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Internet Resources Newsletter, Issue 42, March 1998 (Section D)
Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation (CSCA) This list concerns the use of computer systems to support argumentation - structured forms of debate, e.g. in design, theory, peer review and law. This list is to discuss the complex socio-technical issues associated with their deployment.
URL: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/csca/
This open list is a discussion and feedback forum for all users of the HENSA micros software archive. News about updates and changes to the service will also be posted here, along with the HENSA micros Bulletin.
URL: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/hensa-micros-users/
A list for users of the TLTP STEPS Statistical software, to discuss the use of STEPS modules in teaching.
URL: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/steps/
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In the course of finding sites of interest for this Newsletter, we sometimes come across Web sites which we feel deserve slightly more than a passing mention. Each month we will try to pick out one or more such sites, and give them a short review. The sites will normally be UK based, may be small or large, and be of interest or potential interest to academics. After lengthy discussions we have decided, with incredible creativity, to call these: Nice Web Sites. Details of previous Nice Web Sites are available in the Nice Web Site Archive.
The nice web site this month is a bibliographic tool, which I have chosen purely because of its usefulness in my own subject area.
URL: http://www.booknews.co.uk/
There is nothing particularly fancy about this site, which is basically a listing of the latest books in science, technology and medicine which have been published by a variety of publishers. The books are listed under subject headings such as Agriculture, food & nutrition, biotechnology, Architecture, Astronomy, Biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, Chemical and nuclear technology, and so on. Brief details of the books are given, along with a summary of the contents, and links to individual publishers. There is also a facility for ordering copies. Very simple, very straightforward, and very useful because you do not have to visit a number of publisher's sites to find the latest books.
Roddy MacLeod
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MIDAS is a national research and teaching support service based at Manchester University and jointly funded by JISC, ESRC and the University of Manchester. MIDAS provides on-line access to a range of strategic datasets, software packages and large-scale computing resources. A list of software and datasets currently available is maintained.
The Datasets
The datasets
include: Macro-economic time series databanks - IMF, ONS, UNIDO, OECD, UK
and Northern Ireland Census of Population Statistics (1981 and 1991), Large
Government and non-government surveys - GHS, LFS, QLFS, FES, FRS, BHPS, NCDS,
Satellite data and Digital Map data - SPOT, Landsat, Bartholomew, DBD Chemical
databases - including Beilstein CrossFire and the Cambridge Structural Database.
These datasets may only be used by researchers and teachers in Higher Education institutions who have registered with MIDAS. To use some datasets (such as satellite data) a site licence must be held by the user's HEI. For others (such as government surveys) the user must apply to The Data Archive for permission to use the data.
The Software
MIDAS has a wide range of software for dataset access and
manipulation (eg. SASPAC, SIR, INGRES, SAS, SPSS), statistical analysis (20
packages including SAS, SPSS, STATA, S-PLUS, BMDP, GENSTAT), GIS and Image
Processing (ARC/INFO, ARCVIEW, IMAGINE and others) and Visualization (AVS, NAG
Graphics Library etc.). These packages are made available on the MIDAS machine
to registered users.
The MIDAS Web Site
The MIDAS Web site has general descriptive information on all the datasets
and links to related sites, such as the data providers. Access to the MIDAS Web
site is open to all. Below are some of the resources you can find on the MIDAS
Web server.
The Census Gateway
The Census Information Gateway describes
the UK census and has links to other web sites in the UK and abroad covering
historical census information and genealogy, as well as the 2001 census. The UK
and Northern Ireland Census of Population Statistics (1981 and 1991) is held
online at MIDAS and is available to UK academics. See below on how to register
to use the Census data.
The Large Surveys
Information on each of the
large government and non-government
surveys - GHS, LFS, QLFS, FES, FRS, BHPS, NCDS - what they are, where to
find documentation, courses and workshops run by MIDAS, The Data Archive etc.
and links to other related Web sites. See below on how to register to use the
survey datasets.
The KINDS Project
A point and click interface to spatial data held on MIDAS. Select a
region and KINDS will provide a
satellite image of the area to satellite images of the UK, Bartholomew Map data
(contours, roads etc.) and some basic information on Census Enumeration
Districts. If you are registered to use the Satellite data, the Bartholomew Map
data or the 1991 Census, you will be able to use KINDS to extract the raw data.
NetEc
NetEc is a gateway to
networked resources for economists.
The Taxatio Database
The Taxatio Database is about
Thirteenth Century ecumenical taxation. It gives information on values of
churches and prebends in England and Wales.
