JISC

Managing and preserving vast volumes of research data is crucial to the future of UK research, writes Judy Redfearn in the new JISC inform published this week. Looking forward ten years to a hypothetical scenario in which vital research findings are routinely lost, the article also points to the efforts being made by research teams and national bodies such as JISC, the Research Councils and the Data Curation Centre to ensure that such as scenario is avoided.

International activities are prominent in the new issue with a special feature dedicated to JISC’s work to build international partnerships. JISC’s partnership manager Louisa Dale gives an introduction to some of JISC’s work, giving examples in areas such as digitisation, international licensing activities and repositories where international collaboration is bringing direct benefits to UK education and research, while further articles explore some of these examples in greater depth.

Other articles include features on the impact of new web technologies on the question of intellectual property rights, a celebration of the work of the JISC Regional Support Centres as they enter a new phase of their work to support the post-16 education sector, the ‘Google Generation’ report, a new resource which delivers a vast range of nineteenth century British newspapers, and news from JISC’s Users and Innovation programme.

Inform plus+, a web-based supplement to the printed publication, highlights podcast interviews with the winners of the Times Higher’s ICT award. The e-course team at the School of Dentistry, University of Birmingham, won the award for an e-course which directly involved students and which provided a range of innovative tools to support a student-led approach to learning.

David Prosser, Executive Director of SPARC Europe, gives an interview about the worldwide open access petition which JISC, SPARC Europe and international partners sponsored and which attracted more than 25,000 signatories as well as the attention of senior European politicians.

A full-length article by the Times Educational Supplement’s Neil Merrick explores the work of the JISC RSCs, while an image gallery of the Virtual Vellum project offers vivid and colourful images from manuscripts being shown at a new exhibition on the Hundred Years War in Leeds.

Print copies of the new JISC Inform are currently being circulated to colleges and universities, while Inform plus+ is available at www.jisc.ac.uk/inform20