Information World Review

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Thursday 4 March 2010 at 12:55:00

The ongoing social media revolution is set to radically change the way data is created and maintained and stored and shared in government departments across the world

As the direct result of the social web revolution, governments around the world will have to rethink and reinvent themselves from the perspective of the citizen and we could witness a new wave of democratic engagement.

This was the key message from Ian Wilson, librarian and archivist of Canada Emeritus, made on behalf of Open Text, at the ‘Managing Public Sector Information’ event held in London.

“Today we are looking at an explosion of digital content – some 32 million books, 100,000 films, 2 million songs, 10 billion web pages and 1 million newspapers and that content is doubling every three months.”

Wilson also said that effective collaboration is being held back by issues such as protecting privacy, ongoing silo mentality, the issues of risk and trust and a traditional culture that has surrounded information since the dawn of time – who owns it. In other words human nature.

“But the drive to collaborate is equally strong driven in part by the financial imperatives as a result of the global economic crisis, as well as political demands and the increased need for compliance.”

According to Wilson, social media is one of the greatest challenges confronting government today. “There is an entire generation used to developed patterns of social media use and a higher expectation for integration of mobile social media in day-to-day working life,”

This means there will be new ways of collaboration with working colleagues, which cross traditional organisational lines, where trust is no longer associated with risk but based on knowledge and ability. “Access to all relevant information past and present from within the organisation or externally is a ‘must’, and this leads us directly to the social media revolution that could rapidly engulf government unless it responds.”

Arguably, the governments are set to be transformed in the information-rich, technology-enabled society. With it will come an end to their hierarchy, their closed walls, expert internal knowledge and vertical information flow and secrecy. And in their place, we could see a horizontal approach and information flow.

Governments will collaborate with experts, lobbyists, trade organisations, and service partners. “Policy will therefore evolve and the citizen will become more engaged in the political process. To my mind social media will deliver one of the greatest leaps forward in democratic participation seen yet in our world. Government had better be ready,” Wilson concluded.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 14:13:00

More than three quarters of professionals intend to increase spending on projects that address data quality and consistency issues as they look to exploit data consistency to support data hungry risk management processes and achieve a holistic view of risk

A survey of data management strategies, conducted by Thomson Reuters along with an independent research firm, Lepus, outlined the importance of next-generation data management solutions to support effective risk, regulatory compliance and trading strategies. 77% respondents said they will increase spending on data quality projects while almost 87% cited improvements in this area as a priority.

The need for clarity of data to facilitate compliance is a key focus for 44% of survey participants, likely driven by the need for data intensive stress tests as firms look to improve scenario modeling for low probability, high impact events following largely unpredicted volatility across financial markets in recent years.

In addition, portfolio management, regulatory compliance, trading, finance, clearing and client profitability remained important considerations for improved data infrastructure.

Robert Smith, head of research, Lepus, said: “A huge majority of firms have looked to revise their data management solutions in the wake of the credit crisis. The survey results show that firms are committed to improving data quality and consistency across the organisation and are investing significantly in a bid to move closer to their ideal data management solution.”

Jason du Preez, global business manager, enterprise platform for data management, Thomson Reuters, said: "As the economy recovers, financial institutions are looking to improve and simplify data operations by demanding greater consistency and quality of data across the front, middle and back-office."

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 12:45:00

At Monday’s [March 1] parliamentary hearing, Phil Jones, head of Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia admitted he had sent “some very awful e-mails” and that those “papers weren’t very good”

But Jones denied any wrong doing with the peer-review process or manipulating climatic data. He also said that the freedom of information requests had to be refused because the CRU was denied permission to release data.

Jones’ admission of withholding information came at the Science and Technology Committee hearning following a grilling session by MPs.

The committee involved witnesses including former information commissioner Richard Thomas along with other experts such as Lord Lawson of Blaby, chairman, and Dr Benny Peiser, director, Global Warming Policy Foundation and professor John Beddington, government chief scientific adviser, professor Julia Slingo OBE, chief scientist, Met Office, and professor Bob Watson, chief scientist, department for environment, food and rural affairs.

