Conference blog 2010

This blog is a space to post your thoughts and reflections on conference themes for 2010.  Blogs and comments are welcomed from:

• presenters
• participants
• those unable to attend the conference.

How to use the conference blog

View the 2009 conference blog

Discussion articles matching:
Community

• Electronic Access to PhD Theses: Balancing Open Access and Confidentiality

  First of all, I’d like to thank those who participated in my discussion session. The topic provoked some very useful comments on the issues and experiences Universities have so far had with the move toward open access to PhD theses. The tradition of placing a copy of a PhD thesis in the University library following examination has caused little concern with regard to issues of confidentiality, e.g., protecting commercial interests and the privacy of individuals, or other academic interests, e.g., journal publications or research grants. However, the move toward “open access” to theses, whereby an electronic copy is made available which is potentially discoverable and accessible via the internet, changes the landscape considerably. My session was essentially exploratory, to gauge reaction to this relatively recent change. The views expressed offered a mixed picture – some had seen no evidence of change so far, no additional requests for confidentiality or concerns expressed by academics or students, though in many cases mandatory e-submission is still quite recent. However, it was generally felt that many academics and students remain unaware of the change, or (in the case of students) did not fully understand the implications. Others offered an indication of the possible problems to come, with signs that where Universities have succeeded in raising awareness, this can sometimes lead to an over-reaction. I intend to take this forward as a more formal, in-depth study that hopefully a much wider audience can benefit from. If you have a view or experiences to share, please do add your comments to this blog, I’d love to hear from you.

  09 September 2010

  By Tina Barnes

  Categories: Community

  0 comments

• Working Together Apart ~ Desktop Meetings with Remote Colleagues

  Dear All I was due to run special interest session at the conference on using Elluminate! (or equivalents) for web-cam-based collaborative

  24 August 2010

  By PI Project

  Categories: research staff, support, practical tips, Community

  1 comment