IT Innovation within the Esprit and IST Programs. Some Evidence from the UK

The European Strategic Program for Research in Information Technologies (Esprit) was created back in 1983 as a defensive response to the US and Japanese lead in Information Technologies (IT). Esprit was driven by the belief that intra-EU collaboration is an effective means to enhance the competitiveness of the European IT industry. Esprit has undergone a number of changes to facilitate collaboration and innovation. Yet, only after eighteen years of Esprit did the European Commission appreciate the need to encourage worldwide co-operation within its Fifth Framework Information Society Technologies (IST) Program. In the emerging information society and economy it is conceded that new ideas are as likely to be found outside Europe as within. This paper aims to investigate the personal networks of UK main contractors in Esprit and IST programs with regard to national boundaries and external linkages. It argues that the world of IT innovation is borderless and that Commission policies to impose boundaries to collaboration are unlikely to contribute to successful innovation in the IT industry throughout Europe.Mapping IT innovation networks; EU R&D programs; ESPRIT; IST; UK

The Impact of the Multi-Arts Production Fund From the Artists' Perspective

Examines the administration and role of the Multi-Arts Production Fund in enhancing the quality of arts projects, artists' work beyond the supported project, the organizations that commission or present the work, and the field of live performance

University Trademarks and “Mixed Speech” on College Campuses: A Case Study of Gerlich v. Leath and Student Free Speech Rights

Higher education has long been a fundamental building block upon which American democracy is based. The guarantee of free speech is itself a revered liberty in the American polity; it has, in turn, served as the catalyst for higher education. Recent events on college campuses continue to reexamine universities’ role in their students’ education and push the legal boundaries on student speech rights. In many instances, however, students’ speech and expressive viewpoint conflicts with that of other students. Other times, students’ speech conflicts with the expressive interests of their university. This Article examines the latter instance in the context of university trademarks. Gerlich v. Leath, a recent decision by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, serves as a case study to elaborate on the complexities that arise when analyzing free speech rights in instances where students’ expressive interests often compete with, and sometimes conflict with, those of public colleges and universities.

Supporting research by becoming a researcher: how librarians can use their own research experience to benefit library users

This article explores the ways in which engagement in practitioner research can enhance the librarian's ability to support researchers. It first clarifies what is meant by ‘research’ and highlights some differences between academic and practitioner research, then it considers some of the ways in which both the act of doing research and the results of that research can enhance our ability to support researchers

Overlay journals, repositories and the evolution of scholarly communication

This paper examines the part overlay journals can play in developing new roles for repositories in the scholarly communication process. This requires that we answer some outstanding questions about the overlay journal model: · How are overlay journals distinct from other overlay services and other journals? · What business models are applicable? · What opportunities do overlay journals offer to repositories? And, perhaps most importantly: · What value can an overlay journal bring to the process of scholarly communication? As a result of the answer to the first of these questions, this paper gives a definition of an overlay journal as an entity that performs all the activities of a scholarly journal and relies on structural links with one or more archives or repositories to perform its activities. It finds that the overlay journals that already exist use a variety of business models, which means that repositories can engage with overlay journals in many different ways. Research and practice show that overlay journals offer new possibilities for publishers, repositories, authors and readers alike, and as such have a great deal to offer to scholarly communication

Black theology in South Africa : an autobiographical reflection

Peer reviewedA few years ago black theologians in the United States celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of James Cone’s first book, Black theology and black power. Cone’s book represented the first systematic reflection on the germinating subject of black theology at the time and it stimulated further reflection and debate by others. Such theological activity took place not only in the United States, but also in other parts of the world. One of the foremost countries that were inspired by Cone’s method of black theology was South Africa. It is thus fitting that as African American theologians found cause to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary not long ago, we as South Africans should also take time to reflect briefly on our own participation in the earlier debate. This paper reflects only one person’s view of developments in this country, however, and does not claim to represent the whole South African perspective.Church History of Southern Afric

An introduction to overlay journals

An overlay journal performs all the activities of a scholarly journal and relies on structural links with one or more archives or repositories to perform its activities. This paper offers a briefing on the contribution overlay journals can make to scholarly communication. It explains what ‘overlay’ services are, how overlay journals have evolved and what makes their contribution to scholarly communication so valuable