Information Futures » research

Grants for history scholars

Margaret L Ruwoldt — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:14:48 +0000

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.

FAQ 22 Feb: pre-conceived ideas; building on local innovations

Mark Brodsky — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:12:30 +0000

Question: Does the Information Futures Commission have an answer in mind?

Answer: A number of people have asked why we don’t just put out there what we think the answer is and invite comment? We have always had in mind that we shouldn’t approach this process with a pre-conceived vision. Discussions so far with a range of stakeholder highlight the wide range of possible future visions. We need to get the questions and background out there for discussion by you, our community.

So – the Consultation Paper to be released at the end of February will outline some of the big issues and ask the university community to start engaging with them. Following this there will be more papers that provide background in specific areas, Academic Board and other committee discussions, guest speakers at Information Futures and other public discussion forums, and of course the opportunity for everyone to contribute via the blog.

Please get involved! Only through engagement with our community will we arrive at a strategy that is bold and realistic in taking the University forward.

Question: Are we going to look at the great things that the academic community is already doing in order to move our vision forward?

Answer: “Yes…but”. The answer is that of course we will be intensely interested in what is going on and will be interviewing a range of those doing innovative things in the creation, dissemination, access, preservation, and curation of scholarly information. If you have innovative things you’re doing please let us know or (even better) put them on the blog so that everyone can hear about them.

The “but” is that we are also attempting to look 10 years ahead and will need to ensure that we don’t constrain ourselves to the what is out there now – no matter how innovative.

A paper about writing scientific papers

Margaret L Ruwoldt — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:14:55 +0000

Whenever I revisit it, E Robert Schulman’s “How to Write a Scientific Paper” makes me chortle.

Regardless of age, everyone googles

Margaret L Ruwoldt — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:03:49 +0000

A study by the British Library and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) concludes that “research-behaviour traits that are commonly associated with younger users – impatience in search and navigation, and zero tolerance for any delay in satisfying their information needs – are now becoming the norm for all age-groups, from younger pupils and undergraduates through to professors.”

In other words, we are all members of the ‘Google Generation’.