eResearch – isn’t that just “research”?

Derek WhiteheadVice 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) Data – how to cope2) Tools – Australia benefits from open source3) Authorisation4) Computing – not costed into NCRIS5) Networking – seen by IT as a security issue6) Expertise – preoccupation with having it in

houseTools, 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 frameworks2) Collaboration support – social software &

technologies as well as networks3) Data capture, management & curation4) Modelling and computational analysis5) Connectivity – both backbone and end-to-end6) Discipline development and support servicesWhich 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 hand-

holding

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

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ing Services:

Find Mine Access Authorise

Independent research;Data used and retained

Collections;Data published,

local repositories

CRCs MNRFs Centres; Data may be used, sharedor published

Services: stores, repositories, tools, expertise

B

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F

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ANDS: Three responsibilitiesinstitutions, 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. Seehttp://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 aswww.pfc.org.au/pub/Main/AeRIC/PfC.ppt

Cathrine Harboe-Ree, CAUL’s e-research expert.

Balloons courtesy of brave and foolhardy people.

eResearch courtesy of balloonists