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Continuing to Grow...
MyNetResearch continues to expand its membership rolls. The latest university to join MyNetResearch is Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla University (India).
Welcome to these new members. The MNR community is now over 3,600 members strong from 95 countries.
MNR Usage Tips
The MyNetResearch dashboard is screen that you view as you login into the system. It provides a summary of the following My Messages, My Projects and My News. You can view up to five of your most recent Inbox messages, your most active projects, and a selection of the most up-to-date research news feeds from your primary subject area. There are two main navigation bars on this screen: the Horizontal bar for the functional modules and Side bar for other details. You can return to this dashboard at any time by by clicking Home on the side bar.
Horizontal Bar: You can access 8 modules directly through this toolbar at any time
My Projects: Manage all projects you have created
Find Researcher: Allows you to search the global database of researchers
MessageCenter: Dedicated e-mail system that shows messages in your Inbox from other MyNetResearch members
My News: Provides members with the very latest research news across all disciplines
Blogs: Members can blog about various aspects of their lives, careers, and experiences
Forums: Allows dynamic discussion forums where research-related issues are discussed
Articles: 1-3 page opinion pieces written by members of the MyNetResearch community
My Toolbox: Provide six powerful tools to help in various stages of any research project [not available for free membership]
Side Bar: You can access the following options from the side bar regardless of the module you are in:
Home: MyNetResearch Dash board page
Upgrade/Renew Membership: Allows you to upgrade/renew membership with MyNetResearch
Invite a Friend: Allows you to invite to someone to join MyNetResearch
My Profile: Allows you to change your profile.
Wiki: User-led encyclopedia of research terms and their definitions
Jobs: Submit a job or Search the posted jobs
System Demo: Highlights how to use the system
Editorial Boards: List of Editorial and Advisory Board Members
The MNR Blog
Large laboratories vs. solo researchers
What is the better research model - individual scientists working alone or large research groups? Would it surprise anyone if the answer lay somewhere in the middle? As reported in a recent press release, “According to a novel theory by a Duke University engineer, the optimum situation appears to be a balance between the "many" and the "one." Institutions benefit the most from the co-existence of large groups that self organize naturally and lone scientists coming up with new ideas. The researcher, Adrian Bejan, J.A. Jones Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, argues that while the trend at major universities is the creation of large research groups focused on a particular problem, the individual researcher will not disappear. His analysis, which was supported by the National Science Foundation, appears in the December issue of the International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics.” (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/du-cos120408.php)
Many of the amazing discoveries of the past were the result of single scientists working alone. However, beginning in World War II and heightened by the space race in the late 1950s and 1960’s, large research labs became most popular and continue to be so today. “The more efficient laboratory model would be one that grows naturally, without dictates from above, Bejan said.”
MyNetResearch provides the vehicle to enact this flexibility. It is possible to coordinate a project publically with many collaborators within the MyNetResearch community, but there is also a way to keep files private, for solo research. Transfer of files from private to public for others also signed up with MyNetResearch is easy. Commenting on this blog post is easy: Log-in to MNR and then click on Blogs (for Premium/Institutional Users).
MNR Announcements
MNR University Representative
We continue to enlist University Representatives. As a representative, you will receive a free Premium membership during you appointment and there can be up to 2 appointees per university. You will be the local enthusiastic face of MNR at your institution, answering questions and sharing the benefits of MNR. You will also be able to funnel directly back feedback and suggestions to the MNR staff, thus helping to shape the future direction of the MNR community. Email admin@mynetresearch.com to take advantage of this chance to build your CV.
Discipline Specific Grant-Writing Forums
In the forums, organized by discipline, look out for Calls for Grants identified by our Grants Editor. New this week – list what is new. Each week, look in the discipline forums to find the Calls for Grants, together with ideas for possible proposals. Interested researchers who coalesce around a grant proposal will receive the assistance of a MyNetResearch facilitator, who will advise collaborators on grant proposals, provide grant templates, and even help with an initial review. Visit the forums often and look out for new information on grants.
Wiki Entries
The Wiki Entry Competition - $250 prize!
We will be giving away $250 for the best Wiki entry posted in MyNetesearch by December 31, 2008. The MyNetResearch Wiki is a member-created and managed collection of terminology and definitions from all the subject areas represented in the system. Unlike Wikipedia, the MyNetResearch Wiki is a narrower, but much deeper knowledge repository.
Multiple entries are allowed. We look forward to reading your Wiki entries and will announce the results by January 20th, 2009.
Tell Your Institutions - Build our Community
Finally, remember to share the availability of MyNetResearch with your Institutions. If you
have a contact Administrator who would like to chat with us
about MyNetResearch and a free trial site license, pass on their
information to us and we will be happy to call them.
Best
Regards from the MyNetResearch Team!! |
