The Engage Project

JISC Business Intelligence Start-Up Meeting

March 31st 2011

Aims and Objectives

• Explore definitions of research clustering and the data requirements of research clusters

• Develop novel means for classifying research activities in a flexible and unrestrictive way

• Create visualisation applications for exploiting clustering of research interests and activities

• Share our ideas for wider disciplinary, institutional and third party adoption

Partners• University of Glasgow

– Valerie McCutcheon (Research and Enterprise)– Craig Easton (Corporate Communications)– Andrew McHugh (School of Humanities)– Andrew Prescott (School of Humanities)– Matthew Barr (School of Humanities)

• Aberystwyth University– Rebecca Davies (Director of Information Services)

• Glasgow Life– Martin Bellamy (Research Manager)

• You!

Focus Areas

• Facilitating flexible interdisciplinarity, emphasising usability

• Establishing agreed terminological bases for research themes (with future potential for wider standardisation)

• Addressing inefficiencies in gathering, storing, and utilising information about research themes

• Complementing traditional organisational classifications

• Evaluating and responding to researcher attitudes to research theme knowledge engineering and exploitation

Project Methodology

• Analysis of research and administration– Establish core focus group– Themes that should be defined – Mechanics of their construction– Granularity/customisability – Anticipated applications

• Develop ontology for research theme clustering• Embed ontology in central research administration and

dissemination systems• Conceive visualisers/applications for data exploitation• Evaluate in association with focus group

Project Outcomes

• Research Cluster definitions and data requirements• A set of research themes detailing scope and examples• Research Cluster prototype allowing modelling and drill

down• Proposal for sustainability within University• Feedback on the JISC InfoNet BI Tool • Shared journey with the sector

Plan

WP Workpackage Title Key Activities Includes…

1 Project Management •Coordination of work packages•Maintain communications

2 Definitions and Data Modelling

•Workshops (explore definitions and issues)•Review of existing classification approaches (e.g, museum/HEBCIS;•Establish focus group

3 Visualisation Functionality

•Review existing system functionality•Build and test prototype•Integrate with legacy infrastructure

4 Community Engagement

•Blog on project development•Present efforts/results at conferences (e.g. ARMA)

Status

• Workplan finalised• Virtual kickoff meeting with project partners (April, via VC)• Website:

– http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/businessintelligence/engage.aspx

• Project Blog:– http://researchclusters.wordpress.com

• Workshops being planned for researcher and administrators’ perspectives

• Existing research theme/knowledge clustering being evaluated and documented

Other Planned Dissemination

• ARMA Conference Poster (June 11/12)• ARMA Conference Paper (June 12)• Internal and external University of Glasgow workshops• Publication of case study report from focus group activity

with ontology/visualisers

Discussion

• Questions?

• Andrew McHugh (andrew.mchugh@glasgow.ac.uk)• Valerie McCutcheon (valerie.mccutcheon@glasgow.ac.uk)