e-Research framework; Virtual research environments; VRE framework; International and South African examples of VRE;s; Going to the practice

1. http://www.toyemporium.com.au/shop.p58

2. The e-Research framework for South Africa
developed by Fernihough (2011), after in depth
interviews with various SA research stakeholders,
will be discussed in order to give a framework or
context for the role of virtual research environments
with regard to e-Research.
The theoretical background of VRE’s will be
described with reference to developments in the
UK, USA, Australia and South Africa. Special
attention will be given to the VRE conceptual
framework that was developed in South Africa.

3.  e-Research
 e-Research framework
 Virtual Research Environments (VRE’s)
 VRE framework
 International & SA examples of VRE’s
 Getting to the practice ...

4.  large scale science, humanities & social
science research, that is increasingly being
carried out through distributed, global
collaborations , enabled by the Internet and
related technologies …
 e-Research is a new way of doing research,
collaborating globally and nationally while
making use of ICT infrastructure to do
research. (Fernihough 2011)
http://supercolossal.ch/

5. e-Research Infrastructure or “cyber infrastructure”
e-Research Middleware and Services
e-Research Applications
e-Research Products and Services

6. Access Modules for e-Research
User Training, Skills Development & Quality Assurance Components
Users and the Virtual Research Environment for e-Research

7. Collaboration in e-Research Activities
Funding of e-Research Components

9.  Can be seen as the IT infrastructure (hardware
& software) that supports & enables all the
steps in the Research Process in an integrated
manner
 Librarians can play a pivotal role in the
development, implementation and facilitation of
a Virtual Research Environment
 The core element of the e-Research framework
 Many international projects & initiatives
 Also 3 South African initiatives

10. Project management
Project
management
system
Proposal writing
Document
management
system
Generic
software e.g.
MS / Open
Office
Real time
communication
Skype, smart
board, video
conferences
Training / mentoringE-learning
system for
researchers
Identification of
funding sources
Identification of
research area
Literature review &
indexing
Identification of
collaborators
Internal shared
database of
indexed articles
Dissemination &
artifacts
Web/wiki/blog: search engines, databases;
researchers & topics; funders, portals,
communication, projects
Repositories:
research results;
experiments;
literature &
documents
Scientific workflow
(Collaborative)
Electronic Lab
book
Sophisticated
instruments that
generate digital
information and data
Servers with
data files
(Free) Data
analysis
software
Integrated
data
management
system
Access to
research
networks &
super
computers;
access to labs
with in silico
screening
Mathematical modelling tools;
numerical algorithm tools; simulation
software; in silico experiments
South African Malaria VRE framework

11. Project management
Project
management
system
Proposal writing
Document
management
system *
Generic
software e.g.
MS / Open
Office
Real time
communication
Skype, smart
board, video
conferences
Training / mentoringE-learning
system for
researchers
Identification of
funding sources
Identification of
research area
Literature review &
indexing
Identification of
collaborators
Internal shared
database of
indexed articles *
Dissemination &
artifacts
Web/wiki/blog: search engines, databases;
researchers & topics; funders, portals,
communication, projects *
Repositories:
research results;
experiments;
literature &
documents *
Scientific workflow
(Collaborative)
Electronic Lab
book *
Sophisticated
instruments that
generate digital
information and data
Servers with
data files
(Free) Data
analysis
software
Integrated
data
management
system *
Access to
research
networks &
super
computers;
access to labs
with in silico
screening
Mathematical modelling tools;
numerical algorithm tools; simulation
software; in silico experiments
South African Malaria VRE framework
*Library role

12. BL / MS RIC: Manage-
ment of published info
ResearchGate:
research collaboration
OPENWETWARE: Lab
Notebook on Blog
myexperiment:
scientific workflows
archer e-Research
toolkit: data
management
HUBzero: access to
interactive simulation
tools
International VRE examples

16. UP Library is using Alfresco (content
management) open source software to use as a
VRE / Research data management system for
stem cell research and other pilot research
projects at the University

19.  Fernihough, S., e-Research (An Implementation Framework for
South African Organisations). 4th African Conference for Digital
Scholarship and Digital Curation, Pretoria: 16 May 2011.
http://www.nedicc.ac.za/Conference/Upload%20Papaers/S%20Feri
hough-eResearchImplementationFramework.pdf
 Pienaar, H., Van Deventer, M. 2009. To VRE or not to VRE? Do
South African malaria researchers need a virtual research
environment? Ariadne, 59, April 2009.
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue59/pienaar-vandeventer/
 Van Deventer, M. Natural Products VRE – a model to identify
librarian roles in the online work environment. 4th African
Conference for Digital Scholarship and Digital Curation,
Pretoria: 16 May 2011.
http://www.nedicc.ac.za/Conference/Upload%20Papaers/204%20N
atural%20products%20VRE%20V2x.pdf