Higher Education Group Meeting - Physics and Social Complexity

Institute of Physics
Higher Education Group Meeting
Physics and Social Complexity

Wednesday December 1 2010

Institute of Physics,
76 Portland Place, London


The programme brings together academics from Sociology and from Physics to describe their research programmes with policy advisors who will discuss applications. The meeting will end with a discussion of the potential role of social physics in undergraduate progammes. The meeting will be of interest to those responsible for designing research-led curricula in physics.

There is a charge of £25 for this meeting payable on the day.

Advanced booking is essential:
please contact Daxa Patel at the Department of Physics in Leicester
(dp204 -at- le.ac.uk) to reserve a place.

ResearcherID: your e-publication list

Use EndNote and EndNote Web to manage your personal publication list in ResearcherID, a free author community where you can create your own profile to eliminate author misidentification. Search ResearcherID to find collaborators and more. New features include:

Connect to EndNote Web from any ResearcherID page to manage your publication list, perform online searches and edit records in one click.

Compare your publication list with Web of Science to add Times Cited details automatically.

The best part is you can use the same login/password for ResearcherID and EndNote Web as for personal area of Web of Knowledge.

For databases:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/databases-a-z

My EndNote Web:
http://myendnoteweb.com

Register with your university email address.

UseMyAbility

UseMyAbility website results from a Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) project on employability and disability.

Sections for students, university staff and employers at:

http://www.usemyability.org/

Presentations available WoK - Bibliometric Course.

Following the recent Web of knowledge Bibliometric course, the three presentations are available:

1. Researcher Evaluation.
2. The Metrics.
3. Using Bibliometrics.

See the Mimas Web of Knowledge Service for UK Education web site at: http://wok.mimas.ac.uk/support/documentation/#presentations


In addition, there is the Thomson Reuters White Paper.

Using Bibliometrics: A Guide to Evaluating Research Performance with Citation Data which can be viewed at:
http://science.thomsonreuters.com/m/pdfs/325133_thomson.pdf

IADIS: International Conference Mobile Learning 2011

10 to 12 March 2011
Avila, Spain.

Call for paper deadline for submissions (1st call extension): 29 November 2010

The conference seeks to provide a forum for the discussion and presentation of mobile learning research.

http://www.mlearning-conf.org/

JISC Online Conference Innovating e-Learning

Online conference
23-26 November 2010

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningpedagogy/elpconference10.aspx

JISC Legal 10 Year Anniversary: Top Ten Tips

Designed to assist navigating the advantages ICT brings.

http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=243&id=1740

More effective lectures and tutorials

The HE Academy's UK Physical Sciences Centre has organised a series of workshops around the theme of doing things more effectively.

i) More Effective Lectures,
Wednesday 15th December 2010,
University of Edinburgh

More information


ii) More Effective Tutorials/Workshops,
12th January 2011,
Loughborough University

More information

Global Horizons festival

The events run from 13-20 November.

Many events are FREE and staff, students and the general public are welcome.

A full programme and booking details are online at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/global-horizons

Among the highlights are international music and dance concert – Rhythmic World - which includes African drumming, flamenco, Brazillian Capoeira, Punjabi dance, Italian song, Georgian singing, Egyptian belly dancing, and Middle Eastern music.

The Global Horizons programme also includes:
- a 5 a-side mini world cup tournament (we hope staff will join in);
- a Bhangra Dance Workshop and a Georgian Singing workshop
- A Mexican Fiesta! Celebrating 200 years of Mexican independence
- a photography and film competition
- information for students about studying/working abroad, and about working in the UK for international students

RSE Beltane Prize for Public Engagement

Nominees are invited from all disciplines, and all organisations, across Scotland for this new prize to reward and celebrate public engagement with research, jointly founded by Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Beltane for Public Engagement.

Two Prizes will be made:

i) The RSE Beltane Senior Prize for Public Engagement, awarded to an individual with long standing experience of this field.
ii) The RSE Beltane Innovators Award, for an emerging talent.

The closing date is 31st January 2011.

http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/research_fellowships/beltane.htm

Open Dataset - finding and using their information

Free one-day Open Data Master Classes

To provide individuals with the tools and techniques needed to use and analysis a range of Open Datasets such as school census data, health care provision, crime statistics and transportation data.

The Open Data Master Classes combine theory and practicals with guest lectures from prominent members in the field from government, academia and business. Participants will learn a range of techniques from data collection and processing to data analysis and map visualization.

More details at:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/CGS/EventsItems/Events2010/OpenDataMasterclasses.aspx

Using social media to communicate your research

Wednesday 10th November
Teviot Row Dining Room
1.00 - 2.00 (sandwich lunch from 12.30.)

