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ABEKT e-opac

ABEKT eopac software is EKT’s new online service for the distribution and management of digital content in libraries. The service’s pilot version runs in a flexible and user friendly environment which offers advanced navigation and search functions to its users and also a variety of services for managing both the bibliographic records and the full version of publications and library material.

Creative Commons licenses

Creative Commons licenses are copyright licenses issued by the nonprofit organization ‘Creative Commons’, an organization dedicated to the expansion of copyright and legal sharing of copyright works. To overcome complications caused by current copyright laws, these licenses allow developers to specify the kind of rights that they hold. Creative Common provides various types of licenses, which developers can use when publishing their works online. All these efforts aim to deal with the implications of an increasingly restrictive and dominant culture of copyright licenses.

Current Research Information Systems CRIS

The need for quality research management systems and exploitation of research results has led to the development of Current Research Information Systems (CRIS). A CRIS records, stores, edits and presents open research data related with current research activity and digital information throughout its life cycle. CRIS provides easy access to research results, easy retrieval of knowledge and ideas and enables the optimization of the funding process by providing access to comparative information. For researchers, it offers easy access to research information and software. For administrators, institutional bodies and research managers, CRIS provides an essential tool for measuring and analyzing research activity. At a European level,  EuroCRIS is an organization which maintains CRIS and develops standards and protocols for the interoperabity of information systems -e.g CERIF-. EKT is a partner and a board member in EuroCris.

DART-Europe

The DART-Europe is a partnership of research libraries and library consortia across Europe, which are working together to promote global access to European Research theses in Europe. DART Europe encourages the creation and use of European e-theses and maintains a single European portal of Electronic theses and dissertations, to improve the management, usability and preservation of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. This initiative is supported by LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche) and it is the European Working Group of the NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations). The National Documentation Centre (EKT) is a partner for DART-Europe and it develops the repository for Greek PhD theses, which feeds DART.

Digital Content

The term ‘Digital Content" refers to digital information that is available in variety of formats (text, audiovisual material, etc.). Digital content can be described by its form, shape, size, frequency of renewal and adaptation, its criticality, graded access, distribution requirements, methods for its reading and its compatibility with other forms of content. In an era where free public access to reliable, quality digital content becomes an increasingly necessary condition for collective progress,  in NISRT we are occupied with critical issues concerning the distribution of digital information as a public good and its long-term preservation through sophisticated information systems –e.g. digital repositories–. NISRT’s portal (www.epset.gr) provides rich digital content –such as digital repositories, e-publications, digital libraries– constantly enriched and improved in quality.

 

 

Digital Convergence

 

The aim of the Operational Programme ‘Digital Convergence’ for Greece –during the programming period 2007- 2011– is to emphasize the developmental directions, to particularize the strategies, the means and the interventions towards an effective and sustainable use and growth of ICTs. According to the National Strategic Reference Framework for the period 2007-13, the overarching goal of the Operational Programme is to contribute to the digital convergence of Greece with the rest of the EU through the use of ICT. The programme will focus on implementing a customised developmental strategy with specific emphasis on competitive Greek sectors such as tourism, shipping, culture and sports. Improved productivity through the use of ICT, improvement of citizens’ daily life and technical assistance for ICTs are some of the programme’s priorities. NISRT’s current phase is being funded by the operational programme ‘Digital Convergence’. Some of the horizontal and technical interventions carried out in this frame are related with open public data, transparency; value added services, interoperability, multichannel distribution, exploitation of data etc.

Digital Repositories

A repository is a central place in which an aggregation of data is kept, organized and maintained.  Open access repositories provide free and unrestricted access to scientific and research material (full text and metadata). Open access repositories have their roots in initiatives related to the free disposal of files and content such as Open Archives Initiative and the 'Self-archiving Initiative'. There are two types of repositories: the thematic repositories with digital material that covers a particular discipline (e.g. repository "PANDEKTIS") and institutional repositories usually implemented and supported by an academic institution or research institution (e.g. "SUN" is the repository of the National Hellenic Research Foundation). Adding content into an institutional repository enables institutions and various social actors to manage and preserve it, and therefore maximize its value.

