis provides a view of the material available to FE from GEsource, the RDN subject service for geography and environment.

GEsource [1] is the geography and environment hub of the RDN and provides free access to a fully searchable catalogue of high-quality resources on general geography, human geography, physical geography, environment, and techniques and approaches.

Below is a selection of resources in GEsource that will be relevant to learning and teaching in FE:

What's in Humbul for Further Education?

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 21:49:58 +0000

Randy Metcalfe provides an overview of the materials and services of use to humanities practitioners in the FE sector.

Humbul [1] is the humanities hub of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN) [2] and represents a sound starting point for finding quality resources in this subject area.

What's in SOSIG for Further Education?

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 22:02:16 +0000

Emma Place gives an insight into the pitfalls that await new users of the Internet in their search for relevant and quality materials and explains how SOSIG has catered for the needs of both FE students and practitioners.

The Internet holds great potential for supporting education at FE level, but it can be fraught with difficulty. Lecturers often have very little time to spend surfing the 'Net to find useful resources for course materials and teaching, or to help their students develop Internet skills. Students can lack the skills, confidence or ability to use the Internet effectively for their study, especially given that the Internet is not exclusively about education, containing many materials that are completely inappropriate for coursework or study.

WebWatch: How Accessible Are Australian University Web Sites?

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Dey Alexander reports on a recent study of the accessibility of Australian university Web sites.

This article reports on a recent study of the accessibility of Australian university Web sites. A selection of key pages from all 45 Australian tertiary education Web sites were analysed to assess their compliance with basic accessibility standards, as required by Australian anti-discrimination legislation. The results--98% of sites failed to comply--suggest that Australian university Web sites are likely to present significant barriers to access for people with disabilities.

Developing and Publicising a Workable Accessibility Strategy

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Lawrie Phipps, Sue Harrison, David Sloan and Betty Willder look at the increasing need for developers of institutional and educational Web sites to develop and follow a strategy for ensuring optimal accessibility of online content.

This article looks at the increasing need for developers of institutional and educational Web sites to develop and follow a strategy for ensuring optimal accessibility of online content. In particular the need is stressed for careful thought about the aims of such a strategy, and to ensure that the strategy meets a balance between ambition, legal responsibility and equitable access to learning and teaching.

The OpenURL and OpenURL Framework: Demystifying Link Resolution

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Ann Apps reports on a conference about current and future uses of the proposed OpenURL Framework Standard Z39.88-2004.

The Event at a Glance

Welcome - Pat Harris
The OpenURL Framework for Context-Sensitive Services Standard - Eric Van de Velde
The Promise and History of the OpenURL - Oliver Pesch
Related Linking Standards: CrossRef and DOI - Ed Pentz
Why Should Publishers Implement the OpenURL Framework?

Towards a User-Centred Approach to Digital Libraries

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Ken Eason reports on the five themes in the Digilib Conference, Espoo, Finland.

The National Library of Finland led the organisation of this conference to bring together librarians and researchers from around the world to discuss progress with digital libraries. The aims were to explore how users were responding to digital services and to examine how services could be made more 'user-centred'. The conference was attended by 200 delegates from 23 countries.

OSS Inaugural Conference: Open Source Deployment and Development

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Sebastian Rahtz and Randy Metcalfe give an overview of the first conference of the Open Source Advisory Service.

OSS Watch [1] is a pilot advisory service set up by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to provide UK higher and further education with neutral and authoritative guidance about free and open source software and related standards.

Reaching Out to Your Community: Policies and Practice for Public Library Service

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Fiona Leslie gives an overview of this seminar which covered a variety of topics of interest to public library professionals.

The day's programme [1] started with an introduction by Ken Chad, sales director at Talis who welcomed delegates.

News and Events

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Ariadne presents a brief summary of news and events.

Slide Libraries and The Digital Future

Wednesday 24th March, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2EU. For more information and for booking details contact laura.valentine@royalacademy.org.uk. Booking closes on 3 March 2004.

AUDIENCE: UK Slide Librarians in HE and those responsible for visual collections

Book Review: Super Searchers Make It on Their Own

editor — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Lina Coelho looks at the work and lives of independent information professionals prepared to share their secrets for starting and running a research business.

If you love Boolean logic, online research and would like to work from home - this book is for you. But before you get carried away - just a reminder that you need more than a computer and a phone line to make it on your own as an independent information professional.