# ------------ Původní zpráva ------------ # Od: Barry Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> # Předmět: Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding # Datum: 01.6.2007 13:41:11 # ---------------------------------------- # ***** PLEASE NOTE: if you click 'reply' to this email, you will be sending an # email to over 1000 subscribers. Please do so only if you wish to respond to all # ****** # # # # Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding # On the 14th May 2007 the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) publicly # announced its intention to withdraw funding from its digital service provider, # the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) from March 2008. The announcement is # available on: # # http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/news/news_pr/2007/information_for_applicants_to_AHRC_june_deadline.asp # # An initial response by AHDS is available at: # # http://ahds.ac.uk/news/ahrc-news-may07.htm # # The AHDS Homepage outlining their full range of services is available at: # # http://www.ahds.ac.uk/index.htm # # # # For reasons outlined below this action severely threatens UK based arts and # humanities digital research and development and has now developed to the stage # of petitioning the Prime Minister to request AHRC to reconsider their decision. # The petition is available at # # # # http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AHDSfunding # # # # # Only British citizens and those resident in the UK are permitted to sign the # petition but international colleagues may choose to send emails to the # appropriate authorities outlining the detrimental effect this action will cause # to UK and international arts and humanities digital research, learning and # teaching. Further details are given below. # # # # Please feel free to cross-post this request as you feel is appropriate. # # # # - # # # ---------- Forwarded message ---------- # From: 10 Downing Street # Subject: Your petition to the Prime Minister has been approved # # Your petition has been approved by the Number 10 web team, and # is now available on the Number 10 website at the following # address: # http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AHDSfunding/ # # Your petition reads: # # We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to urge the Arts # and Humanities Research Council to revisit its decision to # withdraw funding from the Arts and Humanities Data Service, # which has played a fundamental part in developing and # supporting use of new digital technologies to support # innovative research by UK researchers # # On 11 May 2007, Professor Philip Esler, Chief Executive of the # AHRC, wrote to University Vice-Chancellors informing them of # the Council's decision to withdraw funding from the AHDS after # eleven years. The AHDS has pioneered and encouraged awareness # and use among Britain's university researchers in the arts and # humanities of best practice in preserving digital data created # by research projects funded by public money. It has also # ensured that this data remains publicly available for future # researchers. It is by no means evident that a suitable # replacement infrastructure will be established and the AHRC # appears to have taken no adequate steps to ensure the continued # preservation of this data. The AHDS has also played a prominent # role in raising awareness of new technologies and innovative # practices among UK researchers. We believe that the withdrawal # of funding for this body is a retrograde step which will # undermine attempts to create in Britain a knowledge economy # based on latest technologies. We ask the Prime Minister to urge # the AHRC to reconsider this decision. # # # # -- # # # # Further considerations: # # # # 1.. Building an interconnected collection of digital research data - which can # only be undertaken by a national organisation - is essential to the future # development of arts and humanities research. # 2.. The current AHRC action will inevitably cause the UK arts and humanities # to fall behind international standards and to lose research findings of interest # and value to future generations # 3.. Creating an on-line representation of digital research data is a form of # publication of research knowledge similar, and complementary, to printed # publications. # 4.. Whereas copyright libraries preserve standard publications there is as yet # no national equivalent for digital research outputs and this action by the AHRC # increases the likelihood of fragmentation and loss. # 5.. Digital research outputs need to be properly curated and preserved for the # long-term (and long-term means longer than the 3 years being suggested by AHRC # as a new orthodoxy). # 6.. Research data is complex requiring an infrastructure which can ensure the # long term sustainability and accessibility of these materials. # 7.. Preservation of digital materials is not simply back-up, another copy in a # drawer, but requires skilled knowledge and actions which individual researchers # cannot be expected to acquire. # 8.. Institutional repositories are at best geared to make digital objects # available to their community; they are not geared to independently deal with the # complexities of infrastructure, longevity and national/international access; any # notion that 100+ UK Universities can independently support the required degree # of technical expertise is mistaken. # 9.. Working to common standards and best practice is essential if the value of # these resources is to remain accessible to future generations of scholars and in # the current confused state it is not apparent who will provide this advice. # 10.. The sudden and unwarranted withdrawal of funding from the AHDS threatens # the future of arts and humanities research in the UK and severely weakens the # effectiveness and stature of its associated Research Council. # # # Please sign the petition to the Prime Minister at # http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AHDSfunding # # and/or voice your concerns directly to the AHRC (copies to HEFCE/JISC and AHDS # appreciated) by writing to the individuals below: # # # # AHRC: # # Professor Philip Esler # # Chief Executive # # Arts and Humanities Research Council # # Whitefriars # # Lewins Mead # # BRISTOL BS1 2AE # # Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # # # JISC/HEFCE: # # Dr Malcolm Read # # Executive Secretary # # JISC/HEFCE # Northavon House # Coldharbour Lane # BRISTOL BS16 1QD # # Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # # # AHDS: # # Sheila Anderson # AHDS Executive # 26 - 29 Drury Lane (3rd Floor) # King's College London # LONDON, WC2B 5RL # # Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # # # ================================ # # # # # # # # ______________ # To join, leave or suspend list postings, visit www.scudd.org.uk/list # ______________ # #
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