http://www.esds.ac.uk/ and http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/

“The old Data Catalogue search has been replaced with a simple Basic Search which now combines the various field-based searches into a single search across all fields of the Study Description. The field-based searches (i.e. title, name, geography, keyword, date, publications and study number) which were previously available in the Data Catalogue have all moved to the Advanced Search where they can be combined using the standard Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT. The new Advanced Search facility will allow a more detailed interrogation of the UK Data Archive’s holdings and will allow users to find datasets more efficiently. Complex searches such as looking for non-attitude surveys carried out in the last 10 years on the elderly in Scotland can now be framed easily through the Advanced Search interface. The resulting hit list will be displayed in 10 datasets per page format but can be grouped to be displayed as a single, scrollable, expandable list.” [Source: email from Sharon Jack, UK Data Archive, 15-10-08]

http://www.academia.edu/

Created by Dr Richard Price of All Souls College, Oxford, this web service “displays academics around the world in a ‘tree diagram’ format, displaying which institution/department they are affiliated with … [and] … enables researchers to keep track of the latest developments in their field - the latest people and papers”. Dr Price hopes “that the site will eventually list every academic in the world — Faculty members, Post-Docs, and Graduate Students. People can add their departments, and themselves, to the tree by clicking on the arrows”. [Source: email from Dr Richard Price, 29-10-08] It does look potentially useful and 18 MMU researchers have already joined. But I confess to having a few concerns about accuracy and reliability unless some form of moderation or quality control is implemented. MMU is incorrectly shown as having a School of Dentistry simply because an academic at another university has added himself to the MMU tree.

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1126837

“A rapid increase in travel and tourism has been an integral part of the ongoing wave of globalization. Patterns of global economic growth are impacting tourism activity worldwide. With growing affluence in emerging economies, the pool of international travelers is expanding to include visitors from a broader variety of countries. Increasing cross-cultural contacts and greater access to information regarding tourism attractions in hitherto lesser known parts of the world, increasing fascination with the emerging and developing economies, new forms of tourism activity, such as ecotourism, and increased investment in infrastructure further broaden the destinations of travellers.” [Source: ResourceShelf, 31-10-08]

http://www.europafilmtreasures.eu/

“Watch hundreds of the treasures of European cinematographic heritage online. All genres and time periods are on the playbill! From comedy to science fiction, from westerns to animation, from erotic to ethnological movies. Also includes background about each film.” [Source: Librarians’ Internet Index, 30-10-08] Among the British films on offer are “The Airship Destroyer”, a 1909 silent film by Walter R Booth with original music composed by Aidje Taifal in 2008, and Margaret Tait’s 1970 experimental film, “John MacFadyen”.

As the 300th issue of the email version of the Researchers’ Weekly Bulletin will appear in a couple of weeks, it seems an appropriate moment to celebrate with an anniversary competition. For a chance for your name to be entered into a prize draw for a snazzy combined USB Flash Drive, Pen and Laser Pointer (estimated retail value £19.99), use the Newsfilm Online service to find the answer to the following question: Who sold his Andy Warhol print collection in 1998, explaining that he didn’t have a house that could hold 300 pictures? Send your answer – which should include the person’s name and the date of the broadcast — to m.harrison@mmu.ac.uk All correct answers will be entered in the prize draw to take place on 4 December 2008. The competition is open to all researchers at MMU, both staff and students.

Emeritus Professor Ian Rogerson (former University Librarian) is presenting two talks on 19th century book illustration in the Sir Kenneth Green Library, All Saints Campus, Library Lecture Theatre (3rd Floor - Special Collections) as part of MMU’s Multicultural Studies talks programme.

The first talk, “From Wood Engraving to Line Block”, will take place tomorrow evening (30th October 2008) from 7pm until 8.45pm. As well as an illustrated talk Ian will then show examples of 19th century book illustration held in our Special Collections.

The second talk, “From Lithography to Chromolithography” with take place on Thursday 6th November from 7pm until 8.45pm.

Ian is one of the country’s leading experts in this field and is a lively, amusing and informative speaker. The opportunity to hear him speak and, most especially, to then see examples of the work he has spoken about is not to be missed. The talks are free and open to all but it would be helpful if you could let Jeremy (j.parrett@mmu.ac.uk) know if you plan to attend so we have a sense of numbers expected. [Source: email from Jeremy Parrett, Special Collections Archivist, MMU, 29-10-08]

http://med-imag.english.cam.ac.uk/

An online database which aims “to cross-reference episodes from medieval mystery plays with depictions of the same Biblical episodes in the visual arts of the period. Users may choose a mystery play episode from a drop-down list that includes: ‘Abraham and Isaac’; ‘Apocalypse’; ‘Harrowing of Hell’; ‘Crucifixion and Death’; and ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ as well as other more general topics such as: ‘Saints’; ‘Borders and Margins’; and ‘Gargoyles’. The images are taken from a number of sources, including: stained glass windows; illuminated manuscripts; early printed books; embroidery; and sculpture. The project is ongoing, and images continue to be added.” [Source: Intute: Arts & Humanities, 23-09-08]

http://www.mgfa.de/

Available online from 2007, this German-language Open Access journal “serves the historical education of the Bundeswehr personnel. It helps instructors prepare and hold history lessons, and at the same time, is meant to attract anybody interested in history and provides an introduction to the subject”. The current issue includes articles on the German sailors’ revolt of 1918 and the 60th anniversary of the Genocide Convention. [Source: Intute: Arts and Humanities, 28-10-08]

http://www.doveoa.com/index.php

Based in Auckland, “Dove Medical Press is an international provider of high-quality, peer-reviewed scientific, technical and medical journals to researchers, academics, professionals, and organizations engaged in Science, Technology and Medicine”. Among the journals available at no cost to the reader are the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare; Journal of Pain Research; International Journal of Women’s Health; Psychology Research and Behavior Management; and Reports in Medical Imaging.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2007/index.html

Released on the 27th of October, the data “indicated that 7,624 criminal incidents involving 9,006 offenses were reported [in the United States] in 2007 as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability … 50.8 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 18.4 percent were motivated by a religious bias, 16.6 percent were motivated by a sexual orientation bias, and 13.2 percent were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. One percent involved a bias against a disability”. [Source: DocuTicker, 27-10-08]