Also present at the hearing were Professor Edward Acton, vice chancellor of the University of East Anglia.

Jones was accused of withholding raw data behind his research on global warming after thousands of emails he sent from the university were hacked in November last year.

One of the stolen emails quotes him saying: "why should I make data available to you when you're trying to find something wrong with it?" However, he insisted that the stolen emails are just one tenth of a percent of the full correspondence.

According to a Guardian report, former info commissioner Thomas said he cannot comment on whether the university had broken the rules, but suggested that there was a stronger case for public disclosure when data had been used to influence public policy, such as in climate science.

This, along with misleading research from the IPCC, have prompted climate-sceptics to allege scientific research misconduct, loop holes in peer-reviewed papers and obstruction of freedom of information requests.

It was Jones’ first inquiry appearance following the e-mail controversy, dubbed "climategate" by many. There will be another separate inquiry on the issue organised by the university itself and will be led by Sir Muir Russell.

Read IWR’s March issue (out this week) for a 2-page update on climate science information and efforts to regain confidence in the scientific information community.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Monday 1 March 2010 at 14:08:00

Scientific publisher Springer has agreed to publish both the online and print publications of the journal - European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. The latest additions are aimed at reinforcing pharmacology and drug research portfolios

The journal was founded in 1975 by the late Professor Achille Benakis at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and through the years it has gathered a loyal community of authors and readers.

All aspects of drug delivery and bioavailability are covered in the journal, which was previously published by the Swiss publisher Médecine & Hygiène for 33 years (1976 to 2009).

The European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics focuses on aspects such as pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, drug interactions and all aspects of drug development.

The journal provides relevant information from this research area, publishing original articles, short preliminary communications, review articles on special topics and conference proceedings. Published four times a year, the journal is indexed in Medline as well as in Current Contents.

Guido Zosimo-Landolfo, managing director of Springer France said: “We started working with professor Benakis just weeks before he passed away.”

“The journal’s move to Springer is one of his last decisions. We are aiming at improving the journal’s influence and impact through our multidisciplinary publishing program and our broad distribution network.”

Peter Williams, Information World Review, Friday 26 February 2010 at 14:54:00

Microsoft does not rate the way universities use technology, according to a government minister

David Lammy, the minister of state for higher education and intellectual property, told a debate on the use of technology to enhance student experience, that at Microsoft in Seattle he asked which university in the world is the best university at using technology for the benefit of the student experience. Microsoft said: ‘There isn’t one.’

There are certainly faculties that are good, but that has not yet really taken place right across the university and student experience.

Lammy was joined by David Willetts, Conservative shadow universities secretary, and Stephen Williams, their Liberal Democrat counterpart. They all identified the student experience as a major factor in the competitiveness of UK higher education in the 21st century in the THE-hosted event.

Lammy said, “Students are all on Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, i-Phones and i-Pads for their social life and their university experience is still divorced from that. Universities have to be advancing technology.”

JISC is looking at the issue of student retention and is focusing on making the induction process a priority. For example through TAG, a project that aims to explore the impact of a dynamic, interactive, web based platform where potential students can interact with the universities to which they are applying and develop realistic expectations of higher education designed to improve retention.

JISC executive secretary Dr Malcolm Read says, “Technology is not meant to replace face-to-face time between students or with their tutors. Where it can really add value to that experience is by providing exciting learning and assessment opportunities, innovative ways of finding out about a new town or campus, or a different way of building the community of students.

As universities strive to stay ahead of trends in what students want, JISC acts as a test bed for this digital innovation and provides best practice examples for institutions looking to make better use of technology.”

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Wednesday 24 February 2010 at 16:12:00

News and information provider Thomson Reuters reported a 16% fall in underlying profits and a 3% decline in its total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 because of challenging global markets and weaker sales of its legal and financial services

But the information provider said, the company’s annual revenue for 2009 remained resilient and that it “grew underlying profit margins to 21.3% and achieved strong free cash flow growth”.

