The term e-Research (alternately spelled eResearch) refers to the use of
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
to support existing and new forms of research. This extends
cyber-infrastructure practices established in
STEM
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
fields such as
e-Science
E-Science or eScience is computationally intensive science that is carried out in highly distributed network environments, or science that uses immense data sets that require grid computing; the term sometimes includes technologies that enable dist ...
to cover other all research areas, including
HASS
Hass may refer to:
* Hass (Ottoman)
* Hass (surname)
* Hass (town), a town in Syria
* Hass avocado, a type of avocado named after its cultivator, Rudolph Hass
* Hass Petroleum, an investment company
* Humanities, arts, and social sciences
* Home ...
fields such as
digital humanities
Digital humanities (DH) is an area of scholarly activity at the intersection of computing or Information technology, digital technologies and the disciplines of the humanities. It includes the systematic use of digital resources in the humanitie ...
.
Principles
Practices in e-Research typically aim to improve
efficiency
Efficiency is the often measurable ability to avoid wasting materials, energy, efforts, money, and time in doing something or in producing a desired result. In a more general sense, it is the ability to do things well, successfully, and without ...
,
interconnectedness and
scalability
Scalability is the property of a system to handle a growing amount of work by adding resources to the system.
In an economic context, a scalable business model implies that a company can increase sales given increased resources. For example, a ...
across the full research
data lifecycle:
collection
Collection or Collections may refer to:
* Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department
* Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service
* Collection agency, agency to collect cash
* Collectio ...
,
storage
Storage may refer to:
Goods Containers
* Dry cask storage, for storing high-level radioactive waste
* Food storage
* Intermodal container, cargo shipping
* Storage tank
Facilities
* Garage (residential), a storage space normally used to store car ...
,
analysis
Analysis ( : analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (38 ...
,
visualisation and
sharing
Sharing is the joint use of a resource or space. It is also the process of dividing and distributing. In its narrow sense, it refers to joint or alternating use of inherently finite goods, such as a common pasture or a shared residence. Still ...
of data.
E-Research therefore involves collaboration of
researchers
Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...
(often in a
multi-disciplinary
Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...
team), with
data scientists
Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge and insights from noisy, structured and unstructured data, and apply knowledge from data across a bro ...
and
computer scientists
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (including th ...
,
data stewards and
digital librarians, and significant
information and communication technology
Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, ...
infrastructure.
In addition to human resources, it often requires the physical infrastructure for
data-intensive activities, often using
high performance computing
High-performance computing (HPC) uses supercomputers and computer clusters to solve advanced computation problems.
Overview
HPC integrates systems administration (including network and security knowledge) and parallel programming into a multid ...
systems such as
grid computing
Grid computing is the use of widely distributed computer resources to reach a common goal. A computing grid can be thought of as a distributed system with non-interactive workloads that involve many files. Grid computing is distinguished from co ...
.
Applications
Examples of e-Research problems range across disciplines which include:
* Modelling of ecosystems or economies
* Exploration of human genome structures
* Studies of large linguistic corpora
* Integrated social policy analyses
In Australia
Specialist services, centres or programmes instituted to support
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n data and technology intensive research operate under the umbrella term: eResearch. In March 2012, representatives from these eResearch groups came together to discuss the need build a "collaborative program to strengthen eResearch and address issues facing the sector nationally". The Australian eResearch Organisation (AeRO) emerged from this forum as "a collaborative organisation of national and state-based research organisations to advance eResearch implementation and innovation in Australia". Professionals working in Australian eResearch annually convene a conference known as: eResearch Australasia.
See also
*
Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing
The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC, pronounced – rhymes with "oink") is an open-source middleware system for volunteer computing (a type of distributed computing). Developed originally to support SETI@home, it beca ...
(BOINC)
*
e-Science
E-Science or eScience is computationally intensive science that is carried out in highly distributed network environments, or science that uses immense data sets that require grid computing; the term sometimes includes technologies that enable dist ...
References
External links
New Zealand eScience Infrastructure(NeSI)
Centre for eResearch, University of AucklandeResearch, the University of MichiganResearch Paper ServiceOxford e-Research CentreCentre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation UniversityUniversity of Cape Town eResearch Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:E-Research
Research
Information technology