Further details with link to booking on MyEd at:

http://erirsd.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/using-social-media-to-communicate-your-research-learning-lunch/

Using Technology to Enhance Learning in Physical Sciences

Wednesday 8th December 2010,
Leeds

There is no registration fee for this meeting for those working in UK HE.
More details at:

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/using_technology_to_enhance_learning

More Effective Learning in Laboratories

Wednesday 17th November 2010,
CELS, Nottingham Trent University.

No registration fee for this meeting for those working in UK HE.

More information and booking at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/more_effective_learning_in_labs

Combining text and visual features for information retrieval

ICCS/HCRC Seminar Series,Dina Demner-Fushman
http://www.iccs.inf.ed.ac.uk/seminars/

DATE: 22 October 2010 - 11am

4.31/33, Informatics Forum
10 Crichton Street

Portobello book festival

Fri 8th Oct - Sun 10th Oct.

Childrens events, family history, food, fitba' and Ian Rankin.

More from the website at:
http://www.portobellobookfestival.co.uk

Modelling in physics: getting our students to think like physicists

20th October 2010,
Higher Education Academy,
York

Contributions (25-30 min talk with time for discussion) to the workshop are invited. Contact David Sands by emailing, d.sands -at- hull.ac.uk

There is no registration fee for this meeting for those working in UK HE.

Registration is available online at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/modelling_in_physics

IMCIC 2011 - extended submission date

extended submission deadline for The 2nd International Multi-Conference on Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics: IMCIC 2011, (March 27th - 30th, 2011 - Orlando, Florida, USA) which will be held jointly with The SPRING 5th International Conference on Knowledge Generation, Communication and Management: KGCM 2011

The extended submission deadline, for both conferences, is October 13th, 2010. Check the conference web site for the other deadlines.

http://www.2011iiisconferences.org/IMCIC

Main Library - Centre for the History of the Book Seminars, autumn 2010

1-2pm.
Meet at the Centre for Research Collections' reception - level 6, Main Library.

Everyone welcome. No booking required.

Tuesday 21 September
Michael Turnbull - "Rosslyn Chapel: New Perspectives"

Friday 8 October
Jonathan Wild (University of Edinburgh) - "The Edwardian Literary Scene"

Friday 22 October
Brian Hillyard (National Library of Scotland) - "Ruddiman's Printing Business"

Friday 12 November
Elizabeth Henderson (University of St. Andrews) - "Brothers in Benefaction: Scot of Scotstarvit and Drummond of Hawthornden"

Friday 26 November
Alison Wiggins (University of Glasgow) - "Bess of Hardwick's Letters (1522-1608): material readings and editing online"

Friday 10 December
Andrew Wiseman (University of Edinburgh) - "A' Cur Clach air a' Chàrn: The Scottish Gaelic Texts Society (1934-2009)"

Ninth UK e-Science All Hands Meeting (AHM 2010)

13-16 September 2010,
City Hall,
Cardiff.

More information from the website at:
http://www.allhands.org.uk/registration

Wiley journals etc online

The publishers Wiley's website was upgraded recently. Wiley have taken it down at the time of writing (10:35 Tuesday 10th August) to fix some glitches.

Impact Factors - 2009

The 2009 Journal Citation Report is now available on Web of Knowledge.

Click the big red button.

Link to Web of Knowledge from the "W" list at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/databases-a-z

Display of little books - Main Library

Tiny and created by artists from all over the world. They have been collected into a travelling exhibition by the University of Akron, Ohio, and this week a representative selection of them is in Edinburgh

The miniature books are on display in the CRC on the Sixth Floor of the Main Library, until Tuesday 20th July, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Government and research policy guide from the RIN

Government and research policy in the UK: an introduction

Describes the nature, roles and responsibilities of the different Government bodies involved in research policy and funding, and the relationships between them. We hope that it will help researchers and others to understand how policy is made and implemented in key areas such as research infrastructure, career development for researchers and funding.

Call for Papers - 6th IEEE International Conference on e-Science

December 7-10 2010,
QUT, Brisbane, Australia

For more information, closing dates etc, see

http://www.escience2010.org

Sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society's Technical Committee for Scalable Computing (TCSC), the conference will be structured around a number of e-Science themes:

1. Arts, Humanities and e-Social Science
2. Bioinformatics and Health
3. Physical Sciences and Engineering
4. Climate & Earth Sciences
5. Research Tools, Workflow and systems, novel infrastructure
6. Digital Repositories and Data Management
7. Education and e-Science practice

It is expected that the proceedings will be published by the IEEE Computer Society Press, USA and will be made available online through the IEEE Digital Library.


http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/databases-a-z

Turning a resource into an Open Education Resource (OER) Briefing Paper

The UK Physical Sciences Centre has produced a briefing paper giving advice on how to turn pre-existing resources into open resources that can be shared and therefore reused by others.