Thomas Glocer, chief executive, Thomson Reuters said: “Despite the worst global operating environment, Thomson Reuters was able to hold or improve on our prior-year results, with revenues comparable to 2008 and underlying operating margin and free cash flow up on the prior year.

“Our net sales performance improved through the year, with the fourth quarter recording positive net sales for the company as a whole. We are off to a strong start in sales in 2010 with the launch of the innovative WestlawNext in Legal, and positive net sales in Markets."

For 2009, its professional division grew revenues 3% while markets division revenues declined 2% due to negative net sales. The underlying operating profit margin improvement was driven by continuing progress on the integration program, strong cost management and the benefit of currency.

However, for Q4, revenues in its market division 5% from the previous year to $1.91bn and operating profits fell 8% to $421m. Its market division, that targets finance professionals and includes Reuters news information brand, accounts for nearly 60% of its total revenue.

For 2010, the company’s strategy includes heavy integration spending in markets division, the launch of important product platforms, such as WestlawNext in Legal and 'Project Utah' in Markets, targeted investments in higher growth units such as tax & accounting, enterprise and healthcare & science, as well as in emerging markets.

Thomson Reuters’ falling revenue and cautious outlook follows the trend set by its competitors including Reed Elsevier and Wolters Kluwer.

Last week, Reed Elsevier reported almost flat 2009 sales and operating profit, citing decline in advertising and weak demand for its legal products and exhibitions.

Meanwhile, Wolters Kluwer, posted similar results only today owing to tough economic conditions.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 23 February 2010 at 10:55:00

The British Library has launched a project to capture and make available 200 audio-visual interviews with the British scientists who have led the world in scientific innovation. The initiative - Oral History of British Science – led by National Life Stories, will interview and record the voices, memories and experiences of hundreds of British scientists

Currently, there are no archive recordings Britain’s most esteemed scientists of the twentieth century, including Alan Turing, codebreaker and pioneer in the history of computing, and the physiologist A V Hill, who received Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine in 1922.

Even those associated with iconic British inventions, such as Christopher Cockerell who invented the hovercraft, have left no substantial oral testimony documenting their life and work. While few living British scientists, including several Nobel laureates, have been interviewed, no comprehensive historical survey of British scientific endeavour and discovery exists which draws on personal memory and experience.

The project comes at a time when genetic engineering, the internet, and climate change are topics that make media headlines around the world. Yet little is known about the journey behind the important scientific and technological advances made in Britain that have transformed our world.

Well-known names of British science as well as lesser-heard and neglected voices such as technicians and women scientists will be interviewed through this project, to ensure their memories are preserved for historians of the future.

The programme will also capture the culture of science in the UK since the Second World War through 200 audio interviews, each averaging 10-15 hours in length, complemented by some shorter video recordings to document key events, instruments and locations.

The archive is organised around four themes – two of which is yet to be funded - to reflect the character and emerging issues of science in the twentieth century. These recordings and transcripts will be made available freely as a research resource at www.bl.uk/historyofscience.

Dr Rob Perks, curator of the project said: “British scientists were behind many key scientific and technological developments that make daily media headlines – such as climate change, the internet and genetics - but little is known of the personal stories behind these advances that have transformed our world. This will be a major public resource for understanding contemporary science. We hope it will enthuse the next generation of scientists."

According to Professor Sir Harry Kroto FRS, Nobel Laureate in chemistry 1996, the programme is an important addition to our understanding of British science and its massive impact on the society globally.

“There is no existing comprehensive historical survey of British scientific endeavour and discovery. Drawing on personal memory and experience, the project will illuminate the process of science, the intrinsic attitudes of scientists and their influence on an educated society.”

