This presentation at NZ eResearch Symposium 2011describes two models for understanding eResearch as practice and engaging researchers.
The models are implemented at Curtin University through the eResarch Toolbox and the eResarch Project Centre.
10. Looking ever forward eResearch Adoption Framework An eResearch Capability model Photo: http://calvin-chong.blogspot.com/2008/10/spring-curtin-perth.html
Notas do Editor
Curtin University, Western AustraliaPeter Hicks, Associate Director eResearch Support, Curtin IT ServicesCC-BY 2.0
I am very glad to be in New Zealand as there is a lot of activity and, I think, mature discussion about how to move eResearch forward nationaly. Thishill, South of Hobart, is the closest I could get to New Zealand in Australia.
eResearch is the practice ofresearch incorporating information and collaboration technology to significantly increase the scale, scope, speed of research and open new avenues of enquiry.Our mission is to assist research undertake that practice.We help to enhance that practice by focusing on the needs of researchers, connecting researchers to suitable solutions, and providing support for their unique needs when required.
eResearch to date has been dominated by the early adopters – those who have the inclination or desperation to try new technology and methods. We need to help bridge the technology adoption chasm for eResearch to be taken up by the mainstream.
There is a gap between understanding and language of researchers’ needs and service providers’ solutions.Researchers talk about what they need to get done, e.g. capture, analyse, collaborate.Technology providers talk about what their technology does, e.g. compute, store, video conference
We can help bridge the gap, and enhance research practice, by translating the job to be done into the technology that provides solutions. Abstracting research practice and the context in which it occurs creates opportunities to find patterns of methodologies and technology that can be transferred between disciplines.
The (e)Research Model:(e)Research practice is data-centric(e)Research practice is a set of operations performed with data(e)Research practice is conducted with recurring patterns of use(e)Research practice is influenced and constrained by the context in which it occurs for a given researcher
The eResearch Toolbox partly implements the eResearch model. Researchers start with what they want to achieve. They then choose their situation. A list of technology that can help them is presented.The content and presentation is rudimentary at present and many researchers still need hands-on assistance to get tailored solutions. As our experience grows and ICT services mature the quality of the content will improve.
Our greatest contribution to eResearch is to help researchers understand themselves. The aim is to engage researchers across all domains. In this case, researchers apply their own meaning to Collect, Connect, Create and Collaborate and are comfortable describing them. Once they do, it is possible to demonstrate where ICT may be relevant.
The eResearch Toolbox will be updated, to make it more usable and to enable it to be a community resource. Bringing in Web 2.0 concepts such as user generated content, ratings and tagging will provide a point of value. Researchers are the best people to describe how technology and methodologies do and can help them, and to help each other move forward. To this end, I am keen to see something happen beyond Curtin.I am also keen to work with others to develop a model of eResearch. The work being done by Prof. Mark Gaheganto explore the interconnectedness of research-things and Julian Carver with the eResearch Adoption Framework are of particular interest.