GENUKI
GENUKI is a UK & Ireland
Genealogical Information Service.
Registering to use MIDAS
Access to the datasets, software and computer processing is restricted to
users from Higher Education Institutions that have registered to use MIDAS.
Each site has a
local representative who will
have a supply of MIDAS
registration forms
and he or she will be able to help you fill one in and countersign it. The form
should be sent to MIDAS Registration at Manchester Computing, Computer
Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL. You will
be given a username and some file space so that you can run jobs on the system
and use a wide range of software packages.
The Beilstein CrossFire Chemical database service has a different registration system which is performed locally by the technical contact.
Registering to use a particular dataset
Dataset providers want to know that their data is not going to be used for
commercial gain. They may wish to charge for it (but for MIDAS datasets this
will only be site licence - there is usually no charge to the individual user)
and not unreasonably they may wish to know what sort of research is being done
with the data. From time to time reviews of data collection and the funding
thereof take place - and details of the research for which the data is being
used is of great importance when specific surveys (for example) are under threat
of being discontinued. So don't be put off if you are asked for this
information.
Site licences
Some data can only be accessed if your institution has obtained a site
licence. Finding out if your site has subscribed is quite easy - the
information is provided on the Web. Datasets which require a site licence are:
Apply to The Data Archive to use these datasets.
For the following
datasets, you must register with The Data Archive:
If you would like to use either of these datasets, in addition to registering to use MIDAS, you need to apply to The Data Archive. You should complete a Data Access Application and an Undertaking Form, stating clearly that you wish to access the data on-line via MIDAS, at Manchester Computing. You can find out more about the data in BIRON, a catalogue of The Data Archive's datasets.
You can obtain the Data Access Application and Undertaking forms from:
The Data Archive, University of Essex.
Telephone: (01206) 872001
Email: archive@essex.ac.uk
WWW: http://dawww.essex.ac.uk/services/order
The Data Access Application form can be completed on-line via the WWW or downloaded in Word format and printed locally. The Undertaking form requires a signature, but you can download it in Word format for local printing. Application forms should be returned to The Data Archive, University of Essex, NOT to Manchester Computing.
Once your order has been processed, you will be notified (by letter) by The Data Archive. You will also receive an email from MIDAS, to inform you that you can access the data on-line.
Apply to MIDAS to use these datasets For the following datasets.
MIDAS
registers usage of datasets on behalf of the data providers.
Forms are downloadable from the
MIDAS Web site.
Apply to use these datasets with UKBORDERS or the Census Microdata Unit:
Information on MIDAS
Fact Cards are available from the MIDAS Help Line
(Tel. 0161-275 6109 ; Email info@midas.ac.uk):
For regular updates on MIDAS, join the MIDAS mailing list by emailing to
mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk the text (substituting your own name of course):
join Firstname Secondname
stop
The MIDAS Newsletter is published quarterly.
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Publisher: Baltzer Science Publishers, P.O. Box 221, 1400 AE Bussum, The
Netherlands
Frequency: Quarterly
Subscription: Sfr 298.00
Email:
balci@vt.edu
Web: http://manta.cs.vt.edu/www/
This is a new peer-reviewed scholarly journal, published by Baltzer ScienPublishers. Its stated purpose is to cover such topics as computer-based learning and work, courseware learning, database publishing, digital libraries, search techniques and engines, and a host of other Internet-related topics which incorporate almost all aspects of the World-Wide Web.
Volume 1, Part 1, which was published in January 1998, consists of three in-depth papaers on, in turn, hypermedia collaborative environments, tracking and viewing changes on the Web, and a system for collaborative authoring on the Web. As can be seen, World Wide Web is a far cry from the popular Internet magazines, and is a welcome addition to the ranks of publications which allow the results of serious research to reach a wider audience.
The editorial board includes members from France, Germany, and Canada as well as the US, and the last of the papers mentioned above refers to research undertaken at Lancaster University and Staffordshire University. This is a good sign as it gives World Wide Web international coverage. Osman Balci, the Editor-in-Chief, who hails from the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, states that there will be no backlog for publication of accepted papers beyond one issue, and that the refereeing process is expected not to exceed three months, so we can expect that World Wide Web will be as current as any scholarly publication can be. This fact is very important due to the journal's content.