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Monday 22 February 2010 at 14:11:00

The University of Hong Kong Libraries (HKU) has entered an agreement with publisher Springer to allow researchers at the affiliated institutions of the HKU to publish their research in Springer journals using Springer Open Choice

The pilot project will run from March 2010 to March 2011. Springer's Open-Choice program offers full and immediate open access (free to the reader) for articles that are accepted for publication after a process of rigorous peer-review.

Accepted HKU articles will appear as usual in Springer print journals, and will be published electronically using open access on SpringerLink, PubMed Central, and the HKU institutional repository, The HKU Scholars Hub.

Professor Paul Tam, pro vice chancellor for research, and director of the Knowledge Exchange Office at HKU, said: “The amount of cutting-edge research done at the university has increased dramatically. It is important to also increase access to this research, and thereby secure all the benefits that this research can bring to the public who funded it. The Springer Open Choice is a first step in that direction.”

He said that making the institution’s research available to all interested parties in open access format is a key goal of its Knowledge Exchange Initiative, which holds that publicly-funded universities should return the results of their research to the communities that funded them.

Professor Jan van Aalst, Springer author at the faculty of education. HKU said: “I usually choose a journal in which to publish by the community it serves. However all other things being equal, I prefer to publish in an open access journal. In this case, using Springer’s Open Choice, I found that my article was discovered much more quickly.”

Meanwhile, Peter Hendriks, president STM global publishing & marketing at Springer said that many HKU researchers are already users of its Open Choice service. But gaining the key academic institution to carry out the pilot project will provide it with an opportunity to further develop new publishing models in close cooperation with yet another respected institution.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Friday 19 February 2010 at 11:09:00

Google’s plans to become world’s largest online library continues to be on hold as the US court once again delays the ruling on whether the internet giant can go on with digitising millions of books

US Judge Denny Chin said he would not deliver a judgement immediately on the Google Books case, because “there is too much to digest” following more inputs from the project’s supporters and critics recently.

Google has been trying to reach a verdict since the project’s launch in 2004. According to the company and its supporters, the project will create an online database for people to access millions of books including orphan works.

But its opponents say the move is anti-competitive, violates copyright and that it will affect publishers and e-book sellers. Others also raise privacy issues saying Google will trace what books users access and build a revenue stream around people’s personal information.

Google Books initiative was launched five years ago but faced severe criticism in 2005 after a group - Authors Guild of America and Association of American Publishers - sued the company over "massive copyright infringement”.

This 2005 lawsuit led to a settlement between Google and US publishers and authors in October 2008 whereby Google agreed to create a Book Rights Registry for $125m that would determine payments by Google to rights owners whose works it digitises.

Later on, in November 2008, the US judge granted a preliminary settlement approval with an opt-out deadline of May 2009. But in April 2009, another US judge amended the preliminary approval order to extend the opt-out deadline to September 2009.

It was then decided that the US court hearing to determine the terms and conditions of the Google Books agreement would set for October 2009. This hearing was further delayed into 2010 following more criticism from leading technology and publishing firms.

Today [19 February], the decision has once again been postponed indefinitely.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Thursday 18 February 2010 at 17:30:00

For a limited period, Semantico is offering a free consultancy day to help publishers upgrade to Shibboleth 2 or implement Shibboleth authentication for the first time

The consultancy is aimed at providing a valuable way to discuss specific issues that publishers face and sharing Semantico’s expertise in this area. Semantico develops online publishing solutions for the publishing industry.

Shibboleth is an essential component of most major online publishing sites and the June 30 end-of life date for version 1.3 is a deadline publishers cannot afford to ignore.

Publishers who take advantage of the offer, valid until March 31, 2010 will have their questions answered about what the end of Shibboleth 1.3 means for their business, and will learn the practical steps they need to take to implement Shibboleth 2. They can contact the company and book their free consultancy day.

Richard Padley, managing director, Semantico, said: “We are aware that many publishers and information providers have pain points around the June deadline for Shibboleth 2, and have brought in this offer to give a bit of timely help.”

