JISC

Research drives innovation in modern economies, whether it’s into the fundamental nature of matter, climate change, biomedical developments, social trends, new ways of artistic expression or almost any other topic of enquiry. Research itself, however, is undergoing a revolution. The use of digital technologies is changing not only the research questions we can ask, but also the way researchers work.

The ability to gather vast amounts of data and share them globally is enabling research into topics, such as climate change, that would previously have been beyond the reach of enquiry. Grid and cloud computing potentially allow a researcher anywhere to perform simulations and analyses that are beyond the capability of a single institution’s computing resources. Digitised content is opening up access to vast resources of literature that would otherwise remain inaccessible to many readers.

With these new possibilities, however, come challenges. Research is now increasingly carried out by large teams, which are often interdisciplinary and global. How can digital technologies support them to work collaboratively? Data can now be shared, not only within teams, but also more widely. Data sharing, however, may require changes to long established research practices. How can researchers adapt? And how can institutions best support their own researchers?

As the key provider of the digital infrastructure for UK higher education and research, JISC has launched this campaign to seek answers to these questions. Explore these pages, come to our events, join in the debate on our and others’ blogs and help influence Research 3.0.