Digital Innovations

Emory Libraries Home Emory University Home

Cyberinfrastructure for Scholars - SouthComb Project

From Digital Innovations @ Emory Libraries

Jump to: navigation, search
Project Information
Grant Award: $616,000
Funding Agency: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Start Date: April 2006
End Date: October 2008
Project Information URL: http://www.metascholar.org/SouthComb/index.html
Status: In Progress

The Cyberinfrastructure for Scholars project of the Digital Programs and Systems Division of the Woodruff Library at Emory University is conducting research to create an easily manageable, sustainable and reusable software suite for the creation and maintenance of SouthComb, a humanities based portal environment.

Contents

[edit] Goals and Objectives

Three Goals of the Cyberinfrastructure Project:

  1. Build a Sustainable Combined Search Portal Service
  2. Improve Networked Access to Humanities Collections in the South
  3. Explore Sustainable Models for the Advancement of Scholarly Cyberinfrastructure

[edit] Project Timeline

Mar 2006: Project Start
Apr 2007: Project Midpoint
Oct 2008: Project End

[edit] Project Details

 SouthComb Banner - Screen Shot
SouthComb Banner - Screen Shot

The Cyberinfrastructure project is one of several projects of the MetaScholar Initiative, an ongoing program for digital library research based at Emory University that focuses on applications of metadata (or information about data) for scholarly communications. Using web-based tools, SouthComb will allow scholars, researchers, and students to better research, access and understand Southern Studies information. Some of the tools included are a General Search, Southern Studies Directory, Geographical Information Systems Services, Multi-Media repository, and Today's South news service.

SouthComb will advance access to scholarly communications and contribute value to online learners as well as Southern Studies, American Studies and humanities scholars. The Combined search will index high-quality information not searchable by Google, excluding low-quality information. The Southern Studies Directory will collect and display information about the people and departments working in Southern Studies. A directory of this type has not been gathered elsewhere, and remains of great utility to new scholars in the field. The Geographical Information Systems service will provide access to geographic view of requested data, as well as provide a highly-desired map creation service that can be used to generate teaching materials. The Multi-Media repository will provide meaningful materials such as images, videos, classroom resources and maps for teaching and study, and allow users to generate and post their own materials. The Today's South news service will function as a current awareness service, keeping users up-to-date on topics relating to the US South and South regardless of geographic location.

Major funding for development of SouthComb is provided by Emory University's Robert W. Woodruff Library and by the Mellon Foundation to create a sustainable cyberinfrastructure program for scholars based on focused interdisciplinary subject domain portals.

[edit] Project Reports and Documentation

Image:SouthComb Interim Report part I.pdf
Image:SouthComb Interim Report part II.pdf
Image:SouthComb Interim Report part III.pdf
Image:SouthComb Interim Report part IV.pdf

[edit] Project Staff

Project Manager: Stacey Martin

For more information, contact Stacey Martin

Views
Personal tools