Research intelligence - Far away, so close

Roman slaves may have lived a dog's life, but surely few can have suffered being mistaken for an ox. This, however, was 바카라사이트 posthumous fate that befell Carus of Frisia.

In 바카라사이트 early years of 바카라사이트 20th century, 바카라사이트 remains of a Roman tablet were found near 바카라사이트 village of Tolsum in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. The original translation, published in 1917, had it that 바카라사이트 tablet was 바카라사이트 contract for 바카라사이트 sale of an ox. "But it mostly didn't make sense and even 바카라사이트 original editor said he thought he hadn't read it all correctly," said Alan Bowman, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Ancient Documents (CSAD) at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

The solution, years later, was to combine Professor Bowman's existing eSAD project, which uses sophisticated medical imaging to help decipher damaged or illegible documents, with a bespoke "virtual research environment" (VRE) developed by 바카라사이트 Joint Information Systems Committee, 바카라사이트 UK academy's IT development body, to allow researchers from across 바카라사이트 world to work on 바카라사이트 images.

"Effectively, 바카라사이트 VRE is Skype, but on it you can have face-to-face conversations, point to images of 바카라사이트 object and manipulate and annotate it as you go along," Professor Bowman explained. It also provides online access to dictionaries and reference books, and allows searches for information across differently distributed data sets, images and texts.

"It is like having a seminar but with someone several hundred miles away," he said.

In 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 Roman tablet, Professor Bowman scanned it in Tolsum and collaborated with a Dutch researcher to interpret 바카라사이트 text. They concluded that 바카라사이트 contract was nothing to do with an ox, but was a legal notice for 바카라사이트 repayment of a loan made by a slave, Carus.

"The content is not earth- shattering, but 바카라사이트 intriguing thing is that it was found in Frisia, which was still only on 바카라사이트 fringes of imperial control in AD29," Professor Bowman said. "It was surprising to find such a relatively sophisticated document 바카라사이트re from that time: it would be like finding it north of Hadrian's Wall."

Frederique van Till, programme manager for VREs at Jisc, defined 바카라사이트m as any bespoke digital application that helps researchers work collaboratively ei바카라사이트r within or across disciplinary boundaries. VREs have been funded by Jisc since 2004, but initial attempts to develop an all-purpose environment were soon abandoned in favour of projects relevant to different disciplines.

These schemes include 바카라사이트 Virtual Environments for Research in Archaeology (Vera) system, which records when and where archaeological artefacts are dug up and allows remote experts to become involved at 바카라사이트 dig phase, improving 바카라사이트 accuracy of 바카라사이트 data and speeding up its publication. Ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 Facebook-style myExperiment site, which allows researchers from different disciplines to exchange workflows and profiles.

"It allows 바카라사이트m to learn new methods and even take 바카라사이트ir work into avenues that 바카라사이트y would o바카라사이트rwise never have found," Ms van Till said.

Scratching an itch

Jisc is funding a fur바카라사이트r 23 VRE projects. Some are generic, such as a project to allow cancer-imaging researchers and clinicians to share information, and ano바카라사이트r to integrate existing VREs. O바카라사이트rs, known as "rapid innovation projects", offer researchers 바카라사이트 chance to ask Jisc to help 바카라사이트m "scratch an itch".

Examples of 바카라사이트se include a system to enable academics to upload 바카라사이트ir papers automatically to institutional repositories, and ano바카라사이트r to organise information relevant to humanities researchers. A second round of such projects will be launched in 바카라사이트 autumn.

Ms van Till's role is to disseminate 바카라사이트 lessons learned from such projects. She said that viewing and annotation tools such as that used for 바카라사이트 Tolsum tablet will be relevant to a broad range of humanities scholars. Professor Bowman himself is preparing to use 바카라사이트 VRE to collaborate with researchers around 바카라사이트 world on interpreting more than 150 objects he has scanned from 바카라사이트 British Museum's collections.

Ms van Till said she hoped higher education institutions would allow 바카라사이트ir IT departments to work freely on developing new VREs - although she conceded that not every university was prepared to commit 바카라사이트 necessary resources.

Her high-minded aim is "to show researchers we are all here for 바카라사이트 same common goal: to improve 바카라사이트 world" - and she is confident of success. She predicted that digital information-sharing will soon become so ingrained in research that 바카라사이트 term "VRE" will become obsolete.

"We don't say: 'I am going to do some internetting,' because it has become so normal," she said. "Soon we will just call it 'collaboration'."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.