Publisher: Headland Business Information, Maypole House, Maypole Road,
East Grinstead, W. Sussex, RH19 1HH
Frequency: 11 times a year
Subscription:
£235 (UK), $435 (rest of world)
Email: custserv@bowker-saur.co.uk
Web:
http://www.bowker-saur.com/service/
According to the lead article in the review copy of Online/CD-ROM Business Information which was sent to me, 50% of UK managers claim to be suffering from stress as a result of receiving too much information. This is sobering news for information professionals. Undoubtedly, new technology, and in particular the Internet, is compounding the situation. LIS professionals and good quality publications such as Online/CD-ROM Business Information have an important role to play in filtering relevant information to the right people at the right time. Busy managers do not have the time to sample all of the various information services available to them and must therefore rely on others to do the reviewing process. This is largely what Online/CD-ROM Business Information sets out to do by looking at several services in each issue.
Each issue consists of several sections. The first is an in-depth look at one important information product. In my copy this was a twelve-page testdrive analysis of the NewsEDGE filtered, real-time news service. Testdrives in previous issues have looked at FT Profile, InSite, European Business ASAP, TrendSCAN, Internet search tools, Euromonitor Reports on CD-ROM and similar services. A twelve-page review allows sufficient space to look at products in considerable detail, unlike the reviews which appear in many other publications, and therefore Online/CD-ROM Business Information scores high in this respect. The review of NewsEDGE was clear and well-written, although the author was not named. It outilned the purpose of NewsEDGE, its intended audience, its competitors (Individual, Reuters, MAID, FT Information, various Web services), its good points and areas of potential improvement. I would have liked to have seen some indication of the cost, even though this varies according to number of users, interface, and content.
The second section consists of slightly briefer product reviews, and this is followed by news items and an Internet news section, both of which cover business information services. I would consider a subscription to Online/CD-ROM Business Information to be very important for the information departments of large corporate organisations, library schools, and libraries serving business schools.
Publishers: Association for Educational Communications and Technology,
1025 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 820, Washington, DC 20005
Frequency: six times
a year
Subscription: $40 (within US), $64 (foreign)
ISSN: 8756-3894
Email:
aect@aect.org
Web: http://204.252.76.75:80/Pubs/techtrends.html
Don E. Descy writes an 'All aboard the Internet' column for this journal. The journal also contains other columns and articles of interest about the digital classroom, using the Internet for educational purposes, etc.
Publisher: Information Today Inc, 143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ
08055-8750
Frequency: Monthly
Subscription: Outside US, Canada, or
Mexico: $79 per year (contact Learned Information Ltd., Woodside, Hinksey Hill,
Oxford OX1 5BE, U.K.)
ISSN: 8755-6286
Email: custserv@infotoday.com
Web:
http://www.infotoday.com/
This newspaper was mentioned in issue 14 of the Internet Resources Newsletter, but I think that its Web site was not available in those days. Some useful information is available at that site.
If you know of other Internet journals or journals with regular significant sections about the Internet which have not been mentioned in The Internet in Print section, please let me know at: R.A.MacLeod@hw.ac.uk
Roddy MacLeod
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The Latest BIDS News Bulletin (Christmas 1997) is available at:
URL: http://www.bids.ac.uk/news/dec97.html
A week-by-week listing of new information resources on the NISS (National Information Services and Systems) Information Gateway selected by experts in the subject area is available at:
URL: http://www.niss.ac.uk/welcome/whatsnew.html
BUBL has retained a strong library element, but now provides a subject-based service to the academic and research community more generally, this via the BUBL LINK Subject Tree. The latest news from BUBL is available at:
URL: http://bubl.ac.uk/news/
The latest Additions and Updates to EEVL (Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library), The Gateway to UK Engineering Information on the Internet, are available at:
URL: http://www.eevl.ac.uk:4321/whatsnew/
The latest additions to SOSIG (Social Science Information Gateway) are available at:
URL: http://sosig.esrc.bris.ac.uk/roads/whats-new.html
The latest issue of Edina (Edinburgh Data & INformation Access) Newsline can be found at:
URL: http://edina.ed.ac.uk/newsline/
CHEST aims to obtain quality commercial software, datasets, training materials and other IT products for the Education and Research Community at low prices and attractive licence terms. The latest news from CHEST is available at:
URL: http://www.chest.ac.uk/news.html
MIDAS (Manchester Information Datasets and Associated Services) is a National Datasets Service based at Manchester Computing and funded by JISC, the ESRC and the University of Manchester. It provides UK academics with online access to strategic datasets such as UK Population Censuses, large government and other surveys (including the GHS, LFS, FES, BHPS), macroeconomic time-series databanks, spatial data including satellite images and digital map data, and scientific databases including the Beilstein Crossfire System.
