Research Funding Update - Fellowships and Studentships

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Posted by Andy

You can download the latest Research Funding update by going to our Research Funding page or you can view it directly here.

For more information please feel free to contact The Information Service @ ScHARR Library on 0114 2225420 or by email scharrlib@shef.ac.uk

Research Funding Update - Projects and Programmes

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Posted by Andy

The latest issue of the Research Funding Update can be viewed by following this link.


Previous editions of the update can be viewed here

The Beast File: Google ('HUNGRY BEAST', ABC TV)

Posted by Andy

I suggest you watch this very short video till the end.

"I know that I bang on quite a lot about Google, and what it does, both for good and ill. I'm particularly concerned about the 'ill' bit, which is one of the reasons why I like to find alternative search engines to it. Of course, this doesn't stop me using Google, just the same as everyone else, but let's discuss this basic flaw in another post. Any how, this is a great video, which I found via The Next Web. It's very clever and thought provoking."

re-blogged from Phil Bradley's Blog -philbradley.typepad.com, Phil Bradley's weblog, Mar 2010

Cool Tool #7 Many Eyes

Posted by Andy

Many Eyes is a free online data visualisation tool made by IBM and allows users to import their textual data and turn it in to one of many different visual diagrams.

You need to register with the website first, and after a small learning curve you can create, share and embed visualisations onto your blog or website.

Below is one that I used to create a diagram breaking down the various subject themes from David McCandless' brilliant book - Information is Beautiful.

This is not a static diagram, you can select various parts of diagram within our blog -very cool.

What IBM says about the tool:

Many Eyes is a bet on the power of human visual intelligence to find patterns. Our goal is to "democratize" visualization and to enable a new social kind of data analysis. Jump right to our visualizations now, take a tour, or read on for a leisurely explanation of the project.

All of us in CUE's Visual Communication Lab are passionate about the potential of data visualization to spark insight. It is that magical moment we live for: an unwieldy, unyielding data set is transformed into an image on the screen, and suddenly the user can perceive an unexpected pattern. As visualization designers we have witnessed and experienced many of those wondrous sparks. But in recent years, we have become acutely aware that the visualizations and the sparks they generate, take on new value in a social setting. Visualization is a catalyst for discussion and collective insight about data.

We all deal with data that we'd like to understand better. It may be as straightforward as a sales spreadsheet or fantasy football stats chart, or as vague as a cluttered email inbox. But a remarkable amount of it has social meaning beyond ourselves. When we share it and discuss it, we understand it in new ways.

The Amazing Web 2.0 Projects Book

Posted by Andy

Mainly aimed at school level educators, but this is a useful and FREE collection of case studies and projects on how to employ Web 2.0 in to all levels of education.

• 87 projects.
• 10 further resources.
• 52 applications.
• 94 contributors.
• The benefits of using Web 2.0 applications.
• The challenges of using Web 2.0 applications.
• How the folk who ran these projects handled the issues...
• ... And what they recommend you do if you run them.
• What were the learning outcomes?
• And did I mention that this is free?!

	Download
	Amazing Web 2 Projects.pdf

Welcome to Pippa

Posted by Andy

A big welcome to our new member of Information Resources, Pippa Evans.

Hi everyone, my name is Pippa Evans and I'm the latest member of the Scharr Library team.
My main duties include literature searching and providing staff and students with help and expertise with electronic databases and reference management software. Other duties include delivering information skills training, locating documents and developing web 2.0 resources through short projects.

I graduated with a degree in History and Sociology, then completed a graduate traineeship at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Trust Library in London. Having moved to Sheffield I completed a Masters in Librarianship at the University of Sheffield.

When not searching online databases I enjoy singing with the Jubal Gospel Choir and walking in the Peaks.

April Edition of Take Five

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Posted by Andy

The latest edition of Take Five is packed full of new websites, research funding opportunities,training courses and current awareness.

To join the Take Five distribution list please contact me, Andy Tattersall by email a.tattersall@sheffield.ac.uk or phone 0114 2220702

You can view it here


Whilst an archive of the Take Five Newsletter and other research funding updates can be viewed here

Gaming can Make a Better World

Posted by Andy

A very interesting idea and one that flips many preconceptions about computer gaming on its head. Can we really resolve many of the world's problems by playing 21 billion hours of online gaming a week? Are we more optimistic and better problem solvers in the virtual world than the real world?

This is very much worth a listen and if anything will make you feel that little less guilty about running around your virtual worlds dressed as an elf. For those of you who go around the real world dressed as an elf....well there's no help for you.

Research Funding Update - Fellowships and Studentships

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Posted by Andy

You can download the latest Research Funding update by going to our Research Funding page or you can view it directly here.

For more information please feel free to contact The Information Service @ ScHARR Library on 0114 2225420 or by email scharrlib@shef.ac.uk