Digital Repositories in NISRT

EKT’s digital repositories offer free access to a rich database of research data and metadata, the national archive of PhD thesis, e- books, studies, scientific publications, educational material, open software etc. Visitors can navigate among 3.200.000 web pages which are continuously enriched with new scientific data and audiovisual applications which cover a broad range of arts and sciences.

 

E publications

The National Documentation Center (EKT) is the co publisher for a variety of electronic editions of scientific journals. Their electronic publication is a result of EKT’s collaboration with certified publishing bodies. Currently, EKT is developing an integrated e-publishing platform so that users can publish scientific material and search across a rich database of Greek e-journals, e-books and e- proceedings. The existing list of EKT’s e-journals will be further extended with new titles of academic journals which until today have been available only in print version. The list of electronic publications will soon be enriched with scientific books (enhanced e-books) and proceedings of scientific conferences.

 

Europeana

Europeana is the new European digital library, a single entry point to million books, maps, recordings, photographs, archival documents, paintings, films and digitized material from national libraries and cultural institutions of the 27 EU Member States. The virtual library is available in all EU languages ​​and provides immediate and free access to important collections and masterpieces from all sciences and arts, architecture, politics, history, architecture, music or cinema therefore opening up new opportunities for exploring Europe's heritage. The prestigious imitative is endorsed by the European Commission and is a means to stimulate creative economy and promote cultural tourism.

Free Software / Open Source Software (F/ OSS)

The term "Free Software / Open Source Software" (F/ OSS) includes the Free Software (FS) and Open Source Software (OSS). Both terms describe software with similar growth features and distribution patterns which grants users the right to study, modify and improve its design. This is achieved through free availability of the source code. The main difference however between the two terms mentioned is that the term Free Software focuses on freedoms granted to the users through the use of licensing, while open source software emphasizes the technical aspect of availability of source code as well as the possibility for collaborative development and growth. In Greece, the non profit organization for the Greek Free / Open Source Software Society (GFOSS) is a non-profit organisation, which was founded in 2008 by 25 Universities, Technological Education Institutes, Research Centres and the Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET). The National Documentation Center (EKT) is one of the participating institutions.

 

 

 

 

Helios Repository

"Helios" repository offers open and unrestricted access to the National Hellenic Research Foundation’s scientific collections. It has been developed by the National Documentation Centre (EKT) and includes a rich database of articles, books, audios and videos, posters, monographs, patterns, educational materials, technical reports, conference proceedings etc). Metadata for more than 4,000 scientific publications are already available, and about 1,000 full text entries. Helios repository is available both in Greek and English. The repository’s content is continuously updated and enriched with new articles and publications.

Institutional Repositories

An institutional repository collects and preserves in digital form an institution's cultural production. Institutions create digital repositories so that they can distribute digital content produced within the insitution (e.g research papers, theses, projects, multimedia material etc)  to its members and to the wider public.

Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability of a product or system to connect and work with other compatible systems. The development and operation of integrated electronic services for citizens and businesses has been based upon achieving interoperability standards between different information systems developed by various organizations in different countries. Today, the technical interoperability standards emerge from international standardization bodies (IDABC, CEN, UN-CEFACT, etc.) and address public organizations and information systems which provide citizens’ services. Indicatively, EKT develops technical implementation standards for current research information systems (CRIS) according to the model for data interoperability CERIF (Common European Research Information Format). Also, EKT’s repositories operate on common schemas of metadata and follow common interoperability standards which ensure the uniformity of access in the repositories’ digital material and allow the management of diverse types of digital information.

Library Automation System (ABEKT)

The Library Automation System (ABEKT) is software created by the National Documentation Centre (EKT) to contribute to the organization of the automated library catalog and to expand the ​​availability of the bibliographic data. The workflow in ABEKT takes into account Greek libraries’ needs and established practices. In addition, ABEKT’s development is based on international standards and norms, which foster collaboration among libraries for content exchange and interlibrary services.

