Table of contents: issue36

Domesday Redux: The Rescue of the BBC Domesday Project Videodiscs

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Jeffrey Darlington, Andy Finney and Adrian Pearce describe the groundbreaking BBC Domesday Project of 1986, and explain how its unique multimedia collection has been preserved.

Origins

William of Normandy, having conquered England, decided in 1086 to take account of his new territory. The result was the Domesday Book (actually more than one), which now resides in the National Archives [1]. For the BBC, the 900th anniversary in 1986 presented an opportunity to produce a television series, hosted by Michael Wood. A more unusual production was to use the combination of computer and video known as interactive video to produce a kind of modern-day equivalent of William's survey.

Developing the JISC Information Environment Service Registry

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Verity Brack and Amanda Closier provide us with an overview of the aims and latest work in the development of the JISC IE Service Registry.

The JISC Information Environment Service Registry (IESR) is a pilot project that has been funded by the JISC for 14 months until December 2003, under its Shared Services Programme.

Mapping the JISC IE Service Landscape

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Andy Powell provides a graphical representation of how some well-known services, projects and software applications fit within the JISC Information Environment technical architecture.

This largely graphical article attempts to explain the JISC Information Environment (JISC IE) [1] by layering a set of fairly well-known services, projects and software applications over the network architecture diagram [2].

eBank UK: Building the Links Between Research Data, Scholarly Communication and Learning

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Liz Lyon describes some new digital library development activities and considers the implications of linking research and learning outputs in an environment of assured data provenance.

This article presents some new digital library development activities which are predicated on the concept that research and learning processes are cyclical in nature, and that subsequent outputs which contribute to knowledge, are based on the continuous use and reuse of data and information [1]. We can start by examining the creation of original data, (which may be, for example, numerical data generated by an experiment or a survey, or alternatively images captured as part of a clinical study).

Six MLEs: More Similar Than Different

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Paul Browning offers a technical review of the systems developed by the JISC 'Building MLEs in HE' (7/99) Programme

The JISC-funded programme 'Building Managed Learning Environments (MLEs) in HE' [1] was of three years' duration and concluded in July 2003. The aim of the programme was to explore developments that test, evaluate, and prove (or in some circumstances disprove) the generic deployment of technology in support of improved learning. The programme has developed good practice and shared ideas and experiences across FE and HE sectors. The specific objectives were to:

An IMS Generator for the Masses

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Kelvin Hai, David Palmer and Chris Dunlop of the MARTINI Project describe the architecture and operation of the Project-developed IMS Generator and show how its flexibility allows it to handle the diverse nature of data held by institutions.

One of the aims of all JISC 7/99 projects has been to explore technologies that are generic in nature in support of improved learning and specifically, to "Identify the generic and transferable aspect of the development projects".

The RoMEO Project: Protecting Metadata in an Open Access Environment

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Elizabeth Gadd, Charles Oppenheim and Steve Probets describe how the RoMEO Project is seeking to safeguard freely available metadata disclosed and harvested under the OAI Protocol for Metadata Harvesting.

The Open Archives Initiative's Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) enables the 'disclosure' of metadata by Data Providers and the harvesting of that metadata by Service Providers. Although there is nothing to stop commercial providers from utilising this open-source protocol [1], it has its roots in the open access community and as such is used by many open archives.

Just a Distraction?: External Content in Institutional Portals

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Ruth Martin and Liz Pearce reflect on stakeholders' views of external resources within institutional portals and highlight the findings of recent PORTAL Project research.

The PORTAL Project [1], funded under the JISC's Focus on Access to Institutional Resources, (FAIR) Programme [2], aims to explore a range of issues relating to the deployment of institutional portals within the UK tertiary education sector [3].

MIMAS Ten Years on

editor — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 23:00:00 +0000

Julia Chruszcz looks at the ten years of MIMAS as a JISC-designated national data centre.

The Joint Information Systems Committee [1] was founded by the Higher Education Funding Councils in 1993. It quickly established its sub-committees, one of which, the Information Systems Sub-committee (ISSC), reflected JISC's interest in networked information services and datasets. At its May 1993 meeting, the ISSC designated Manchester and Bath as National Data Centres. (EDINA became a JISC-designated national data centre a few years later).