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 16 February 2010 at 14:01:00

A working group aimed at improving the quality of data available to managers in higher education libraries, is launched

Called the Working Group on Managing and Understanding Data in Libraries (MUDL), the group brings together librarians, publishers, aggregators and other relevant teams such as COUNTER (for online usage of electronic records).

The formation of a group comes at a time when increasing amount of data is available for electronic resources. With more and more digital information, we also have increased issues of standardisation and interpretation of the data. The MUDL working group will address the wider aspects of management data associated with external reporting.

It will promote discussion around methodologies and will facilitate the sharing of good practice, as well as working with publishers and aggregators to further improve the availability, accessibility and comparability of data.

Publishers can understand how libraries are using the data currently provided to them, in particular usage statistics reports, and to work together to develop the right support and services for institutions.

The discussion list will be hosted by the academic list server JISCmail (MUDL@jiscmail.ac.uk) and will, initially at least, be an open list free for anyone to join and contribute to the discussion.

In addition to discussions and blogs, the group will offer training and awareness-raising programmes. It is also likely to develop guidelines and checklists for info pros working with management data.

The group was conceived following a JIBS workshop on management data held last year and has been adopted officially by JIBS, the academic journal for research in international business. Nature Publishing Group has kindly agreed to provide a small start-up fund.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Monday 15 February 2010 at 10:45:00

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a consultation on a draft code of practice which sets out its proposed approach to using its new auditing powers due to come into effect in April 2010

The auditing process allows the ICO to assess whether organisations are processing personal information in line with the Data Protection Act (DPA) and to advise on best practice.

However, initially, its auditing powers are restricted to just central government departments. But, it will make a case to the government for the power of compulsion to be available more widely in the rest of the public and private sectors.

Running until March 2010, the document will help the ICO take a proportionate and risk-based approach to auditing, based on a range of intelligence including complaints received, business and media reports and annual statements issued by the organisation.

The privacy watchdog will continue to request consent for an audit to be carried out where it is identified that personal information may be at risk. If an organisation refuses to work with the auditing team, but is considered as being at significant risk of compromising personal data, the ICO will be able to serve an Assessment Notice - a compulsory audit notice.

The draft code of practice has been designed to provide advice on the ICO’s auditing framework to all public and private sector organisations and will be relevant whether an audit is to be carried out by consent or with compulsion.

David Smith, deputy information commissioner said: “Auditing plays a key role in educating and assisting organisations to meet their obligations under the DPA. We will work with organisations that want to get it right and are keen to follow best practice.

“Departments less willing to work with us will face tougher action if there is evidence that they are putting personal information at risk.”

The draft code includes information such as factors considered before issuing an audit notice, ICO’s approach to compulsory audits and its considerations regarding further action following an audit.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Thursday 11 February 2010 at 16:43:00

Two-thirds of key research institution leaders believe that institutions manipulate their data to move up in rankings. Many of them are also concerned because the current data indicators and methodology used are unfavourable

These were the key findings of a Thomson Reuters survey report – New Outlooks on Institutional Profiles.

The global survey was aimed at capturing opinions from the global academic community on the most relevant indicators of organisational competence and quality, as well as which indicators they consider important and what they think is wrong with previous methods.

The results will inform the methodology around Thomson Reuters' latest initiative to build a comprehensive database that combines peer review, scholarly outputs, citation patterns, funding levels, and faculty characteristics called the Global Institutional Profiles Project.

The respondents thought that current analytical comparison systems had recognisable utility with 40% saying they were “extremely useful” while 45% considering them “somewhat useful”. However, there was widespread concerns in North America and Europe about data quality and methodology.

It also found that 74% of respondents think organisations manipulate data to improve higher education rankings. In addition, despite English remaining the international language for academic discourse, its pervasiveness may obscure the changing geography of academic activity.

Jonathan Adams, director of research evaluation, Thomson Reuters said: "We want to create the best informed and most effective resource to build profiles for universities and colleges around the world.

"This survey provides us with important information regarding the community's opinion on what data are relevant and how they should be prioritized throughout our process."