National Archive of PhD Theses

The National Archive of PhD Theses provides access to the PhD theses from all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Greece as well as PhD theses awarded to Greek scholars by foreign HEIs certified by the Hellenic NARIC (Δ.Ο.Α.Τ.Α.Π.).The National Documentation Centre (EKT) is the organization responsible, by law, for the collection, development and maintenance of the National Archive of PhD Theses. Today, it contains 26526 PhD Theses, available to the end-users for searching or browsing.

 

 

NIRST Digital Case

NISRT’s ‘digital case’ is a central point –embedded in NISRT’s website– in which one can find sorted files with studies, publications, presentations and other kinds of audiovisual material. The rich material stored in NISRT’s digital case has been either produced as part of NISRT’s coursework or it presents official documents, policies and initiatives related to research infrastructures and technology in Europe.

 

NISRT D phase: ‘Social Networks- User Generated Content’

“Social Networks- User Generated Content” is the title of the Project’s third phase of development. This phase aims to develop NISRT’s presence in social networking sites and promote the development of user generated content by integrating web 20 technologies into e-infrastructures.

NISRT Phases

As a result of a longstanding and dynamic process, NIRST was developed in three successive phases. The project started in 1996. During its first phase (1996-2000, B KΠΣ), EPSET began its long cooperation with the country’s scientific and academic community as well as with international actors in science and research. The project’s phase focuses on the collection and organization of digital content. EKT seals strategic partnerships with content providers and relies on the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to collect digital content and digitize numerous national archives. EKT’s Digital Library was also extended. During this phase, EKT designs the Information system for the exploitation of research results as well as the Greek portal of CORDIS. Research infrastructures were developed during the project’s second phase (2001-2009 ΓΚΠΣ). During these years, Helios repository, Pandektis repository, the National Archive of PhD thesis have been lunched and 5 e-journals were published. Today, actions programmed for the project’s third phase (2010- 2014 ΕΣΠΑ), set as priority the production and distribution of user generated content using web 2.0 software and social networking services.

 

NISRT Press Center

One can find NISRT’s Press Center on the project’s home page (www.epset.gr). This section serves as a central entry point to the website’s news content. It brings together news, events and announcements related with NISRT. In the photo and video gallery, users can find a rich archive of audiovisual material which has been produced for the project. Also, one can follow NISRT’s activities on social media networking services.

Open Access

Open Access is a worldwide initiative for open, immediate, continuous and free of charges online access to digital academic and scientific content. The movement’s purpose is to facilitate the exchange of scientific information by offering unrestricted access to articles published in scholarly journals, book chapters or monographs. Readers and internet users can access digital material, use it and reuse it for research, educational, informational or other purposes. For more information, visit www.openaccess.gr

Open Public Data

Data and information held by public administration bodies have been produced with the support of citizens’ financial resources; therefore they should be accessible by everyone. In recent years, Greek policies have been focused on the removal of institutional and technical barriers to make possible the wider disposal and use of public data. Open Data consists a  key factor for economic and social development in many ways: consisting a separate commodity (such as raw material for the creation of value added services in education, culture, or public services), providing an alternative means of reducing costs and increasing productivity in public administration (e.g. the collection, disposal and constant public scrutiny of economic data in different public services), ensuring the proper functioning of markets (e.g. disclosure of the conditions and improvement of public contracts) .

OpenAire

OpenAIRE portal provides open access to the sum of scientific publications  produced as a result of projects funded by the FP7 –in particular, the programs "Health", "Information and Communication Technologies", "Energy" "environment "," Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities "," Ideas "," Research Infrastructures "and" Science in Society"–. The project supports and implements the EU Pilot Project on Open Access in FP7 (Open Access Pilot in FP7) and the relevant directives of the European Research Council (ERC Scientific Council Guidelines for Open Access). It builds on well know and low cost technology for an Open Access Infrastructure and bases its activities on the European Network of institutional and thematic repositories.  EKT participates as an Open Access Centre in Greece and prompts Greek scientists to make their publications available through open access repositories.

