EuroStudies on SOSIG

1. EuroStudies on SOSIG Richard Biddiscombe Information Services University of Birmingham UK

2. EuroStudies: background • original concept: learning and research portal for European history • funding not presently available for this • successful bid for EuroStudies as an extension to SOSIG • EuroStudies funding granted for three years – until 2004 • SOSIG is part of the Resource Discovery Network

3. Resource Discovery Network • comprehensive series of information portals • centrally funded • Includes: • EEVL: engineering,maths and computing • Humbul: humanities • BIOME health & life sciences • PSIGate: physics • SOSIG: social sciences • REFERENCE

4. Resource Discovery Network • Additional range of databases funded from 2000 including: • arts and creative industries • education • sport, leisure and tourism (ALTIS) • geography and environment • EuroStudies as part of SOSIG • development of Virtual Learning Suites in subject areas

5. Resource Discovery Network

6. Resource Discovery Network • purpose is to provide: • quality web resources • chosen by subject specialists • described by subject specialists • to offer: • a number of pathways to resources • training options for users

7. Social Sciences Information Gateway (SOSIG) • social science resources • selective, quality indexing of the web for: • resources • documents • web sites • subject editors are subject specialists • sites are indexed and described

8. Social Sciences Information Gateway (SOSIG) www.sosig.ac.uk

9. EuroStudies: extending SOSIG • EuroStudies adds an area-studies element • makes SOSIG more Eurocentric • reflects the importance of developments in Europe • has potential to inform a Continent-wide audience

10. EuroStudies: developing the database • ‘soft’ launch in September 2001 • re-indexing of existing SOSIG entries • re-working of ROADS software • work completed on regional indexing • ‘hard’ launch in September 2002

11. EuroStudies and the University of Birmingham • European Research Institute • Academic Advisory Board • subject specialists in Information Services • largest group of subject editors in SOSIG

12. Coverage: the continent • EuroStudies covers the whole of Europe, in particular: • EU enlargement • European defence and security • migration • politics • business • environment • culture and national identity

13. EuroStudies structure • arranged by region • then by country In addition: • section for pan-European resources • section for the UK in relation to European issues

14. Coverage: the regions

15. Coverage: the countries • all individual countries indexed • country entries divided into broad form and subject sections • particular emphasis on underrepresented areas, for example Central & Eastern Europe

16. Coverage: France 1

17. Coverage: France 2

18. Searching options • possible to search by regions, these are: Balkans, Baltic States, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Scandinavia • country search • keyword word search • thesaurus search

19. Who are the editors? • Information Services staff based in the European Research Institute • subject specialists • language specialists • partnership with academic staff

20. What have been the problems? • political divisions in Europe • spelling of some places names • extent of overlap in some areas • recruiting language specialists • indexing enough entries

21. Development of EuroStudies • three year contract • aim to contribute around 2000 records a year • present database around 8000 entries • plan to increase number of entries • more focussed indexing for important events • strategy for extension of funding after 2003

22. RDN Virtual Training Suite • subject based introductions to searching the web • 40 subjects covered • produced and edited by subject specialists • include quizzes and interactive exercises

23. RDN Virtual Training Suite

24. RDN Virtual Training Suite