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Thursday 11 February 2010 at 16:39:00

Wiley-Blackwell, the scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, has formed a publishing partnership with the Australian Psychological Society (APS)

Under the agreement, Wiley-Blackwell will publish the APS’ three flagship journals – Australian Journal of Psychology, Australian Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist – from 2011.

This includes repositioning Clinical Psychologist and Australian Psychologist to deliver high-quality, practitioner-friendly content.

The partnership aims at bringing a proactive publishing agenda that fully supports the APS’s strategic objectives such as expanding its profile and influence regionally and worldwide; protecting standards of excellence in psychological practice; and showcasing the best psychological research and practice from the region.

Together, they will focus on driving the profile, impact and professional relevance of these journals, with a strong emphasis on differentiation and individual journal development.

Philip Carpenter, vice president and managing director for Social Sciences and Humanities, Wiley-Blackwell, said, “With Wiley-Blackwell’s local, regional and global expertise, the APS is poised will expand its influence in Asia-Pacific and beyond.”

Meanwhile, the addition of these journals to Wiley-Blackwell’s portfolio further strengthens its position as the leading publisher for societies and organisations focused on delivering the best quality research in psychology and mental health.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Wednesday 10 February 2010 at 15:03:00

British software company Autonomy is raising £500 million by issuing convertible bonds to fund its acquisitions plan

The fundraising come on the back of its confident full-year results, in which it reported a 55% rise in its annual profits before tax riding on its acquisitions and meaning-based computing products.

The bonds will be convertible into ordinary shares and will carry a semi-annual coupon of 3.25% per annum. The conversion price will be at a premium of between 30% and 40% above the current share price.

Group chief executive Mike Lynch said that the £500m offering will enhance the company’s ability to “engage with potential acquisition targets and take advantage of opportunities as they arise later in the year”. The company recently announced that it is buying US-based software vendor MicroLink.

The funds will be used in acquiring and consolidating the business. This includes clearing off of its outstanding debt following the acquisition of Interwoven last year and buying MicroLink for $55m (£35.2).

Lynch said that if the company fails to find suitable takeover deals, the cash proceedings will be returned to its shareholders.

The convertible bonds will mature in 2015. The shares in the group were down 5.3% at £15.25 this morning on the London Stock Exchange.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Wednesday 10 February 2010 at 13:52:00

Thomson Reuters has acquired Aegisoft, an American provider of electronic trading solutions and testing tools, in order to boost its electronic trading capabilities to offer its desktop customers direct access to both exchanges and alternative trading systems

Aegisoft’s trading platform provides order and execution management, exchange connectivity and foreign exchange aggregation, as well as client and exchange simulators. It is designed to support diverse trading requirements, from buy-side quantitative funds and hedge funds engaged in algorithmic and statistical-arbitrage, to sell-side firms engaged in agency and proprietary trading.

According to the intelligent information provider, the acquisition strengthens its desktop transactions capability across exchange traded markets and is a significant step forward in its strategy to offer clients, broker sponsored direct market access (DMA) through both its terminals and order routing networks.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

By providing direct market connectivity, the company will significantly broaden its global transactions offering for broker dealers, investment firms and hedge funds. “This further reinforces our continued investment and commitment to providing the premier information and trading desktop across exchange traded markets”, the company said.

“Thomson Reuters acquisition of Aegisoft helps take our transactions platform for exchange traded markets to the next level to meet the growing demand for clients seeking DMA and more sophisticated trading support tools.

“Consolidating our complete transactions workflow into one trading platform within the desktop will bring greater efficiencies and improve trading opportunities for our clients.” said, Stephen Wilson, global head of Exchange Traded Instruments, Thomson Reuters.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 9 February 2010 at 15:50:00

Elsevier, the publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, has launched a competition for excellence in methodology and approach in a peer-reviewed publication.

Called the Reaxys PhD Prize, the STM publisher aims at recognising original and innovative research in organic, organometallic and inorganic chemistry.

