Acquisition of a High-Speed, High Capacity Storage System to Support Scientific Computing: The Data Capacitor Final Report

Final report to the National Science Foundation on ACI-0521433.National Science Foundatio

Indiana University Pervasive Technology Institute – Research Technologies: XSEDE Service Provider and XSEDE subcontract report (PY1: 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012)

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF or XSEDE leadership.This document is a summary of the activities of the Research Technologies division of UITS, a Service & Cyberinfrastructure Center affiliated with the Indiana University Pervasive Technology Institute, as part of the eXtreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) during XSEDE Program Year 1 (1 July 2011 – 30 June 2012). This document consists of three parts: - Section 2 of this document describes IU’s activities as an XSEDE Service Provider, using the format prescribed by XSEDE for reporting such activities. - Section 3 of this document describes IU’s activities as part of XSEDE management, operations, and support activities funded under a subcontract from the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA), the lead organization for XSEDE. This section is organized by the XSEDE Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) plan. - Appendix 1 is a summary table of IU’s education, outreach, and training events funded and supported in whole or in part by IU’s subcontract from NCSA as part of XSEDE.This document was developed with support from National Science Foundation (NSF) grant OCI-1053575

Chemical Information Bulletin

Created as a supplement for "the regular journals of the American Chemical Society," this publication contains annotated bibliographies of chemical documentation literature as well as information about meetings, conferences, awards, scholarships, and other news from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Chemical Information (CINF)

Data work configurations in the field-based natural sciences: mesoscale infrastructures, project collectives, and data gateways

This multi-case, longitudinal ethnographic study investigates data work configurations of research projects in the field-based natural sciences. Project collective data work involves managing data in addition to facilitating digital data archiving. Through qualitative analysis, the concepts of data work arenas, information environments, and pre-archive data work are incorporated into a Data Work System model that foregrounds mesoscale infrastructures central to the movement of data from its origin in the field to its destination in an archive. The model integrates a system perspective within which data intermediaries play a key role as infrastructure is grown to support the dynamics associated with research data use. As an outcome of the analysis, three kinds of mesoscale data collectives are characterized as Local, Archive, and Developing. Three case studies illustrate the diversity of data work configurations, characterize mesoscale infrastructures as future-making prototypes, and demonstrate the relevance of Local Data Collectives as Data Gateways in planning information architecture. The cases contribute to the development of conceptual resources critical to maintaining the vibrancy and vigor of scientific research and the data work associated with data production in addition to knowledge production

Study on open science: The general state of the play in Open Science principles and practices at European life sciences institutes

Nowadays, open science is a hot topic on all levels and also is one of the priorities of the European Research Area. Components that are commonly associated with open science are open access, open data, open methodology, open source, open peer review, open science policies and citizen science. Open science may a great potential to connect and influence the practices of researchers, funding institutions and the public. In this paper, we evaluate the level of openness based on public surveys at four European life sciences institute

Information needs and habits of unaffiliated knowledge workers in the United Kingdom

The aim of this thesis is to analyse difficulties facing researchers excluded from results of mainstream academic research or corporate R&D, and offer recommendations on how they (unaffiliated knowledge workers or UKWs) can be integrated into future scientific activity. It also investigates the contextual aspect of whether science communication itself (science, technology, engineering and medicine or STEM) has become dysfunctional. This arises from claims that barriers prevent current stakeholders reaching into the professions, SMEs and citizen scientists - all parts of the UKW sector - with formal research publications. However, these barriers are now being breached through the combined effects of technological developments, social adaptation, administrative/legal changes and adoption of radical commercial/business models. This is leading to a migration from a print culture through a hybrid publications system to a fully digital environment where information needs will be met by different processes and procedures. The conclusion is that a paradigm shift is underway. The existing differences between STEM sectors - publishers, librarians, funders, intermediaries - over operational issues is preventing longer-term threats being addressed. The recommendation is that strategic delphic studies be undertaken at national and industry levels to provide alternative visions for STEM publishing, to support a smooth transition to a digital information economy. Included among these studies is the need to incorporate knowledge workers within the research system to produce a broader, healthier and more sustainable market for STEM. There is also a moral issue facing STEM - whether migration to an open, free and democratic system for creating information as a public utility, in line with Internet culture, can be reconciled with the drive to generate revenues and profits to sustain the commercial basis of the publishing industry; whether STEM in future should be liberated and made a ‘free’ utility