What is eResearch?

A common basic definition of eResearch goes something like: “The use of advanced Information and Communications Technologies to support research.”*

eResearch Themes:

• Data driven research.

• Computationally intensive research.

• Collaborative research across geographical and discipline boundaries.

*Via Jim Richardson from the University of Sydney.

A picture of eResearch

Below is a diagram that attempts to map-out eResearch. Reading from the bottom to the top the idea is that there are some basic eResearch enablers that need to be in place. The Australian Government has recognized this and is funding national infrastructure, but each institution obviously needs to have some of its own.

In the middle applications layer there are some services that we all need, that are more-or less similar across disciplines, we need to be able talk to each other, have mechanisms for sharing data, and the organization needs to know about who’s doing what.

It’s well understood that a lot of eResearch services are not generic, so that’s the top cloud, where effective eResearch help needs to a be a partnership between researchers and tech-specialists (sometimes they’re the same people).

 (ORS means Office of Research Services)

An earlier version of this diagram was published on Peter Sefton’s site.

Copyright Peter Sefton, 2012. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Australia. <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/au/>