From Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 in the engineering information world - yesterday, today and tomorrow Paul A S Needham Electronic Information Specialist ( paul.needham11@btinternet.com) Kings Norton Library, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire. MK43 0AL

Outline Engineering information sources Engineering information users Web 1.0 Web 2.0 Web 2.0 applications Reconciliation 20 th Century MAGiC 21 st Century MAGiC AERADE WikiAERADE Timeline Researcher timelines The beginning

Engineering information sources

Engineering information users

Web 1.0

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 applications

Reconciliation

20 th Century MAGiC

21 st Century MAGiC

AERADE

WikiAERADE

Timeline

Researcher timelines

The beginning

Engineering information sources Formal information sources are important Peer-reviewed journals Databases Validated data Standards Datasets Informal information sources are important Grey Literature Technical Reports Pre-prints Personal library Talking to colleagues Validated by experience Keeping up to date sources are important Formally and informally

Formal information sources are important

Peer-reviewed journals

Databases

Validated data

Standards

Datasets

Informal information sources are important

Grey Literature

Technical Reports

Pre-prints

Personal library

Talking to colleagues

Validated by experience

Keeping up to date sources are important

Formally and informally

Engineering information users Academic sector Adding to the store of human knowledge Reputations depend on number and quality of papers published Formal sources over informal sources Industrial sector Providing workable solutions to stated problems Reputations depend contributing to company profits Informal sources over formal sources These are generalisations! There is overlap However, confirmed by the MAGiC Project Funded by the BL and RSLP Engineering grey literature – technical reports Prototype National Reports Catalogue

Academic sector

Adding to the store of human knowledge

Reputations depend on number and quality of papers published

Formal sources over informal sources

Industrial sector

Providing workable solutions to stated problems

Reputations depend contributing to company profits

Informal sources over formal sources

These are generalisations!

There is overlap

However, confirmed by the MAGiC Project

Funded by the BL and RSLP

Engineering grey literature – technical reports

Prototype National Reports Catalogue

Web 1.0 Formerly known as “The Web” Largely static Dynamic delivery Silos Authoritarian Wisdom delivered to a passive audience this tends to suit employers, corporations ... And librarians There’s a lot of garbage about Caveat emptor The Web is out there You have to go to the mountain

Formerly known as “The Web”

Largely static

Dynamic delivery

Silos

Authoritarian

Wisdom delivered to a passive audience

this tends to suit employers, corporations ... And librarians

There’s a lot of garbage about

Caveat emptor

The Web is out there

You have to go to the mountain

Web 2.0 Not so much a technology as a concept Open Collaborative Informal Bizarrely named applications It’s at odds with the requirement for formal information Doesn’t sit easily with employers, corporations … and librarians But these characteristics suit some information seeking behaviour There’s still a lot of garbage about Caveat emptor Web 2.0 is in here The mountain comes to you

Not so much a technology as a concept

Open

Collaborative

Informal

Bizarrely named applications

It’s at odds with the requirement for formal information

Doesn’t sit easily with employers, corporations … and librarians

But these characteristics suit some information seeking behaviour

There’s still a lot of garbage about

Caveat emptor

Web 2.0 is in here

The mountain comes to you

Web 2.0 applications Types of application RSS feeds Blogs Wikis Chat Podcasts (and Vodcasts) Applications by company or product eBay del.icio.us Skype Technorati Wikipedia Flickr Google maps Timeline

Types of application

RSS feeds

Blogs

Wikis

Chat

Podcasts (and Vodcasts)

Applications by company or product

eBay

del.icio.us

Skype

Technorati

Wikipedia

Flickr

Google maps

Timeline

Reconciliation How to satisfy the need for peer-reviewed/validated information with the Web 2.0 free-for-all It doesn’t have to be a free-for-all Wikipedia Citizendium Editors and contributors have to identify themselves Taking this idea further Use Web 2.0 concepts and technologies in a “grown-up” way Retain the collaborative, participative, community-based nature of Web 2.0 Start to impose a degree of control and validation MAGiC Project AERADE

How to satisfy the need for peer-reviewed/validated information with the Web 2.0 free-for-all

It doesn’t have to be a free-for-all

Wikipedia

Citizendium

Editors and contributors have to identify themselves

Taking this idea further

Use Web 2.0 concepts and technologies in a “grown-up” way

Retain the collaborative, participative, community-based nature of Web 2.0

Start to impose a degree of control and validation

MAGiC Project

AERADE

20 th Century MAGIC MAGiC was ahead of its time! aimed to establish a new collaborative system for the collection, storage and use of engineering grey literature. Important to the successful creation of the National Reports Catalogue is the formation of a core community of participants Interoperability with disparate systems and services We knew Expertise and knowledge locked in the heads of engineers in the engineering community We could bring resources together in a catalogue but we couldn’t put them in context to gain a full and rich understanding In reality the concepts and technologies weren’t available to support the ideas we had But now, thanks to Web 2.0, they are!