The briefing paper is available to download:

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/ps/documents/briefing_papers/oer.pdf

What is the value of science blogging for public engagement

Wednesday 18th August 2010
Swann Room
22-26 George Street

Edinburgh Beltane breakfast personal development and networking event.
Starts at 8:30am with free breakfast/coffee.

Presentation 08:45-09:30 - Ken MacLeod and David Shenk

"The primary focus of this seminar is blogging, not science communication"

The last event was over-subscribed.
http://bloggingbreakfast.eventbrite.com/

Robertson Library move to JCM Building

Roberston Library closes this evening at 5pm and will be closed for two weeks whilst stock is moved to space in the JCM Building.

More information, including about services at this time at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/about/news/robertson-library-moving

JISC Legal Monthly - June

Legal Guidance for ICT Use in Education and Research, at:
http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/Newsletter.aspx
choose the pdf option if you don't want to register.

Contents include and has more on:

In the Queen's speech, the Freedom Bill is described as a new piece of legislation to return freedoms to the general public and repeal previous complex and unnecessary laws...These significant recommended changes will be of direct relevance to FE and HE institutions.

A dispute over copyright has arisen between a professor and his former employer, Newcastle University...staff working in HE and FE to check the copyright policy in their institutions and, when negotiating copyright ownership, to ensure the agreed terms are clear and contained in their written contract of employment.

The Digital Economy Act 2010 was given royal assent late on Thursday, 8 April 2010...The latest version sees file-sharers accused of infringing copyright having their internet connections suspended, through ‘blocking injunctions’ without the opportunity to be heard before a court...consequences for internet providers including universities, colleges and libraries...another amendment...relating to ‘orphaned works’, where the copyright owner cannot be legitimately traced, has been dropped completely.

LeAP Summer Workshop on Problem Based Learning

"Experiencing PBL",
12th -14th July 2010,
University of Leicester

The Physics Innovations Centre for Excellence (piCETL) would like to invite you to the eighth annual problem-based learning Summer Workshop which is suitable for anyone engaged or thinking of becoming engaged in PBL.

Closing date for registrations is 20th June 2010

Please see the web site at:
http://physics.le.ac.uk/PBLSummerSchool/

Maths and Stats in Higher Education over the next 10 years

CETL-MSOR Conference 2010 -
Continuing Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2020 Vision: Maths and Stats in Higher Education over the next 10 years,
6-7th September,
University of Birmingham

To promote, explore and disseminate effective practice and research findings in Mathematics and Statistics teaching, learning, support and assessment.

Abstracts for all types of submissions by Friday 4th June 2010 using the online form at:
http://www.mathstore.ac.uk/index.php?pid=277

Outreach in Collaboration III: The CELS Celebration event

8th July 2010,
Nottingham Trent University

Learn more about how to develop and deliver high quality Outreach Science, Technology Engineering or Mathematics activities with schools and colleges.

More details at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/outreach_in_collaboration_iii

Physics Higher Education Conference (PHEC)

9th – 10th September 2010,
University of Strathclyde
Deadline for abstract submission – 25th June

More information at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/phec_2010

WoK - upgrade with disruption day

Upgrade on Sunday 16 May
commencing 14.00 BST

There may be disruptions to service throughout the day until the upgrade is completed.

Powerpoint slides for information on the upgrades and information on the upgrade to the new prototype WoK version 5.1 and also a preview of future updates at:
http://wok.mimas.ac.uk/support/documentation/presentations/wosecmay2010.ppt

Give the new version a go via the link on the WoK screen (top right). Get there from:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/databases-a-z

Evidence-informed Quality Improvement Programme (EQUIP)

EQUIP is a new programme from the Higher Education Academy that will help individual higher education institutions to identify, understand and resolve key issues affecting the quality and effectiveness of the student learning experience.

UK HEIs are invited to submit project proposals for EQUIP by Wednesday 30 June 2010.

The full guidance notes and proposal form can be downloaded from:
http://tinyurl.com/EQUIP-details.

Developing Professional Skills for Physicists

12th May 2010,
University of Durham

Online registration closes 4th May.

A workshop organised jointly by the Physical Sciences Centre and the Institute of Physics (IOP) Higher Education Group (HEG) on developing professional and employability skills in all levels of students.


