Transcript Document

eResearch – isn’t that just
“research”?
Derek Whitehead
Vice President, ALIA
What is e-research?
The term ‘e-Research’
encapsulates research activities
that use a spectrum of
advanced ICT capabilities and
embraces new research
methodologies emerging from
increasing access to:
•
•
•
Broadband communications networks,
research instruments and facilities, sensor
networks and data repositories;
Software and infrastructure services that
enable secure connectivity and
interoperability;
Application tools that encompass
discipline-specific tools and interaction
tools.
Rhys Francis (at right)
Quick acronym survey
• SII (Strategic Infrastructure Initiative) was the five
year funding program which preceded NCRIS
• NCRIS (National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy) – runs from 2007-2011.
• NCRIS Roadmap: 12 capabilities
• Platforms for Collaboration (PfC), the NCRIS
capability that deals with infrastructure, headed by
Rhys Francis. What libraries do is infrastructure.
• eResearch Coordinating Committee (ERCC) existed
briefly in 2005-2006 to set us on the right path.
Chaired by Mike Sargeant.
Acronym survey . . . more
Some infrastructure existed before 2007
• AARNet (Aust Academic & Research Network)
• APAC (Aust Partnership for Advanced Computing)
• AREN (Aust Research & Education Network)
• ARROW and APSR and more . . . ASHER
• MAMS (Meta Access Mgmt System) and Shibboleth
(not an acronym) and now
• AAF (Aust Access Federation) www.aaf.edu.au or
www.federation.org.au
Acronym survey . . . final
and some didn’t exist, yet
• NCI (National Computational Infrastructure)
• ICI (Interoperation & Collaboration Infrastructure)
• ANDS (Australian National Data Survey)
• AeRIC (Australian e-Research Infrastructure
Council), chair: Tom Cochrane, ED: Rhys Francis
• NeAT (Nat eResearch Architecture Taskforce),
chair: Rhys Francis
Just a few more
• DIISR (Innovation,
Industry Science and
Research)
• ARC (Australian
Research Council)
• NH&MRC (National
Health & Medical
Research Council)
Issues – first take (2007)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Data – how to cope
Tools – Australia benefits from open source
Authorisation
Computing – not costed into NCRIS
Networking – seen by IT as a security issue
Expertise – preoccupation with having it in
house
Tools, data and expertise are the hardest.
Money
• PfC has $75m out of $540m over 5
years 2007-2011
Copyright
• Rhys Francis: “If you defined a data
right, it is not clear that you would end
up with copyright.”
Authentication
• Australian Access Federation (AAF) – to
quote Rhys Francis again, “harder than
we thought.”
• Turning shibboleth into a reality
How we see the issues now
(2008)
1) Access frameworks
2) Collaboration support – social software &
technologies as well as networks
3) Data capture, management & curation
4) Modelling and computational analysis
5) Connectivity – both backbone and end-toend
6) Discipline development and support services
Which are the “library” issues?
eResearch and libraries
• Research life cycle – discovery, activity, data
creation, data management, dissemination,
storage, archiving, preservation or curation
• Information management is a role
• Focus on the user and wider community
• Particular focus on the humanities
• Some roles we have now: metadata, copyright,
information provider, training, repositories,
publishers (open access, alternative channels)
CAUL strategies
• Develop policy and advocacy skills
• Develop relevant capabilities, like data
management
• Develop new roles and build on old ones – e.g.
training in research information skills; copyright;
metadata
• Involve records managers and archivists
• Facilitate collaboration
• Different approaches exist – facilitation vs handholding
Policy and advocacy
• Discussions with / presentations to DVCs/PVCs
Research, DDOGS, research administrators (ARMS)
• Work with ICT and computer science people
• Lobby funding bodies – ARC, DIISR, NCRIS
• Participate in relevant forums
• Work within institutions
• Develop advocacy and tools
• ASHER funding is significant
• Strategic planning by CAUL – lessons we can share
Data management: what we do?
• Data: any information that can be stored in digital
form: text, images, audio, video, 3D, software
• Movie is up to 10GB (=10,000 big books), iPod
Touch holds 32GB. What does this mean to us?
• Terms used: Curation, archiving and preservation
• Confused vocabulary: digital library, repository,
database, data management, digital archive.
• Training: identify key training needs, encourage
LIS schools, run seminars
More on data management
• Data management plan: “A plan that describes the
data that will be authored as well as how the data
will be managed and made accessible throughout
its lifetime.” (Nat Science Board)
• Increasingly required
• Might include purpose, type, authors and owners,
metadata schema, standards, size, architecture,
formats, software used, access, confidentiality,
archiving and transition provisions.
• Is this what we do? Not at present.
ANDS
A
Community agreed
data investment;
intended for sharing
SIZE
Services:
Find
E
Mine
Access
Authorise
CRCs
MNRFs
Centres;
Data may be
used, shared
or published
B
Collections; C
Data published,
local repositories
D
Independent research;
Data used and retained
NUMBER
F
Services: stores, repositories, tools, expertise
ANDS: Three responsibilities
institutions, researchers . . .
Institutions: develop and implement policy on data
ownership, Provide guidelines to researchers on
ownership, maintain durable records on data, provide
secure systems for holding data and for granting access
to that data.
Researchers: determine what data to keep, considering
research community practice and project or legal
requirements, ensure research data is retained using
institutionally provided mechanisms (5 years), ensure
that data retention passes to the institution, keep
confidentiality where it exists
. . . and ANDS
ANDS:
• Provide implementations of the federated services
• broker solutions for collections to fast track e-Research
development
• build expertise and provide outreach services
• ‘training the trainers’
• ensure promulgation and use of simple legal
frameworks and access templates
The Future - Institutions
• Host and/or Owner of intellectual capital
• Repository of knowledge or data
• Competitor, ally or promiscuous
collaborator
• Provision of resources: physical, access,
human support
• Integrity management: ethics, identity
Review of the National
Innovation System
CAUL made a response. See
http://www.innovation.gov.au/innovationreview/
Pages/SubmissionstotheReview.aspx
• Repository management and eResearch
• Increase funding to data management
• Greater access to government data
• National digitisation strategy
• Greater accessibility of information
• IP to be considered in the national strategy
• Funding for skills development
Acknowledgements
Some slides courtesy of
Rhys Francis and his masterful
presentation at the IATUL
Conference in Auckland, April 2008
as well as
www.pfc.org.au/pub/Main/AeRIC/Pf
C.ppt
Cathrine Harboe-Ree, CAUL’s e-research
expert.
Balloons courtesy of brave and
foolhardy people.
eResearch courtesy of balloonists