New videos show how researchers use Virtual Research Environments

Press release

New videos show how researchers use advanced technology

New videos showing how JISC is helping researchers achieve faster, better
and different research through virtual research environments have just been
released.

The videos feature projects from JISC’s virtual research environment (VRE)
programme, which is trying to find ways to connect people and speed up
research processes across disciplines. These include astronomy, physics,
electronics, chemistry and the study of ancient documents.

Case studies from the e-infrastructure programme are also online, showing
how normal it is for researchers to use advanced internet technology when
they work with other institutions and internationally.

Dr Mike Fraser of Oxford University, who led the e-infrastructure project,
said: “We have used story-telling and videos to remove the mystery from
e-infrastructure and demonstrate that its use can now be considered normal
within many subject areas.”

JISC’s VRE programme manager Frederique van Till explained: “Virtual
research environments really speed up the whole chain, and in some ways that
makes the work for researchers much faster because it’s easier to get to the
resources and the people. It also allows them to branch out into areas they
could never have done before by using this new technology.”

Projects featured in the videos include VRE’s in archaeology, the study of
documents and manuscripts, collaborative research events on the web and the
MyExperiment social networking site for scientists.

Professor Mike Fulford from Reading University, who features in two of the
videos, describes the impact of JISC’s work in archaeology project as
“simply a revolution.”

He said: “I used to be a Luddite; the technology was all new to me. But now
it’s like an umbilical cord – I can’t do without it.”

The VRE programme is now entering its third phase with a more modular
approach aimed at making VRE’s work more effectively between different
universities and colleges.

Watch the videos of the VRE projects and see e-infrastructures in action at
<http://www.youtube.com/user/JISCmedia>

Explore audio and video from all of the VRE programme phases at
<http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/vre/outputs>

Listen to Frederique van Till, JISC VRE programme manager, discussing the
latest phase of the programme at
<http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2009/06/podcast82frederiquevantill>