[spectre] Fwd:Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding

[Natalie Waldbaum]

# ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
# Od: Barry Smith <barry.smith at BTINTERNET.COM>
# Předmět: Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding
# Datum: 01.6.2007 13:41:11
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# 
# 
# Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding
# On the 14th May 2007 the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) publicly
# announced its intention to withdraw funding from its digital service provider,
# the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) from March 2008. The announcement is
# available on:
# 
# http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/news/news_pr/2007/information_for_applicants_to_AHRC_june_deadline.asp
# 
# An initial response by AHDS is available at:
# 
# http://ahds.ac.uk/news/ahrc-news-may07.htm
# 
# The AHDS Homepage outlining their full range of services is available at:  
# 
# http://www.ahds.ac.uk/index.htm
# 
#  
# 
# For reasons outlined below this action severely threatens UK based arts and
# humanities digital research and development and has now developed to the stage
# of petitioning the Prime Minister to request AHRC to reconsider their decision. 
# The petition is available at
# 
#  
# 
# http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AHDSfunding
# 
# 
#  
# 
# Only British citizens and those resident in the UK are permitted to sign the
# petition but international colleagues may choose to send emails to the
# appropriate authorities outlining the detrimental effect this action will cause
# to UK and international arts and humanities digital research, learning and
# teaching.  Further details are given below.
# 
#  
# 
# Please feel free to cross-post this request as you feel is appropriate.
# 
#  
# 
# -
# 
# 
# ---------- Forwarded message ----------
# From: 10 Downing Street
# Subject: Your petition to the Prime Minister has been approved
# 
#     Your petition has been approved by the Number 10 web team, and
#     is now available on the Number 10 website at the following
#     address:
#     http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AHDSfunding/
# 
#     Your petition reads:
# 
#     We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to urge the Arts
#      and Humanities Research Council to revisit its decision to
#      withdraw funding from the Arts and Humanities Data Service,
#      which has played a fundamental part in developing and
#      supporting use of new digital technologies to support
#      innovative research by UK researchers
# 
#      On 11 May 2007, Professor Philip Esler, Chief Executive of the
#      AHRC, wrote to University Vice-Chancellors informing them of
#      the Council's decision to withdraw funding from the AHDS after
#      eleven years. The AHDS has pioneered and encouraged awareness
#      and use among Britain's university researchers in the arts and
#      humanities of best practice in preserving digital data created
#      by research projects funded by public money. It has also
#      ensured that this data remains publicly available for future
#      researchers. It is by no means evident that a suitable
#      replacement infrastructure will be established and the AHRC
#      appears to have taken no adequate steps to ensure the continued
#      preservation of this data. The AHDS has also played a prominent
#      role in raising awareness of new technologies and innovative
#      practices among UK researchers. We believe that the withdrawal
#      of funding for this body is a retrograde step which will
#      undermine attempts to create in Britain a knowledge economy
#      based on latest technologies. We ask the Prime Minister to urge
#      the AHRC to reconsider this decision.
# 
#  
# 
# --
# 
#  
# 
# Further considerations:
# 
#  
# 
#   1.. Building an interconnected collection of digital research data - which can
# only be undertaken by a national organisation - is essential to the future
# development of arts and humanities research. 
#   2.. The current AHRC action will inevitably cause the UK arts and humanities
# to fall behind international standards and to lose research findings of interest
# and value to future generations 
#   3.. Creating an on-line representation of digital research data is a form of
# publication of research knowledge similar, and complementary, to printed
# publications. 
#   4.. Whereas copyright libraries preserve standard publications there is as yet
# no national equivalent for digital research outputs and this action by the AHRC
# increases the likelihood of fragmentation and loss. 
#   5.. Digital research outputs need to be properly curated and preserved for the
# long-term (and long-term means longer than the 3 years being suggested by AHRC
# as a new orthodoxy).  
#   6.. Research data is complex requiring an infrastructure which can ensure the
# long term sustainability and accessibility of these materials. 
#   7.. Preservation of digital materials is not simply back-up, another copy in a
# drawer, but requires skilled knowledge and actions which individual researchers
# cannot be expected to acquire. 
#   8.. Institutional repositories are at best geared to make digital objects
# available to their community; they are not geared to independently deal with the
# complexities of infrastructure, longevity and national/international access; any
# notion that 100+ UK Universities can independently support the required degree
# of technical expertise is mistaken. 
#   9.. Working to common standards and best practice is essential if the value of
# these resources is to remain accessible to future generations of scholars and in
# the current confused state it is not apparent who will provide this advice. 
#   10.. The sudden and unwarranted withdrawal of funding from the AHDS threatens
# the future of arts and humanities research in the UK and severely weakens the
# effectiveness and stature of its associated Research Council.
#  
# 
# Please sign the petition to the Prime Minister at
# http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AHDSfunding
# 
# and/or voice your concerns directly to the AHRC (copies to HEFCE/JISC and AHDS
# appreciated) by writing to the individuals below:
# 
#  
# 
# AHRC:
# 
# Professor Philip Esler
# 
# Chief Executive
# 
# Arts and Humanities Research Council
# 
# Whitefriars
# 
# Lewins Mead
# 
# BRISTOL BS1 2AE
# 
# Email:  executive at ahrc.ac.uk
# 
#  
# 
# JISC/HEFCE:
# 
# Dr Malcolm Read
# 
# Executive Secretary
# 
# JISC/HEFCE
# Northavon House
# Coldharbour Lane
# BRISTOL BS16 1QD
# 
# Email:  m.read at jisc.ac.uk
# 
#  
# 
# AHDS:
# 
# Sheila Anderson
# AHDS Executive
# 26 - 29 Drury Lane (3rd Floor)
# King's College London
# LONDON, WC2B 5RL
# 
# Email:  sheila.anderson at AHDS.AC.UK
# 
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