Communication & Web PresenceCommunication & Web PresenceDavid Eichmann, Heather Davis, Brian Finley & Jennifer LaskowskiDavid Eichmann, Heather Davis, Brian Finley & Jennifer Laskowski

Background: Due to its inherently complex and interdisciplinary nature, translational science is often difficult to conduct and administer. Disparate groups, ranging from research volunteers and government officials to principal investigators and research teams, must communicate effectively to successfully bridge the gap between medicine and science.

Methods:  ICTS Informatics counters existing communication obstacles by offering services that facilitate and ease information creation, collection, and collaboration.

Website CMS (Drupal)Description: Free and open source Content Management System (CMS).Benefits:o Large, active user communities (local and national). o Fully vetted, stable, highly flexible with contributed modules. o Accessibility compliant. Supports a multitude of content types. Niche: Supports integrated public facing web interface. All public systems can be accessed through Drupal.

Wiki (Confluence)Description: Contribute, modify, organize, and publish information to a website via an online web application using wiki software. Benefits:o Record findings, share information and collaborate with others.o Contribute and publish without specialized development skills.o Immediately search data while content is still “fresh” and applicable.Niche: Information creation and knowledge repository for a wide range of groups and projects (e.g., configuration and application development content, science lab notes, grant writing materials).

Issue and Project Tracking (JIRA)Description: Request ICTS services and support (e.g., bio-statistic consulting, informatics application development, data storage, computer processing resources) via this web-based application. Benefits:o Full featured and easily customizable (plug-ins), ready for basic use out-of-box.o Effective issue tracking and project management capabilities.  o Highly scalable. Supports numerous projects and groups. Niche: Teams can efficiently record and prioritize tasks assigned by management or requested by the user community. 

Future Use: These various components will provide a vast knowledge base, offer effective data-sharing capabilities, and enable innovative video interface/integration options at the University of Iowa and throughout the consortium. ICTS hopes to decrease the existing gap between medicine and science by integrating these technological advances that can enrich communication and collaboration among researchers, various stakeholders, and the public.

Multimedia InformationDelivery (Video)Description: Manage entire life cycle of a video file using Final Cut Server, Handbrake, and Wowza Media Server.Benefits:o Universal video format. o Customizable metadata and automation.o Autonomous control of video workflow.Niche: Video from any source can be fed into Final Cut Server and pushed out to any number of delivery formats. Can support every ICTS service.

Current Top Areas of Usageo Main Website

- Research Resources - Training and Education - Profiles - About - Home (news)

www.icts.uiowa.edu

Weekly Statistics

Monthly StatisticsMonthly Hits

LINCC Grants

Pediatric Wikiavailable

Pilot Grants

Certificate Series Announced

ICTS Membership Opens

Tissue Procurement Announced

Progress Report

Midwest Consortium

National Press

Wiki (Confluence)o Loki Research Profiles

- Search & Browse Researcho Research Professionals Networko Membershipo Grants

Loki Research ProfilingDescription: Browse researchers’ profiles, publications, interests, and activities and establish potential research collaborationsBenefits:o Highly visible profiles (search engines including local appliances).o Easily manage  electronic CVs and NIH biosketcheso Instantly access boilerplate information about facilities and core programs.o Fully integrated with PubMed and UI database systems to keep publication and profile information up-to-date.Niche: Fosters interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between researchers throughout the entire University of Iowa.

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