The latest news from MIDAS can be found at:
URL: http://midas.ac.uk/news.html
RUDI (Resource for Urban Design Information) is a multimedia information resource for research and teaching in the field of urban design in the Western cultural context. The latest news from RUDI can be found at:
URL: http://rudi.herts.ac.uk/new.html
UK's independent gateway to high quality biomedical Internet resources. The latest sites added to OMNI can be found at:
URL: http://roads.nott.ac.uk/whatsnew/whats-new-uk.html
And:
URL:
http://roads.nott.ac.uk/whatsnew/whats-new-world.html
Electronic Development and Environment Information System. A gateway to information sources on development or the environment. What's new on Eldis can be found at:
URL: http://nt1.ids.ac.uk/eldis/wnew.htm
Netskills aims to help the UK HE community make effective use of the Internet for teaching, research and administration. The latest news from Netskills can be found at:
URL: http://www.netskills.ac.uk/publicity/updates/
Biz/ed is a dedicated business and economics information gateway for students, teachers and lecturers.
URL: http://www.bized.ac.uk/homeinfo/whatsnew.htm
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001.6424 C FEL CGI Internet programming with C++ and C by Mark Felton Prentice Hall, 1997 001.6441 HUN TCP/IP network administration by Craig Hunt O'Reilly & Associates, 1992 001.6442 KHU Web database construction kit by Gunnit S Khurana and Balbir S Khurana Waite Group, 1996 001.6442 JU Databases on the Web: designing and programming for network access by Patricia Ju Pencom, 1997 001.645 REE Essential HTML fast by Duncan Reed and Peter Thomas Springer, 1998
A complete list of new books added to Heriot-Watt University Library is now available from the Library News page.
URL: http://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/news/news.html
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Edinburgh agency.
URL: http://www.wtm.co.uk/Clouds/clouds.html
URL: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~src096/succ/
SPOKES is the Lothian Cycle Campaign, a non-party political voluntaryorganisation, founded in 1977, with a membership of over 1000. SPOKES campaigns for better conditions for cyclists, especially in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
URL: http://www.btinternet.com/~spokes/
URL: http://www.leisure-uk.co.uk
Leisure magazine from The Times
URL: http://www.4-d.co.uk
URL: http://lords.msn.com/news/headlines/default.htm
A way to select and order travel brochures for British and Worldwide holidays departing from UK and Ireland.
URL: http://www.brochurebank.co.uk/
A film and entertainment guide for Edinburgh and beyond.
URL: http://www.insideout.co.uk/
UK entertainment and information guide.
URL: http://www.studentuk.com/index.htm
Mountain biking holidays in Scotland.
URL: http://www.bothybikes.co.uk
The Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network is a Millennium project, spending 15 million pounds sterling to build a networked multimedia resource base for the teaching and celebration of human history and material culture in Scotland.
Although it is based on the museums, archives, libraries and built heritage of Scotland, SCRAN's prime concern is not with conservation, nor with documentation, but with educational access. Scran is a rights clearance project, grant-aiding the digitisation of assets in exchange for a non-exclusive licence for their educational use.
It is also a resource disclosure and delivery project: SCRAN acts as a Metadata repository, pointing to individual digitised assets in its own resource base and to objects in the real world, as well as acting as a gateway to other electronic collections.
In this regard, SCRAN has experience to share as an early implementer both of the Z39.50 Search and Retrieve Protocol and the Dublin Core Metadata Element set for cross-domain access. If interested, please join the mailing list (scran@mailbase.ac.uk).
Bruce Royan
Chief Executive
URL: http://www.scran.ac.uk/
A new Engineering E-journal Search Engine is available through EEVL: the Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library. It searches the full text of over seventy freely available engineering e-journals. Just like traditional printed and online indexes to journals, the Engineering E-journal Search Engine makes it easier to find relevant engineering information, but with the added bonus that the information itself is immediately available electronically via the Web. This new search engine, which is far more focused than the large search engines such as Alta Vista or HotBot, makes it possible to locate the full-text of engineering articles, industry news, product reviews, job vacancies and statistics published in electronic format.
Coverage includes scholarly e-journals, trade e-journals, e-journals from professional societies, and house e-journals from the UK and elsewhere. All areas of engineering are covered. The Engineering E-journal Search Engine is available at no cost through EEVL.
URL: http://www.eevl.ac.uk/eese/
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