The meeting will have input both from employers and the academic community. There is no registration fee for those working in UK HE. Website for registration details: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/developing_professional_skills_for_physicists

Research Excellence Framework – consultation outcomes

The four UK higher education funding bodies have announced the outcomes of the recent consultation on the new Research Excellence Framework:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/HEFCE/2010/ref.htm

New CLA Guidance for HE

http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=243&id=1334

The CLA Higher Education Copyright Licence Operation Working Group has issued a Good Practice Guide for higher education in the creation of course packs. The guidance includes illustrations of good and questionable practice. There is an explanation of the aims of the licence and information on what to do when in doubt.

Full pdf document at: http://www.cla.co.uk/data/pdfs/he/he_good_practice_guide.pdf.

YouTube - speech recognition software

Every single YouTube video with English language audio can now support captioning created by speech recognition software thus improving the sites accessibility for videos. More details from the Out-Law website at:
http://www.out-law.com/page-10815.

YouTube item
Googleblog item

User generated content online
http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=243&id=1298

Amendment to clause 17 of the Digital Economy Bill could lead to entire sites being forced offline if it becomes law. The Bill is designed to combat digital copyright infringement and is planned to be hastily pushed through the legislative process before an April election...potentially, entire sites like YouTube could be forced offline reports the Guardian. This could lead to further legal challenges for institutions providing internet services and using user generated content sites. For the full article, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/05/digital-economy-bill-pushed-through

ASCUS: Art Science Collaborative

Thursday 1st April 2010, 6-7 pm
Wee Red Lounge, Edinburgh College of Art (above the Wee Red Bar)

Hamer Dodds will discuss his experience as a scientist and artist and introduce some of his recent work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh and the Wolfson College, Oxford. In his work he examines flows and relationships in the organic world, how science is visualised and what rules pertain to these visualisations.

Hamer Dodds - http://www.hamerdodds.com/

ASCUS website - http://www.ascus.org.uk
Ning site: http://enlightened-ideas.ning.com/group/theartcollective

Plus group on Facebook where future events are advertised.

Physics Higher Education Conference (PHEC)

9th – 10th September 2010,
University of Strathclyde

Contributions are invited in the following categories:

Workshops - 2 hour workshop sessions of groups of 15-20 participating in activities designed to enhance student learning or related to other aspects of teaching and learning.

Oral Communications - 10 minute papers followed by discussion (5 mins max).

Oral Bytes - 5 minute accounts of new ideas, novel approaches or new resources. May describe work in progress or be used to identify potential collaborators. (Three PowerPoint slides maximum).


Deadline for offers - 25th June 2010.
Further details and online registration at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/phec_2010

Main Library forum exhibition - CERN's Large Hadron Collider

Tuesday 30th March: 8am-5pm
Wednesday 31st March: 9am-5pm

Hands-on physics exhibition in the Main Library celebrating the start of the Large Hadron Collider research programme. Possible screenings of live broadcasts from CERN but definately with accessible displays and demos illuminating aspects of physics related to the LHC.

Main Library:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/main-library

Inspec feedback - free gift

IET want customer views on Inspec.

Inspec is bibliographic database for finding academic publications on physics and related research topics (1000s of journals and conference procs, controlled vocabulary, etc, etc...)

Online questionnaire took me 2mins at:

http://web.questback.com/isa/qbv.dll/SQ?q=9LgvIksKS36rmUWewIcmaexuIh9Yo%2B1E
8nauud3qxajWyw%3D%3D

We buy access to Inspec through Engineering Village (EiVillage2).

Go to:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/databases-a-z
(then to I...)

Gift = first 250 respondents will be sent a complimentary 1 GB USB stick (need to add your contact details).

iPhone App - Institute of Physics

Browse, find, view IoP Publications from the past two years on IOPscience express iPhone application:
http://iopscience.iop.org/page/express

Maths for scientists meeting: Looking forward

Wednesday 26th May 2010,
Loughborough University

The next meeting of the maths for chemistry SIG will be a meeting open to all sciences with parallel sessions specific for physics and chemistry.

No registration fee for this meeting for those working in UK HE and lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Register for this event online:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/maths_for_scientists

Teaching concepts in the physical sciences through computer-based modelling

April 29, 2010

More details at:

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/computer_based_modelling

Beacons for Public Engagement Initiative - survey UK higher education staff, and researchers

The Beacons for Public Engagement (BPE) initiative was launched by the UK Higher Education Funding Councils, Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust in January 2008.

Through building on and refining existing work and development of new practice, the initiative aims to:

* Encourage a change in HE culture as regards engaging with the public.
* Support the development of public engagement across all subject areas and activities.

