The Semester One 2009 program of UpSkills training for graduate research students is now available. It includes a series of seven e-research workshops:
- E-publishing Your Thesis and Research Papers
- Copyright, Your Thesis and Future Publications
- Research Data Management – humanities
- Research Data Management – sciences
- Tools for Collaboration and Networking – wikis, blogs and social bookmarking
- Using the Web for Surveys
- Legal Framework for Your Thesis
The e-research workshops are designed for new research students, and for those considering a research higher degree (master’s or PhD). Participants will gain familiarity with skills, methodologies, tools and issues to enable them to participate effectively in the e-research environment.
New technologies are transforming the research environment in every academic discipline. E-research is any research activity that uses information and communication technology (ICT) and embraces new research methodologies.
The e-research training program for graduate researchers is a joint venture of the School of Graduate Studies and the University Library.
Library consultant Jennifer Warburton also provides specialist support for graduate research students throughout the year.
The History of the University Unit is now accepting applications for the 2009 round of its Research Grants Scheme.
The grants support researchers working on projects which contribute to knowledge and understanding of the history of the University of Melbourne.
An excellent excuse (as if you needed one!) to delve into the University Archives.
The grants are normally less than $1000. Past grants have supported outcomes including books, articles, exhibitions or oral histories.
Applicants need not be associated with the University of Melbourne.
For further information, please visit the History of the University Unit’s web site.
Applications close on Thursday 9 April 2009.
Each semester, course coordinators across the University compile lists of recommended reading for individual subjects. Often these are articles and extracts from books, and traditionally they have been photocopied and bound into a single volume that the student must purchase.
Launched as a pilot project in 2007, the Readings Online service now provides free digital reading packs for over 50 subjects.
This semester, Joe Arthur and the digitisation team have scanned more than 10,000 new pages of history-related readings.
The reading packs are free to students. Students can access the Readings Online materials via the Learning Management System (LMS).
Readings Online has the potential to significantly reduce the University’s ecological footprint by reducing our printing requirements. The service enables us to better comply with copyright laws and helps to ensure that students with disabilities are not disadvantaged by delays in the digitising of required course materials.
The University Library manages both the LMS and the Readings Online service.
Have you had a bad experience in the past with using SuperSearch or the online library catalogue?
Responding to feedback collected last year from students and staff, our fabulous Library Systems team spent this summer making changes to SuperSearch and the online catalogue.
From the start of Semester One 2009, searching for a journal article or library book should now be much easier and faster. We have also created links between the catalogue and other systems so that, if an item is unavailable at Melbourne, you can easily request an inter-library loan without abandoning your current search.
There are a few problems we can’t yet fix. For example, you may still need to retype your password occasionally when using SuperSearch – but we have significantly reduced the number of times this is likely to happen.
Students, staff and alumni can access SuperSearch and the Library catalogue directly from the Library’s home page, or via the Learning Management System (LMS). The main catalogue is also available to the public.
Bouquets, comments and suggestions for further improvements are always welcome – email info-futures at unimelb.edu.au to let us know what you think of the SuperSearch and catalogue searches.
Last year, following a wide-ranging consultation process, the University formally adopted Melbourne’s Scholarly Information Future: a 10-year strategy.
The aspirations and principles in the Scholarly Information Future strategy have now been incorporated with the University’s long-term vision, known as Growing Esteem.
Some funding was allocated for 2009, to enable us to start implementing the Scholarly Information Future strategy. The new funding will support five high-priority activities:
- Embed information/scholarly literacy training into undergraduate and postgraduate curricula: pilot projects in 2009, with full rollout over 5 years
- Innovation Grants scheme: internal competitive grants to support projects that explore or change scholarly communication
- Plan and implement a fundraising strategy to support renovation of the main Library building (Baillieu), maintenance of Cultural Collections, development of other collections and development of a new Research and Cultural Library building
- Develop long-term plan for collection management and development. Includes principles, criteria and quality measures to ensure best possible use of available storage and floor spaces, both on and off campus. Must take into account temporary or permanent relocation of selected collections to allow for building renovations and campus developments
- Detailed planning for further implementation of the 10-year Scholarly Information Future strategy: investigation, costing and documentation of 2010-2012 initiatives; initial discussions about the Research and Cultural Library building and for the development of a centre of excellence in the study of library/information sciences
A sixth project, to upgrade our Identity and Access Management System, had been planned and funded to commence in 2010. This IT project has been brought forward to 2009 because it is a pre-requisite for achieving other medium-term goals in the Scholarly Information Future strategy.
As well as the six funded priorities, the University Library and the IT Services division have incorporated other Information Futures goals and principles into their day-to-day operations. (Last week I posted some examples from the Library’s 2009 operational plan.)
The University Librarian, Philip Kent, and Director IT Services, Sendur Kathir, are overseeing the implementation of the Scholarly Information Future strategy. The Enterprise Information Architecture and Strategy group (which I manage) is responsible for day-to-day coordination and reporting on progress.
I will post regular progress reports on this blog during 2009. These will be informal updates based on conversations and meetings I’ve attended. The posts will be tagged “implementation 2009” – click that tag to see a list of all updates posted so far.
Formal progress reports will be submitted to relevant University managers and committees throughout the year.