Authors
Toby Burrows and Claire McIlroy (University of Western Australia)
Abstract
The Australian Research Council’s Network for Early European Research (NEER) is approaching the end of its five-year funded life (2004-2009). One of its central programmes has involved building a suite of digital services, including a collaboration environment, a discipline-specific repository of research outputs, and a specialized resource discovery service.
In this paper, we will consider some of the lessons learnt from this process, assess the options for the future of these services, and examine some general implications for e-research and the humanities. Among the topics to be covered are:
- Negotiating the institutional I.T. environment;
- Promoting and assessing take-up by the research community;
- Managing the expectations of key stakeholders;
- Finding a place in the broader digital and research landscape;
- Managing the transition beyond project-funded life.
More generally, the NEER digital services programme has raised questions about the nature, effect and future of e-research in the humanities. In particular, what needs to be done if e-research is to have anything like the kind of transformative effect in the humanities which it is beginning to have in various international scientific communities?
About the speaker
Toby Burrows is the director of the Scholars' Centre in the University of Western Australia Library. He has been involved for more than a decade in developing digital services for researchers in the humanities, including leading such projects as the Guide to Australian Literary Manuscripts and the Western Australian Cultural Heritage Portal.
For the last four years he has been seconded part-time to the Network for Early European Research (NEER), which was funded by the Australian Research Council to provide infrastructure for researchers in medieval and early modern studies. In this role, he has been responsible for developing and managing the Network's suite of digital services.