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THE EDUSERV CHEST DATA MESSENGER
6th September 2005 URL:http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/
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a) Improved Web Platform for the Global Market Information Database
b) New Scientist Archive Online
c) Call for expressions of interest in IsoSystems from SoftExpert
d) Request for Feedback - Reach Online
e) Latest Data Wishes
a) Improved Web Platform for the Global Market Information Database
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The following information has been provided by Euromonitor:
"Euromonitor International launched an improved web platform for the Global Market Information Database in July 2005.
The Global Market Information Database is Euromonitor International's premium business reference service. It is a unique source of international intelligence on countries, consumers and industries. It offers integrated access to statistics, market reports, company profiles and information sources.
The new web platform offers access to information via a much simpler search interface. Without knowing the content of the database in detail, users can find information intuitively by selecting from a geography menu and a category menu on the homepage. There is a new search summary feature which gives an at-a-glance guide to what has been selected.
"Customer feedback is the driving force behind the product re-design. Information managers and librarians don't have time to train business researchers and students on every business resource they subscribe to. They need products that are intuitive to use, and allows users to find information with minimal input" Theresa Keogh, GMID Product Manager
Other improvements to the web-platform include the ability to create custom charts (pie, line, bar and column); a clearer distinction of actual data vs forecasts (forecasts are highlighted red); the ability to display a custom selection of years; the flexibility to change the magnitude of unit measurements (thousands, millions, billions, per capita, per '000 people).
Since 1 August all subscribers accessing GMID via Athens have been directed to the new site. Eurominitor have created guides on how to use the new interface and the charting facility and these can be found in the Help/About menu on the GMID homepage".
Full details of the Eduserv Chest/Euromonitor agreement for the Global Market Information Database (GMID) can be found here: <http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/datasets/euromonitor2004/overview.html>
b) New Scientist Archive Online
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The second of the three licence years of the Chest/Reed Business Information Agreement for New Scientist Archive Online commences on 1 October. Sites who sign to the Agreement in September will be buying access to the archive for two years ending 30 September 2007.
Pricing is £300 per annum for FE and £1300 per annum for HE. These prices cover site-wide access to this online archive of a continually expanding library of news, analysis, facts and figures covering life sciences, physics, earth & environmental sciences, maths and technology. The archive contains the complete text of every article - plus over 5000 graphics - from New Scientist magazine since April 1989.
Full details about the Agreement and how to apply to participate can be found at <http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/datasets/new-scientist/>
c) Call for expressions of interest in IsoSystems from SoftExpert
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The following details concern a document management system. It relates to mechanisms of generating and exchanging knowledge and strengthening communication among departments and customers. This has already been circulated to our software contacts, but it could well be that this may well be of interest to our Data contacts.
The products from SoftExpert provide a complete set of powerful integrated web based tools for the management of quality, environment and health & safety.
Today, educational establishments are required to make continuous improvement to courses and services, to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for their employees and students and, simultaneously, to contribute to the environment and society in a positive way. IsoSystems products offer an effective way to implement a sustainable management program that enables organisations to accomplish these things.
In addition IsoSystems modules provide an audit trails that can be used for internal management use and can be tuned to audit other official inspections such as Ofsted, QAA and RAE.
The main benefits of using IsoSystems to the institution are
* Increased productivity in all activities within the education establishment
* Provides users with real time access to updated information from anywhere at any time.
* Reduces the circulation of printed documents and forms
* Facilitates process and activity management
* Provides effective integration between all areas within an academic environment
* Ensures better utilisation of employee time
* Standardizes and optimizes all academic processes
* Precisely identifies critical points that require improvement within each FE and HE establishment
* Increase the effectiveness of the management system
* Improves relationship with lecturers, employees and students due to workflow has improvements
* Simplifies quality, environmental and health & safety.
IsoSystems in Teaching & Learning
As a teaching aid to Lecturers and a learning aid for students, the range of IsoSystems products could be of a huge benefit. Lecturers are able to demonstrate through practical means, the implementation of critical aspects of there courses by utilising the structure of the IsoSystem modules.
As an example, engineering lecturers, teaching quality management courses, can use the systems to help illustrate real life examples. This is achieved by utilising the high level of quality tools and techniques that are built into our relevant modules.
Students could use the systems to apply their knowledge within a software environment where they still need to demonstrate their skills and simultaneously learn about their chosen subject.
In addition lecturers could use the task manager in each module to assign tasks to each student or group of students. The lecturer can then monitor progress.
Whilst IsoSystems modules enable organisations to comply with a range of ISO standards in many industry sectors, they are not limited to those seeking accreditation.
More detailed information can be found at <http://www.softexpert.co.uk>
Pricing under a Chest Agreement has not been agreed yet. However, if sufficient interest is shown then we would expect to be able to offer substantial savings to sites.
Licences currently work on a concurrent model, based on the number of users or a shared licence where a number of users make occasional use of the system. Additional discounts apply if more than one module is purchased. If there is interest in IsoSystem for teaching purposes only then special licences will apply.
Chest is interested in receiving feedback from sites on whether the have a need for these tools for
* Internal management purposes
* Teaching purposes
or
* Sites wishing to become reference sites working closely with SoftExpert to implement one or more of the IsoSystems tools at their institution and provide case study material for the benefit of others in the community.
Please complete and submit the following form
<http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/cgi-bin/eoi.cgi?lnk=995> by 30th September 2005.
d) Request for Feedback - Reach Online
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Have you or your users had experience of using Reach Online's IT Skills Courseware? Are you considering purchasing access to IT skills courseware in the future?
Chest currently has a deal with Reach Online to provide sites with special pricing on their IT skills courseware <http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/courseware/reach-online/>. This is due for renewal at the end of October and we are very eager for feedback from anyone in the community who has experience of using the service or who has an opinion on our agreement for it.
If you are currently using the service or are looking to purchase access to IT skills courseware in the future, this is also a great opportunity to influence the shape of any future Chest agreement.
> What is your opinion of the Reach Online service?
> If you have used or currently use the service, what kind of volume of
> units do you use?
> Were you aware that Chest had a deal with Reach Online?
> What is your opinion of the Chest deal?
> Are there specific issues relating to online courseware that you would like to see addressed by a Chest deal?
> Are there any comparable products you have experience of or are aware of?
Please don't feel limited to the questions above.
Any feedback you have on the Reach Online service, or the Chest offer for it, can be emailed to <mailto:[log in to unmask]> or alternatively please feel free to call Tim Hobday on 01225 403225.
e) Latest Data Wishes
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The following is a list of the latest Data Wishes to appear on the Eduserv Chest web site. If you would like to add your wish please go to <http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/future-agreements/wishform.html> or to view the complete Data Wishlist go to <http://www.eduserv.org.uk/chest/future-agreements/wishes/data.html>
British Standards Online
<http://www.bsonline.bsi-global.com/server/index.jsp>
33 Wishes to Date
New England Journal of Medicine
<http://content.nejm.org/>
3 Wishes to Date
~~~~~~~~~~~ END OF EDUSERV CHEST DATA MESSENGER: (6th September 2005) ~~~~~~~~~~~
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