JISC

The central objective of eReSS is to provide support to the VRE Programme by helping to identify suitable solutions for the interoperability of Virtual Research Environment tools, applications, and resources. This will, of necessity, cover both ongoing activities within the VRE programme and parallel activities in the wider Grid, eResearch, and related environments of interest. 

The main objectives of the study are to:

• Review on an ongoing basis interoperability standards, frameworks and technology platforms and identify their applicability to VRE development activities.   It is recognised that these might have their origin within the eResearch arena or have been developed by other sectors and have potential applicability to eResearch.
• Review current VRE development work and identify requirements for interoperability at each of the four levels identified in the initial ITT (end-user, technical, institutional and international interoperability).  This task will be imperative to provide a basis upon which the pragmatic implementation of appropriate interoperability recommendations can be made.
• Propose suitable interoperability solutions and provide guidance to current and future VRE projects in their implementation.   The proposed solution will provide an easy-to-use reference guide backed up by the expertise of consortium members.
• Propose recommendations to the JISC on the development of the e-Framework for Education and Research.   It is clear that experience within the e-learning and information environment sectors can contribute to eResearch interoperability, and it will be essential to reciprocate this where applicable to ensure the fullest view of education and research the e-Framework can provide.

Project Methodology

The work of eReSS will have a dual focus. An initial stage, focussing on the first six months, will act as a basis for subsequent activity.  The output for this initial phase will be a study reviewing both relevant standards and development activity, and suggesting potential interoperability solutions for VRE activity as principle outputs  (end of month six). The secondary phase will follow up this study with ongoing activity to maintain and expand on the initial findings.  In this way a continuum of up-to-date advice can be provided to the JISC VRE community over the lifetime of the study. A wiki will be utilised to focus consortium and community input, including expert summaries of appropriate specifications and standards, together with user scenarios and use cases. The wiki will then both form the spine of the initial report, and the scaffolding for further community engagement during the project lifespan.

Implications/ Deliverables/ Stakeholders

Findings of the project will be cycled back to the VRE and broader Grid and eResearch community on a continuous basis, providing ongoing advice representing current state-of-the-art expert thinking. Additional dissemination routes through JISC Programme Activities and relevant conferences and seminars will also be sought. Communities overlapping eResearch, such as those represented by the Sakai and Java Architectures Special Interest Group will also be engaged. Ultimately, eReSS will harness the collective intelligence of the eResearch community to illuminate issues surrounding interoperability, and dovetail with other JISC Standards activity to form a coherent and easy to access resource for the JISC community as a whole.