An innovative ‘all-in-one’ search engine allowing users to access nine online databases, containing more than 13 million records, relating to film, television and radio content has been launched by Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL) and the British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC) thanks to funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under the Digital Equipment and Database enhancement for Impact (DEDEFI) programme.
The BUFVC federated search environment will allow researchers to search all collections from a single entry point and easily view collated results through a clean design and user-friendly icons. The interactive online research tools offer ‘human-friendly’ result filters, intelligently generated ‘related records & searches’, and have a detailed user history and export function.
Increasing quantities of archive film, television and radio content are now available, but the content is usually delivered as stand-alone collections, with users needing to know where to look before they begin their research. The BUFVC federated search environment will transform moving image and sound resource discovery by replacing the need for researchers to locate and access various databases and collections through multiple channels.
The BUFVC federated search environment benefited from extensive user testing by researchers, teaching support staff, librarians and academics.
Dr Ciara Chambers, a Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Ulster, and user tester for the project said:
‘The platform reminded me of the range of useful resources available while also presenting unusual connections, thus highlighting the transformative power of BUFVC resources which both facilitate current research and inspire new avenues of exploration.’
The multi-purpose search engine and interface will be released under an open source licence this summer.
John Ellis, Principle Investigator and Professor of Media Arts, Royal Holloway UniversityLondon, said:
‘Moving image and sound are an underused resource in teaching and research. Educators are keen to use them, but experience many problems in locating useful resources. This unified search of all BUFVC's existing databases solves this by providing a thoroughly tested user-friendly interface with many novel features.’
Professor Shearer West, AHRC Director of Research said:
‘This project has been an excellent example of researchers collaborating together to ensure that the UK’s arts and humanities research base has continued and enhanced access to the latest digital technologies. The AHRC funding has meant that digital research outputs will remain at the cutting edge of technological developments and are compatible with requirements for long-term sustainability as well as having enhanced accessibility for as wide a range of audiences as possible’.
The BUFVC federated search environment can be found at http://beta.bufvc.ac.uk/
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For further information, please contact:
Jake Gilmore – + 44 (0) 1793 41 6021, j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk
Note to Editors:
British Universities Film & Video Council
The British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC) is a charity and membership organisation focused on promoting the production, study, use and knowledge of moving image, sound and related media within higher education, further education and research.
The BUFVC aims to enhance the teaching and learning experience of students and researchers by improving the access to and knowledge of film, television and radio content in education. It does this primarily through its comprehensive provision of databases, information (including copyright advice), publications, the off-air recordings back-up service and research.
The Council was founded in 1948 and has 258 members, representing 86% of all higher education institutions in the UK (2009-2010 statistics). http://bufvc.ac.uk/
Department of Media Arts, Royal Holloway, University of London
The Media Arts Department at Royal Holloway, University of London has been rated joint sixth in the UK for its research in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. It is one of the largest, top-rated departments in the country, offering a unique mix of media production and media theory and analysis. Departmental staff are internationally recognised experts in the fields of European and world cinema and, especially, British and American film and television. Our practice-based research benefits from close links with senior figures working in the media and creative industries. Our resources, both in equipment and material for study and research are among the best in the UK.
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Each year the AHRC provides approximately £100 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes hundreds of research awards ranging from individual fellowships to major collaborative projects as well as over 1,100 studentship awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.