There are six Beacons for Public Engagement including "Edinburgh Beltane" (Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh Napier, UHI Millennium Institute, Edinburgh College of Art, Queen Margaret)

This survey is to identify any changes in perceptions relating to public engagement and is for all staff working in UK higher education institutions or UK research institutes or centres.


http://www.oakleighsurveys.co.uk/bpe2010/

Available Monday 15th February to Friday 2nd April 2010.

Maths for scientists meeting

26th May 2010,
Loughborough University

Informal meeting to allow participants to hear about developments in pre-university mathematics and also allow the sharing of approaches, resources and concerns.

No registration fee for this meeting for those working in UK HE; lunch and refreshments will be provided. More information at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/maths_for_scientists

Developing Professional Skills for Physicists

12th May 2010,
University of Durham

A workshop organised jointly by the Physical Sciences Centre and the Institute of Physics (IOP) Higher Education Group (HEG).

The meeting will have input both from employers and the academic community.
There is no registration fee for those working in UK HE; lunch and refreshments will be provided.
More information at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/developing_professional_skills_for_physicists

Physics Higher Education Conference (PHEC)

9th – 10th September 2010,
University of Strathclyde

The deadline for offers of workshops and oral presentations is 25th June 2010.
More information at:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/events/detail/2010/phec_2010

Royal Society Education Research Fellowships 2010

Supported by The Ogden Trust and The Company of Actuaries Charitable Trust, the Royal Society to launch a new Education Research Fellowship scheme that seeks to improve the quality of educational research and practice in the UK.

The Ogden Trust will support a Fellowship in the field of physics education research.

The Company of Actuaries Charitable Trust will support a Fellowship in the field of mathematics education research.

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 18 March 2010.
More information at
http://www.royalsociety.org

Crayola® Crayon Chronology

Blizzard Blue was retired in 2003 but Inch Worm made it in. Prussian Blue had to change to Midnight Blue in 1958 but what about Indian Red and Flesh?

Crayola® Crayon Chronology

Symposium - Functional Nanoscience

17th - 21st May, 2010
Hotel Schloss Korb
Bozen/Bolzano
Italy

Limited number of participants (ca. 50-60).

Further general information, the scientific program, the first circular and the registration form at:
www.beilstein-institut.de

Registration open ASIS&T Summit - Research Data Access and Preservation

Research Data Access and Preservation
http://www.asis.org/Conferences/IA10/ResearchDataAccessSummit2010.html

April 9-10, 2010
Phoenix, AZ
Hyatt Regency
In cooperation with the Coalition for Networked Information

Aims to bring together leaders in data centers, laboratories, and libraries in different organizational and disciplinary settings to share ideas and techniques for managing, preserving, and sharing large-scale research data repositories with an eye toward achieving infrastructure-independent access and stewardship.

Demo of British Standards Online (BSOL) database

What?
Demo of the new British Standards Online Interface (at https://bsol.bsigroup.com )

Where?
Seminar room, Robertson Engineering & Science Library, KB Centre, King's Buildings

When?
2 - 3pm, Wednesday 27th January

Who?
Owen Gardiner from the British Standards Institute will give the demo

Please contact Jenny.Lauder -at- ed.ac.uk for further details.

Graduates for the 21st Century - Heriot-Watt

7th annual Enhancement Themes Conference,
2-3rd March 2010,
Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University

The focus of this year's conference will be the current Scottish higher education Enhancement Theme, 'Graduates for the 21st Century: Integrating the Enhancement Themes'.

Call for Contributions

Details about the conference and the call for proposals can be found on the Enhancement Themes website:
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/Conference/Default.asp.

University of Edinburgh IS - Server Virtualisation Meeting

There will be a half-day Open (University of Edinburgh staff) Meeting on Server Virtualisation:

Date: Thursday 28 January 2010
Time: 1400-1700
Venue: Informatics Forum, Crichton St

There is considerable interest around the University in having a centrally-provided virtualisation service, which would host virtual servers on behalf of Schools. The purpose of this meeting is to gauge interest in such a service, to understand the most important requirements which a service should satisfy, and to develop ideas of how the service would be structured and governed.

The emphasis will be on the principles around governance and business models and the strategic decisions which need to be made in developing a service.

Booking via MyEd:
http://tinyurl.com/ye8sufq

New for EUL - British Library Archival Sound Recordings

Includes bird and other wildlife recordings. Also music recordings and historical and geographical related recordings too.

An entry will be added to the Library's databases page list at http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/resources/databases/findlita.shtml

In the meantime:

Go to http://sounds.bl.uk/
Select the red log in link at the top right of the page.
Select University of Edinburgh from drop down menu.
Enter your EASE details if requested.

The terms of use are outlined here - http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/terms/index.html