LinkSphereLinking Researchers to repositories,

collections and to each other

Professor Shirley Williams

University of Reading, UK

Linking Researchers and Data

Social Network for Researchers

LinkSphere First Prototype

Social Technographic profile

• Creators – those who create content, for example write a blog;

• Critics - those who do not create from new, but for example comment on material created, or write reviews, edit wikis;

• Collectors – who tag material posted by others, use RSS;

• Joiners – maintain a profile and visit sites;• Spectators – more commonly referred to as lurkers ;• Inactives – none of the above.

From Groundswell by Charlene Li and John Bernoff

What Researchers WantedAs a researcher I would like a forum to discuss new ideas with a select group of colleagues

As a researcher of Beckett I would like to know who else is doing work on Beckett so I can make contact with them

As a PhD student I would like to make finding data/info easier so that I can work more efficiently

As a general user I would like to be able to easily see who can view content I have added so that I can have confidence in the permissions system

As a team leader I would like to be able to add user details so that I can get technophobes involved

As a MA director I would like to make material available to my students (without copyright problems?!) so that I can make texts accessible to them

As a person seeking funding I would like to know other in my institution with experience with that funder so that I can benefit from their experience

Key Themes

• Collaboration• Communication• Timesaving• Streamling• Finding things

(people, publications, research, funding)

• Control and levels of access

• Longevity – sustainable data

• External vs internal• Public vs private• Top down vs peer

group

User Survey

What they use 1

What they use 2

What they use 3

Why they use

How do they use

Would you find a University of Reading

specific social networking site useful? But:• Prefer to talk to real people.• Lack of time to use it• Do not trust that personal

information will be safe• Use Facebook instead• Work with Reading colleagues

is often done face to face or via email - I don't think any other service would really improve the collaboration.

• Not useful to my job• Too confined• What is it trying to achieved

that isn’t out there already?

LinkSphere Revised

User ObservationsLooking for login…not quite where I’m expecting. I’m looking top right…somewhat confused and getting quite frustrated I know I need to login as I want to get to personal stuff.

First impression of the menu; is there is a lot of stuff in the menu.

Not sure what content is…I guess I can create anything below. There seems to be quite a lot of things I can create.”

I’m not going to click down all these menu options

If you can link to things that already exist then it really helps. Is CentAUR going to link

to that because I’m not going to do it [upload publications] twice

I guess I would have to read a manual before I knew what I was doing on this

What happens if I just want [my department] to see my content?

Issues

• Login, needs to be relocated. • Length of left hand navigation is too long• Community is a key concept that all of the

participants commented upon.• Terminology needs more clarity and/or

explanation• All mentioned different social environments that

they are a part of, particularly LinkedIn• Trust and privacy needs to be addressed

The Revised LinkSphere

Where Next?

• Prioritise getting databases accessible from the LinkSphere;

• Revised prototype;

• Workshops for groups of users;

• More observations;

• Reconsider the name

Acknowledgements

• The LinkSphere Team: – At Reading:Mark Baker, Shirley Williams, Hugo Mills,

Pat Parslow,– At UCL: MelissaTerras, Claire Warwick, Claire Ross

• Other contributors from the University of Reading

• Graphs prepared by Claire Ross• LinkSphere is JISC funded project

Thank youYou can find me at:Email:shirley.williams@reading.ac.ukTwitter, delicious, Skype:shirleyearleyBlog:http://redgloo.sse.reading.ac.uk/ssswills/weblogSecond Life: Rosie LunaLinkSphere:http://www.reading.ac.uk/linksphere/user/13etc

The LinkSphere Project website is at: http://linksphere.org/