EDUCAUSE | Open Systems and Open Source

IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice - Corporate Edition

ckeller — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:55:01 -0600

This ECAR research study was designed in collaboration with the Association of American Medical Colleges to analyze the practices and perspectives of IT organizations that support the academic research enterprise in medical schools and colleges. As the potential of biotechnology, proteomics, informatics, computational genomics, and other IT-intensive disciplines continue to offer breakthroughs in medicine, research in these fields requires greater and higher-level technology resources for infrastructure as well as IT support and services. The study is based on the results of a web-based survey sent to 125 medical schools and colleges in the United States, as well as qualitative interviews with leaders at 10 institutions. Respondents to the survey were predominantly chief information officers or other top administrators from 50 medical institutions, yielding a response rate of 39.7 percent. The findings contained in this report echo the results of the ECAR 2006 study, IT Engagement in Research: A Baseline Study, illustrating that the role and importance of IT in research is growing, while funding and budget decisions remain difficult. A non-profit edition is available here.

Citation for this work: Nelson, Mark R. IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice (Research Study, Vol. 1). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice Roadmap

ckeller — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:27:19 -0600

This ECAR roadmap synthesizes the important issues and recommended actions drawn from the 2008 study, IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice, by Mark R. Nelson. This ECAR research study was designed in collaboration with the Association of American Medical Colleges to analyze the practices and perspectives of IT organizations that support the academic research enterprise in medical schools and colleges. As the potential of biotechnology, proteomics, informatics, computational genomics, and other IT-intensive disciplines continue to offer breakthroughs in medicine, research in these fields requires greater and higher-level technology resources for infrastructure as well as IT support and services. The study is based on the results of a January 2007 web-based survey sent to 125 medical schools and colleges in the United States, as well as qualitative interviews with leaders at 10 institutions.

Citation for this work: Albrecht, Bob, and Judith A. Pirani. "IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice Roadmap" (Roadmap). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2005, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice

ckeller — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:11:35 -0600

Citation for this work: Nelson, Mark R. IT Engagement in Research: A View of Medical School Practice (Research Study, Vol. 1). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Open for Change

drupal — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 16:19:39 -0600

The author discusses the use of open source in the context of advancing learning in both secondary and higher education.

IT Engagement in Research: A Baseline Study - Key Findings

drupal — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 09:50:47 -0500

This ECAR Key Findings explores the practices and perspectives of IT organizations that support the academic research enterprise. To collect, analyze, and distribute information across an expanding range academic disciplines and geographic locations, research efforts rely heavily on IT infrastructure, people, and a broad range of IT services. Ever-larger data sets are being collected and shared, simulations and visualization are becoming routine tools, and the co-evolution of science and computing increasingly requires scientists to have solid grounding in information management.

IT Engagement in Research: A Baseline Study Roadmap

drupal — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 09:42:15 -0500

This ECAR Roadmap explores the practices and perspectives of IT organizations that support the academic research enterprise. To collect, analyze, and distribute information across an expanding range academic disciplines and geographic locations, research efforts rely heavily on IT infrastructure, people, and a broad range of IT services. Ever-larger data sets are being collected and shared, simulations and visualization are becoming routine tools, and the co-evolution of science and computing increasingly requires scientists to have solid grounding in information management.

IT Engagement in Research: A Baseline Study

drupal — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 16:58:17 -0500

This ECAR study explores the practices and perspectives of IT organizations that support the academic research enterprise. To collect, analyze, and distribute information across an expanding range academic disciplines and geographic locations, research efforts rely heavily on IT infrastructure, people, and a broad range of IT services. Ever-larger data sets are being collected and shared, simulations and visualization are becoming routine tools, and the co-evolution of science and computing increasingly requires scientists to have solid grounding in information management. This study reports the results of a variety of research initiatives: a literature review, quantitative and qualitative data from 328 higher education institutions (315 U.S. and 13 Canadian institutions), and five in-depth cases studies. In addition, ECAR published What Do Researchers Need? Higher Education IT from the Researcher's Perspective, to supplement this study.

Calit2: A Case Study in a Next-Generation Research Environment

drupal — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 09:55:08 -0600

In higher education, team-based, collaborative research activities, call for new modalities and methods of investigation. Calit2 is responding to this challenge by creating a next-generation research environment that includes a range of technical and nontechnical systems to foster large-scale, multidisciplinary collaborations in innovative ways. This case study explores the breadth and depth of this extensive initiative, including how Calit2 is experimenting with multiple technological methodologies to support locally based, distributed, and virtual research collaborations.