MAGiC was ahead of its time!

aimed to establish a new collaborative system for the collection, storage and use of engineering grey literature.

Important to the successful creation of the National Reports Catalogue is the formation of a core community of participants

Interoperability with disparate systems and services

We knew

Expertise and knowledge locked in the heads of engineers in the engineering community

We could bring resources together in a catalogue

but we couldn’t put them in context to gain a full and rich understanding

In reality the concepts and technologies weren’t available to support the ideas we had

But now, thanks to Web 2.0, they are!

21 st Century MAGiC Now we have the technology Establish an engineering grey literature Wiki Open, not to all and sundry, but to expert participants in the engineering community By invitation By request Unlock the expertise and knowledge locked in the heads of engineers in the engineering community Integrate the Wiki with a National Reports Catalogue Embed other Web 2.0 applications like Google-maps, Timeline and Gabbly Create a rich environment which improves access to the resources and puts them in their context The people, concepts and technologies are available – let’s use them!

Now we have the technology

Establish an engineering grey literature Wiki

Open, not to all and sundry, but to expert participants in the engineering community

By invitation

By request

Unlock the expertise and knowledge locked in the heads of engineers in the engineering community

Integrate the Wiki with a National Reports Catalogue

Embed other Web 2.0 applications like Google-maps, Timeline and Gabbly

Create a rich environment which improves access to the resources and puts them in their context

The people, concepts and technologies are available – let’s use them!

AERADE 20 th Century AERADE ( http:// aerade.cranfield.ac.uk / ) AERADE provides access to key aerospace and defence information sources created worldwide. Our team of specialists at Cranfield University add resources Over 30,000 quality and essential Internet resources including Web sites, databases, technical reports, engineering design data, conferences and news. 21 st Century AERADE Establish an aerospace and defence Wiki Open, not to all and sundry, but to expert participants in the aerospace and defence community By invitation By request Unlock the expertise and knowledge locked in the heads of users in the aerospace & defence community Integrate the Wiki with the AERADE resources Embed other Web 2.0 applications like Google-maps, Timeline and Gabbly Create a rich environment which improves access to the resources and puts them in their context The people, concepts and technologies are available – let’s use them!

20 th Century AERADE ( http:// aerade.cranfield.ac.uk / )

AERADE provides access to key aerospace and defence information sources created worldwide.

Our team of specialists at Cranfield University add resources

Over 30,000 quality and essential Internet resources including Web sites, databases, technical reports, engineering design data, conferences and news.

21 st Century AERADE

Establish an aerospace and defence Wiki

Open, not to all and sundry, but to expert participants in the aerospace and defence community

By invitation

By request

Unlock the expertise and knowledge locked in the heads of users in the aerospace & defence community

Integrate the Wiki with the AERADE resources

Embed other Web 2.0 applications like Google-maps, Timeline and Gabbly

Create a rich environment which improves access to the resources and puts them in their context

The people, concepts and technologies are available – let’s use them!

WikiAERADE At the moment We’re just playing Thinking about how we can use this Trialling the concept with friendly and trusted experts Still trying to come up with a decent name http://aerade.cranfield.ac.uk/wiki/

At the moment

We’re just playing

Thinking about how we can use this

Trialling the concept with friendly and trusted experts

Still trying to come up with a decent name

Timeline ‘Timeline’ is a tool similar to Google maps Helps to visualise time-based events http://simile.mit.edu/timeline/examples/monet/monet.html Imagine this applied to DSTL and its predecessors Or the Aeronautical Research Council

‘Timeline’ is a tool similar to Google maps

Helps to visualise time-based events

http://simile.mit.edu/timeline/examples/monet/monet.html

Imagine this applied to DSTL and its predecessors

Or the Aeronautical Research Council

Researcher Timelines Cranfield QUEprints Institutional Repository (IR) Journal articles Conference papers Theses and dissertations Technical reports Populating IRs is a problem Not so much about papers as people Researcher pages Biography and bibliography Links between the IR and the researcher pages A Researcher Timelime Can be populated automatically RSS feeds, web services Next step is link to link the authors in IR back to their pages

Cranfield QUEprints

Institutional Repository (IR)

Journal articles

Conference papers

Theses and dissertations

Technical reports

Populating IRs is a problem

Not so much about papers as people

Researcher pages

Biography and bibliography

Links between the IR and the researcher pages

A Researcher Timelime

Can be populated automatically

RSS feeds, web services

Next step is link to link the authors in IR back to their pages

The beginning… We’ve seen sketches of the future Which can embrace the past We need to let go of control But not let things get out of control Involve and engage our communities Learn to trust our users (up to a point) Make use of the new technologies And don’t be afraid to have fun! Thank you! Any questions?

We’ve seen sketches of the future

Which can embrace the past

We need to let go of control

But not let things get out of control

Involve and engage our communities

Learn to trust our users (up to a point)

Make use of the new technologies

And don’t be afraid to have fun!

Thank you!

Any questions?