The competition is for candidates currently studying for a PhD or having completed a PhD within the last 12 months. David Evans PhD, scientific affairs director at Elsevier Properties SA said today: “Reaxys is designed and built around chemists’ needs. With this competition we’re taking this partnership even further.”

“The research being produced by young chemists deserves recognition. We want to celebrate this groundbreaking work and provide scientists with the recognition they deserve.”

The entries will be reviewed by a board of international chemists and chaired by members of the Reaxys Advisory Board on the basis of originality, innovation, importance to the field, applicability, rigor of approach and publication quality.

Three prize winners will each receive a check for $2000 and be invited to present their research at the Winners’ Symposium, held at the EuCheMS meeting in Nuremberg, Germany on August 30, 2010.

All submissions, including a PhD supervisor letter of recommendation, a CV and a representative peer-reviewed piece of published research must be submitted by February 28, 2010 on Reaxys website.

Archana Venkatraman, Information World Review, Monday 8 February 2010 at 15:51:00

Web win for Age of Enlightenment

Electronic Enlightenment (EE), a website that reconstructs the vital web of 18th century correspondence that marked the start of the modern world, has won the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (BSECS) digital prize for 2010.

Launched in June 2008, the site is a scholarly research project of the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, distributed exclusively by OUP. It features primary documents based on scholarly critical editions and never-before-published material. Over 55,000 letters and 6,500 correspondents provide a new vision of the early modern world. Linking people and ideas across Europe, Asia and the Americas from the early 17th to mid-19th century, EE recasts our understanding of the Enlightenment and ourselves in a more detailed and personal context than ever before, says the university.

The BSECS prize for academic resources is funded by GALE Cengage Learning, JISC, Adam Mathew Digital and ProQuest. The judges said: “With wide coverage, full annotation and presentation, EE will be immensely valuable to scholars of the 18th century.”

www.e-enlightenment.com

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Wednesday 3 February 2010 at 13:50:00

Medical journal The Lancet has fully retracted the discredited 1998 paper by Dr Andrew Wakefield from its published record

The editors of the journal announced that following the judgment of the UK General Medical Council's Fitness to Practise Panel on Jan 28, 2010, “it has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield are incorrect, contrary to the findings of an earlier investigation.

“In particular, the claims in the original paper that children were ‘consecutively referred’ and that investigations were ‘approved’ by the local ethics committee have been proven to be false. Therefore we fully retract this paper.”

The 1998 research paper linked MMR vaccine to autism and this resulted in a surge in measles as the MMR vaccination rates declined after its publication.

The full retraction comes a week after the UK General Medical Council ruled that the lead researcher of the paper Wakefield has “broken research rules”.

Concerns about the paper were first raised almost seven years ago, in 2004. At that time, Lancet asked London’s Royal Free Society, where Wakefield worked as a gastroenterologist at that time, to look into the matter.

The Society investigated and responded saying there was no problem with the research paper.

The date of the final ruling from the watchdog has not yet been announced.

IWR News Desk, Information World Review, Tuesday 2 February 2010 at 17:27:00

WestlawNext, Thomson Reuters’ just launched next generation system in legal research is set make professionals “significantly more efficient and confident”

The provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals said the system represents the culmination of more than 100 years of West attorney-created editorial analysis and technological innovation.

It offers a clean, modern interface and powerful new search functionality that will give info pros the confidence that they’ve explored every relevant document, the company said.

The cornerstone of WestlawNext is its proprietary search engine that automates the best practices of expert legal researchers, delivering more inclusive, better ranked results. The system also includes tools to help legal professionals analyse and organise legal information more efficiently than ever before.

President and chief executive Peter Warwick said: “We’ve combined our 138-year legacy of analysing and organising legal information with cutting edge search technology to set a new standard for legal research tools.

This combination of authority and insight, driven by peerless technology and innovation, is the essence of intelligent information and provides a powerful advantage for our customers.”