Parthenon Freeze

The virtual version of Parthenon frieze is now available through a digital application found in www.parthenofrieze.gr. The application developed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Acropolis Restoration Service) and the National Documentation Centre (EKT) offers a virtual tour to the Parthenon’s Frieze, a monument of great cultural significance. The website collects and tags all photos and visuals of the preserved marble slabs of the Parthenon frieze –now exhibited in Acropolis Museum, the Loubre and in British Museum- part of which have been completed with J. Carrey’s (1674) and J. Stuart’s (1751) drawings. The application’s digital content has been organized into three sections: The Parthenon – Meet the Frieze- Play with the Frieze. Along with the virtual application, the National Documentation Center has developed the ‘Parthenon Frieze’ repository (http://repository.parthneonfrieze.gr), an indispensable tool for the archaeologist, the scholar, the teacher, the researcher, the student. Parthenon Freeze Repository has been integrated into ‘Europeana’, the European digital library.

 

 

 

 

Personalized Services

Personalized services are services adjusted to each user’s special requirements, personal needs, desires and requests. With an aim to improve the user’s experience with EPSET services, EKT applies information technology services based on  personalization. This  involves the process of collecting user-information during interaction with the user. Information is then used to deliver appropriate content and services, tailor-made to the user’s needs.

Research e-Infrastructure

e-Infrastructure refers to a combination and interworking of digitally-based technology (hardware and software), resources (data, services, digital libraries), communications (protocols, access rights and networks), and the people and organisational structures needed to support modern, internationally leading collaborative research be it in the arts and humanities or the sciences. This definition reflects a broader understanding of e-Infrastructure as defined in the report “Delivering the UK’s e-Infrastructure for Research and Innovation.” (Research Councils UK). 

 

 

 

 

Scholarly Communication

Scholarly communication is a term used to describe the process according to which scholars and researchers share and publish research findings so that they become accessible by the wider academic community and beyond. The rapid development of communication technologies and the Internet has brought about significant changes in the production and distribution of scientific knowledge. Today, scientists are increasingly based on digital means to conduct their research and exploit research results. We are approaching an era in which research will be published primarily in virtually integrated online environments. In such environments, researchers have the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues in real time, communicate and publish their research data online, manage and store large volumes of data into large digital databases etc. Multimedia use and the use of mobile tools of various types (such as e-book readers)  are some of the recent developments in scholarly communication.

 

 

 

Self-archiving

To self-archive is to deposit a free copy of a digital document  on the web and thus enable others to access it. The term 'self-archiving' is used to refer to the process according to which authors deposit  their work to repositories of peer-reviewd research journals or institutional repositories, for the purpose of maximizing its accessibility, usage and citation impact. Self archiving is one of the basic methods for providing open access. More details at: openaccess.gr .

 

 

Social Networking Services

Social networking sites are web based services that allow users to maintain a public Profile, articulate a list of contacts, grow their contact network and share digital content with them. EKT’ s presence on the most popular social networking services allow NISRT users to build their networks and gives them the opportunity not only to communicate directly with EKT and keep up with the project’s actions and news, but also to participate actively in the dialogue surrounding NISRT.

Virtual Research Environments

Virtual Research Environments (VREs) are web based infrastructures of high interoperability which provide not only the interface but also the software, services and tools to tailor effectively the needs of a particular research community in a web environment. Research communities that make use of virtual research environments are called Virtual Research Communities (VREs). Their purpose is to enhance collaboration among researchers through the systematic use of information technology and networking software. They may serve the purposes of a specific research project, an institutions’ research activity or activities that extend across institutional research activities.

Οpen Archives

Openarchives.gr is a federated search engine harvesting 57 Greek digital libraries and institutional repositories. Designed and implemented by V.Banos, openarchives.gr was lunched in 2006 and it is currently providing access to 424,278 documents. Today, the openarchives.gr aggregator is being hosted, managed and developed by the National Documentation Center (EKT) and its index is updated on a daily basis. Within the frame of NIRST, EKT in cooperation with the portal’s creator continuously enhances openarchives.gr with new features.