Virtual research environment
Encyclopedia
A virtual research environment (VREs) or virtual laboratory is an online system helping researchers collaborate. Features usually include collaboration support (forums and wikis), document hosting, and some discipline-specific tools, such as data analysis, visualisation, or simulation management. In some instances, publication management, and teaching tools such as presentations and slides may be included. VREs have become important in fields where research is primarily carried out in teams which span institutions and even countries: the ability to easily share information and research results is valuable.
The concept of the VRE was studied by UK funding agency JISC in 2010 which highlighted issues such as researcher involvement in VRE design, sustainability, and consideration of the project as primarily one of community building rather than technology. The report also noted synonyms such as "collaborative e-research community", "collaboratory
" and "virtual research community". JISC funded development of a number of VREs under its "Virtual research environment programme" from 2004 to 2011.
In Australia, e-Research
body NeCTAR has funding for a "virtual laboratory" program to be allocated in 2011.
(such as Sakai) or through specific VRE frameworks that can be used as enabling technologies to develop and host different VREs (such as the gCube System framework or Microsoft Virtual Research Environment Toolkits ).
The concept of the VRE was studied by UK funding agency JISC in 2010 which highlighted issues such as researcher involvement in VRE design, sustainability, and consideration of the project as primarily one of community building rather than technology. The report also noted synonyms such as "collaborative e-research community", "collaboratory
Collaboratory
A collaboratory, as defined by William Wulf in 1989, is a “center without walls, in which the nation’s researchers can perform their research without regard to physical location, interacting with colleagues, accessing instrumentation, sharing data and computational resources, [and] accessing...
" and "virtual research community". JISC funded development of a number of VREs under its "Virtual research environment programme" from 2004 to 2011.
In Australia, e-Research
E-research
The term e-Research refers to the use of information technology to support existing and new forms of research...
body NeCTAR has funding for a "virtual laboratory" program to be allocated in 2011.
VRE software
VRE software may be built on a CMS platform (such as HubZero, built on Joomla), from a learning management systemLearning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
(such as Sakai) or through specific VRE frameworks that can be used as enabling technologies to develop and host different VREs (such as the gCube System framework or Microsoft Virtual Research Environment Toolkits ).