Eddy Verbaan

The multicultural society in the Netherlands: technology-supported inquiry-based learning in an inter-institutional context

Since 2003, a collaborative teaching project ‘The Multicultural Society in the Netherlands’ has been running with increasing levels of success. This project links Dutch Studies students at Sheffield with students at University College London to pursue a collaborative inquiry into issues of migration and multiculturalism. Cross-institutional student groups use a Virtual Learning Environment to prepare a joint report, including a number of statements for discussion. The project culminates in a videoconference, where each group chairs a discussion based on their background reading, reports, and statements. This paper aims to share the experience gained in inquiry-based learning in an inter-institutional project that uses technology to facilitate collaboration. It shows not only some of the advantages of a project like this, but it also highlights the need for thorough student preparation, effective tutor moderation and a well organised, aligned inter-institutional learning context.

Research Data Management as a “wicked problem”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the usefulness of the concept to thinking about Research Data Management (RDM). The concept of “wicked problems” seeks to differentiate very complex, intractable challenges from tamer issues where approaches to problem solving are well-understood. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on and co-authored by a collaboration of practitioners from libraries, information technology and research administration, with facilitators from the Sheffield Information School. Participants worked together in two-day-long workshops to understand the wicked problem concept and advice on leadership in wicked problem contexts. Findings – Participants concurred that RDM had many features of a wicked problem and most of Grint’s advice on leadership for wicked problems also resonated. Some elements of the issue were simple; participants were optimistic about improving the situation over time. Participants were resistant to the more negative or fatalistic connotations of the phrase “wicked problem”. Viewing RDM as a wicked problem is an interesting way of looking at it as a challenge for support professionals. Practical implications – The notion of a wicked problem is a generative concept that can be usefully added to professional vocabulary. Originality/value – The paper captures an in-depth response from practitioners to the notion of wicked problems as a lens for examining RDM.

Collaboration or Competition? Responses to Research Data Management in UK Higher Education by Librarians, IT Professionals, and Research Administrators

Purpose. Effective Research Data Management (RDM) has become an increasing concern in UK universities as a result of being mandated by research funders. The study uncovered how librarians, IT staff and research administrators viewed support of RDM and how they thought roles would be distributed amongst them. It used Abbott’s theory of the professions as a way of conceptualising the underlying dynamics. Methodology: Data was collected through 20 semi-structured interviews with staff in the Library, IT Services and Research Office of a research intensive university of middling size in Northern England. Findings: The different professional services viewed RDM differently. Broadly speaking, IT focussed on short term data storage; the research office on compliance and research quality; librarians on preservation and advocacy. The Library was the only department claiming a new jurisdiction in RDM. The other departments claimed to be short of resources to take on such a complex project. Some interviewees feared RDM might be a “poisoned chalice”. Research implications: Abbott’s (1988) concept of jurisdiction is a useful lens on how RDM services are emerging. Originality/value: The paper offers an early perspective on how support of RDM is being developed, from a theory of the professions perspective.

‘It was prompted by the narrowness of the Lang-Lit idea’: an interview with Peter King

Abstract Peter King held the Chair in Modern Dutch Studies at the University of Hull between 1976 and 1987. This interview with him concentrates on the origins and principles of the undergraduate degree programme with the same name.

Cornucopian paradises. Recent city histories in historical perspective

Abstract Over the last ten years more than ten academic histories of Dutch cities have appeared. Several more projects are on their way. This article examines this phenomenon from a social point of view and puts it in the context of its seventeenth- century predecessors, emphasizing their function as promoting social cohesion within the urban community.