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History and Development

Today, NISRT is in its third phase of development which focuses on digital content generated by the users themselves and content circulated over social networking applications. This phase is the result of a long process of development which began in 1996 at the National Documentation Centre. It was at that point that information systems and basic principles underlying the project (NISRT) remained pure in nature but also dynamically enriched by emerging technological and societal developments.

NISRT’s first phase (1996-2000 ΚΠΣ) was focused on capacity building (e.g. computing and networking applications to support the operation of the digital library) and produced various mechanisms and information systems for the collection, management and distribution of digital content in science. These first years functioned as a catalyst in creating a critical mass of users and producers of digital content in the country.

          

NISRT’s digital infrastructure was enriched in content during the second phase of NISRT’s development (2001- 2009 ΚΠΣ). During these years, the Digital Library for Science and Technology was enriched and renovated. A unit for digitization was created and a large volume of national archived data was digitized. Furthermore, volumes of digital content have been documented and organized using advanced classification systems, thesaurus and record files for established terms and procedures. It is this season that information systems and software for the exploitation of research data was designed, also CORDIS’s Greek version and an inclusive portal for ‘Research and Innovation’.

Digital repositories –such as Helios, Pandektis and the National Archive of PhD Thesis– were created and five e-journals were published. With a vision to create interactive digital spaces for the dissemination of knowledge –spaces which extend beyond geographical boundaries and technical constraints– NISRT’s second phase had yet to raise public awareness for the benefits of open access among scientific and research community. Having invested in expertise and technical knowledge, NIRST enters its third phase of development.

Today, the actions integrated in the project’s third phase (2010-2014, NSRF) prioritize the empowerment of users' for the production and distribution of digital content through web 2.0 technologies.  The project aims at the dynamic distribution of user generated content and its growth and expansion through existing open access infrastructures and collaborative environments –such as web 2.0 applications and social networks–. Furthermore, we investigate the opportunity to develop Virtual Research Environments with the aim of connecting and building collaboration across the scientific world. The project’s current phase is only our next step towards  shaping the future of research in Greece as part of a long process which maintains its live dialogue with the global conditions.