Virtual Research Environments: From Portals to Science Gateways

Citation

Kaleva, D. (2010), "Virtual Research Environments: From Portals to Science Gateways", Library Management, Vol. 31 No. 4/5, pp. 361-362. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435121011046399

Leader of the HPC and Grid Technology Group at the Sciences and Technologies Facilities Council's Daresbury Laboratory, Rob Allen has extensive experience in both science and computing, and an array of journal articles and conference papers to voice with authority principles, solutions and future problems on a hot e‐research topic. As one of the few books on this subject, Allan's first book is an eye‐opener into the world of virtual research environments (VRE).

Whether serving international scientific collaborations on a grand scale or micro‐collaborative teams, the book demonstrates that VREs are already taking hold of the research environment and it is only a question of a short period of time when, similarly to virtual learning environments (VLEs), VREs will become an intrinsic part of academia. Allen explains the purpose of VREs at the very beginning: “At the high end, the new developments appear to be making process conducting research more complex and demanding. The aim of a VRE is to help researchers manage this complexity by providing an infrastructure, framework and user interfaces specifically designed to support all the activities carried out within their research teams, on both small and large scales. VREs aim to add value to the research process across domains by complementing and interworking with existing resources and by being flexible and adaptable to changing environments” (p. 5).

Allen probes questions, problems and solutions of how information and communication technologies are/or could be employed in collaborative research to enable exchange and coordination of data, analysis and cross communication through relevant tools, applications and services in the context of the digital environment. The introductory chapter provides central definitions and outlines. The next chapter poses theoretical and methodological questions about the motivation and requirements of researchers. The third chapter focuses on data, logically progressing into the fourth which looks at managing and using digital information. Important aspects of research are discussed in the fifth chapter, where research collaboration and trust are related to e‐research security issues. The sixth chapter looks at the impact of different domains. The next four chapters discuss different technological approaches. The last two chapters provide specific examples of e‐infrastructures for social sciences and experimental facilities. Four appendixes list current e‐research portals and gateways, e‐research tools and services, generic portal engines and a glossary of abbreviations and acronyms. It is possible that in so much data one could find occasional errors, like the misspelling of the Australian La Trobe University on p. 10.

The book educates information professionals, administrators and academics about the current state and future potential of VREs with thorough arguments, definitions, examples and tips, without drowning the narrative in IT jargon. It is a valuable resource for e‐research initiated and novices at present, and will document the state of e‐research in 2008 for posterity.