How do we make the case for research data centres?

Ellen Collins — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:36:10 +0000

How do we make the case for research data centres? The RIN-JISC event at the Wellcome Collection on 17 November sought to answer this question by exploring some of the issues raised by the recent, jointly-published report, ‘Data centres: their use, value and impact’. A panel of ﬁve speakers gave short presentations, reﬂecting on their own perspectives and experiences as researchers, funders, policy makers and data centre managers.

UKCGE Initiatives

carolynraven — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:16:45 +0000

As one academic year closes, another one begins, and with it a deep breath, a sense of hope and re-energised vision of what we all hope to achieve in the coming year. It’s like a New Year resolution, focusing our minds on what we want to achieve to improve ourselves to assist our members in the best way possible.

The Value of Libraries

annrossiter — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:43:41 +0000

The value of our libraries has long been a fact for those of us who work within them and use them regularly, both remotely and on-site.

Creating a new humanities resource for researchers

friedelgrant — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:37:28 +0000

RIN’s recent report Reinventing research? Information practices in the humanities couldn’t have come at a better time for us at The European Library.

British Library talk (topical) science

Ellen Collins — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:22:58 +0000

An opportunity to hear the Government Chief Scientiﬁc Advisor on communicating risk and scientiﬁc advice in emergencies was always going to be a draw. But I don’t think even the BL Science Team could have anticipated how painfully topical yesterday’s Talk Science event would be. As we waited for Sir John Beddington, understandably delayed, there was a strange tension in the room. Sixty-odd people trying very hard to reconcile their excitement at getting the inside scoop on an unfolding news story with the horrible cost of recent events in Japan.

Fear and anxiety in HE – what happens to widening participation and fair access in the new funding regime? Discussion over breakfast at HEPI Seminar at the House of Commons

sarahisles — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:56:18 +0000

Does widening participation still matter?

Climategate: just the tip of the iceberg?

benworthy — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:07:44 +0000

“Climategate” hit the news again in January with the publication of the Select Committee report on the reviews into the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Change Unit’s emails, but beneath the climate-sceptics and the angry headlines lurks another problem: what does FOI mean for universities?

Richard Thomas, the former Information Commissioner, summed up the position under the FOIA when he spoke at the Select Committee’s inquiry.

Digital Researcher 2011: Went down like a Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #11

noradaly — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:09:01 +0000

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of running some of the sessions at the Vitae & British Library’s Digital Researcher 2011 event and I swear the buzz has not yet worn off.

Parliament and peer review

Stephane Goldstein — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:23:18 +0000

The House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee has just announced the launch of an inquiry into peer review, and is inviting evidence on “the operation and effectiveness of the peer review process used to examine and validate scientiﬁc results and papers prior to publication”.

It appears this will be a wide-ranging inquiry, and submissions are being invited on all aspects of the peer review process, inclu

Implications for the British Library and the higher education sector following the Lord Browne Review and 2010 CSR

chlotitcomb — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:53:21 +0000

With the Lord Browne review resulting in one of the most important reforms to higher education, alongside cuts to the teaching and research budgets, this coming year will be one of radical change for the higher education sector.