Whether it’s e-research in Australia, cyberinfrastructure in the USA, the grid in Europe, or e-science in the UK, a transformation is occurring in research practice, a transformation that will have a profound impact on the roles of researchers and information professionals working in higher education, according to University of Melbourne Vice-Principal (Information) Linda O’Brien. “Research is becoming more multidisciplinary, more collaborative, and more global,” she says. “These changes provide new opportunities and challenges for information professionals. E-research is vital in strengthening institutional partnerships. It challenges us to think globally and act locally in building collaboration between information services and the research community.” Ms O’Brien outlines here the shape, role and significance of e-research in an article adapted from one she had published recently in the education journal EDUCAUSE Review (link).
