The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), in collaboration with
the
Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), is reviewing the services
provided by ESDS and would like to hear from its users.
ESDS is contracted to promote the wider and more informed use of data
for
research and teaching in the social sciences, and to ensure that these
data
continue to be available over time. ESDS approaches this goal through
the
delivery and development of its five main services - Access and
Preservation, ESDS Government, ESDS International, ESDS Longitudinal and
ESDS Qualidata.
ESDS has been co-located at the Universities of Essex and Manchester and
co-
funded by ESRC and JISC since 1 January 2003. The current review aims to
evaluate the performance of ESDS to enable ESRC/JISC to decide whether
or
not their grant should be renewed beyond September 2007.
ESYS plc, the independent strategic consultancy, has been commissioned
by
ESRC to undertake a user survey as part of the review to seek the views
of
ESDS users/suppliers. The survey will include an online questionnaire,
targeted telephone interviews and a series of Focus Groups. The findings
from the survey will be submitted to ESRC at the end of July 2005 in the
form of a report which will then be referred to ESDS for a formal
response
to feed into the Review.
Users of ESDS are invited to participate in the online survey which will
be
launched on 6th June 2005 at:
http://www.esys.co.uk/surveys/esdssurvey.asp.
The online survey will remain open for three weeks.
Further information about the User Survey can be obtained from:
Oliver Greening, ESYS plc, 1 Occam Court, Occam Road Surrey Research
Park,
Guildford, Surrey GU32 2HY
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