About ReStore

The delivery of technology-enhanced learning is of increasing relevance to the training and development of researchers in the social sciences. Online resources not only provide a valuable personal development resource for researchers unable to participate in face-to-face training, but also provide an important repository of social science knowledge. There has been a considerable ESRC investment in online resources through initiatives such as the Research Methods Programme (RMP), the Researcher Development Initiative (RDI), Quantitative Methods Initiative (QMI) and the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM).

 

Who we are

The ReStore team are a group of social scientists, researchers, developers and academicians primarily involved in the restoration and maintenance of ESRC funded online resources in the ReStore repository site.

 

What we do

The ReStore project aims to

  1. Build a prototype of a service for sustaining online resources
  2. Establish a service to sustain online resources in the field of research methods
  3. Lead the development of a long-term strategy for ESRC in sustaining on-line resources.

 

Approach

Web resources for inclusion in ReStore are selected through academic and technical reviews, which ensure high quality and technical robustness of the resources. The review processes have been developed by the ReStore team in consultation with the ReStore Advisory Group.

The web resources that are selected for maintenance are transferred to a supported web architecture on the National Centre for Research methods (NCRM) server for ongoing support. When necessary, external service providers are commissioned to do the required work if the original resource author(s) and ReStore team are unable to update the content or technology. To ensure the sustained nature of the resources, all resources within ReStore service are subject to further update reviews by regular intervals.


Contact us

If your ESRC project is creating an online resource and you are considering sustaining the resource beyond the projected end date, please get in touch with NCRM External Relations & Resources Officer. Alternatively, you can write to us by post or contact us through our online form should you have any feedback or suggestion about anything on this site.