The Importance of Open Access, Open Source, and Open Standards for Libraries

drupal — Wed, 25 May 2005 11:18:44 -0500

The open access, open source software, and open standards concepts have been garnering increased attention in the field of librarianship and elsewhere. These concepts and their benefits and importance to libraries are examined. Benefits include lower costs, greater accessibility, and better prospects for long-term preservation of scholarly works.

Free Software and Open Source: The Freedom Debate and its Consequences

drupal — Wed, 18 May 2005 15:26:49 -0500

Recently the University of Göteborg held an online course in the theory and philosophy of free software and open source. During this course a lively discussion on terminology took place, in particular the concept of freedom was discussed. Without arriving at particular conclusions the posts included views in part on the lack of user awareness on what was property within the computer, on the difference between free, gratis, and libre in different languages and cultures and the need for both a common terminology and infrastructure. This paper is not an attempt to resolve these issues but to bring these questions to the attention of a wider audience in the hope that the discussion will continue.

To most outsiders the ethics of software is not something usually considered. To most proficient computer users with a passing interest in this question the ethics of software is recognised as one of the fundamental questions in the digital rights area. To most of the latter, terms such as free software, open source, and their derivatives (FLOSS, FOSS, Software Freedom) are interchangeable. Choosing one over the other is a matter of taste rather than politics. However, to most insiders the question is not one of taste. There is a fundamental difference between the two areas even if they share a similar root. Free software is not the same as open source. The two groups differ in their fundamental philosophical approach to software and its importance to society as a whole. This paper examines the two groups' differing philosophies and explores how their actions have affected software development, access to fundamental software infrastructure, and the development of the concept of freedom.

Patents, Open Standards and Open Source

drupal — Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:52:51 -0600

The author discusses Open Standards and Open Source in the context of the European Union.

Open Your Eyes: Open Architecture, Open Source, Open Projects

drupal — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 10:53:10 -0600

One of higher education's strengths is the desire and ability to share information. Open source software and open architected systems that facilitate interoperability enable sharing in a way that leverages collective expertise. This presentation will clarify the difference between open projects, open architectures, and open source, as well as take a look at the major collaborative software initiatives in higher education today.

Risk Perception and Trusted Computer Systems: Is Open Source Software Really More Secure than Proprietary Software?

drupal — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 10:57:00 -0500

While Open Source software is routinely described as "more secure" than commercial off the shelf software, all available evidence suggests that there is little difference in the level of trust that should be accorded either type of system. The paper also relies on an analysis using risk perception theory to explain why Open Source is widely believed to be "more secure" than other types of software.

Open Source and Standards

drupal — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 15:04:41 -0500

This paper is from the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE). This paper discusses possible future outcomes of open standards.

alt-i-lab 2004:Advancing Learning Technology Interoperability

drupal — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 09:21:44 -0500

alt-i-lab 2004 is the 2nd annual meeting of creators, vendors, users, and buyers of learning technology. The purpose of the meeting was advancing learning technology interoperability. The participants are informed business and technical decision makers and technology leaders from the vendor and consumer communities. This is a working meeting in which informed participants assessed the status of the field through presentations, demonstrations, and discussion sessions to make plans for solving challenging interoperability problems.

Open Source and Free Software: Concepts, Controversies and Solutions

drupal — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 15:49:43 -0500

This May 2004 conference on Open Source and Free Software: Concepts, Controversies and Solutions, includes multimedia presentations on various open source issues.

Navigo Project: An OKI Course Management Assessment Engine

drupal — Mon, 14 Apr 2003 14:42:55 -0500

We will outline the collaborative efforts of Indiana University, University of Michigan, and Stanford University to develop a next-generation assessment engine based on the OKI programming interfaces. Learn how these efforts will enhance these institutions' course management systems and deliver a modular implementation that can be leveraged by any institution.

The Open Knowledge Initiative

drupal — Wed, 06 Nov 2002 17:31:45 -0600

The Open Knowledge Initiative presents an open specification for the development of educational applications and course management environments. This session will introduce the OKI architecture through the demonstration of systems and tools, including MIT's Stellar and Stanford University's CourseWork.

Looking for Snake Eyes: Risk Takers' Secrets of Success

drupal — Mon, 09 Sep 2002 12:16:35 -0500

Some schools elect the "road not taken" in IT solutions. Whether abandoning Microsoft, building an OKI course-management system, or implementing an open source portal, the less-traveled path has its reasons, rewards, risks, and requirements. Share experiences with adventuresome others and discuss how to succeed in such a venture.