DART: a new missile in Australia's e-research strategy

Purpose-The aim of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the evolution of a new e-research paradigm and to outline key projects and developments in Europe, North America, Canada and Australia. The article also provides a detailed summary of the Dataset Acquisition, Accessibility and Annotation e-Research Technology (DART) project. Design/methodology/approach-A review of relevant government reports, documents and general literature was conducted. Findings-Projects currently being conducted in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia are part of an international movement that aims to use modem ICTs to enhance e-research. The DART project is a significant part of this movement as it has adopted a whole process approach to e-research, and provides a platform for the examination of the technical, legal and policy issues that arise in the new e-research environment. Originality/value-Provides an overview of current projects that concern the development of e-research, with a particular focus on Australian research and the DART project.