Designed for Emerald’s author and editor communities, InTouch places a range of collaborative technologies and social networking tools in one simple, easy-to-use, secure space. It can also link directly into the Emerald Management Xtra database so that users can search for articles, abstracts and research alongside InTouch blog posts, multimedia files and researcher profiles.
Amanda Briggs, Head of Research and Development at Emerald, says, “InTouch was developed with our research and contributor communities in mind. Online technologies have had a dramatic effect on the educational and learning environment and students regularly use informal social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook to communicate with their classmates. Now, Emerald authors and editors can take advantage of these technologies in a space that is designed specifically for the academic and business community – InTouch. Users can create online communities based around journals or research interests, share ideas and expertise with (and learn from) their peers. This service supports our commitment to building and facilitating communities around key management research areas.”
Emerald contributors can use InTouch to find out about forthcoming articles; create a personal blog; share research findings and collaborate on future projects.
As well as providing networking and collaboration services, InTouch also contains tools to support students, particularly in a distance learning setting.
Glenn Hardaker is Professor of Innovation Management at The University of Huddersfield and editor of Emerald’s Campus Wide Information Systems and Multicultural Education & Technology Journal. He has been working with Emerald to develop InTouch by introducing the service to support new students throughout their first term on his “ICT in Practice” degree course. Hardaker believes online services like InTouch “are changing the face of research collaboration and education. There are a variety of tools available; yet few currently offer such a range as InTouch in one single learner-centric space. Students can store files, blog, receive RSS feeds, record personal learning and reflection as well as communicate directly with their peers. InTouch supports the bridge between formal and informal learning.”
As Emerald seeks to enhance this service in line with the needs of its users over coming months, an online focus group will be assembled to provide regular feedback. To join this group, please contact Anna Torrance, InTouch Market Manager (atorrance@emeraldinsight.com)
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About InTouch
InTouch is built on the Elgg learning landscape and is hosted by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Academic and corporate organisations can purchase a personalised, branded version of InTouch for use within their own institution. For further information please contact: Anna Torrance, Market Manager (atorrance@emeraldinsight.com)
About Emerald
Established in 1967, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd is the world’s leading publisher of management journals and databases. Emerald celebrates 40 years of publishing excellence in 2007. Consistently ranked at 98% in customer satisfaction surveys, Emerald was voted “Best Customer Support” by readers of The Charleston Advisor. Emerald is COUNTER-compliant, meeting the international code of practice for reports that allow clients to measure usage of online information products and services in a consistent manner.
Emerald publishes over 190 titles, 93% of which are peer-reviewed. Titles such as Management Decision, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Documentation, Library Hi-Tech, Journal of Knowledge Management, Industrial Management and Data Systems and The TQM Magazine are published by Emerald along with a core collection of library and information science journals. 36 Emerald journals are now ranked by Thomson Scientific (formerly ISI) – an important indicator of their high quality within the research community.
The Emerald online collection of journals, abstracts and resources, Emerald Management Xtra, is designed for business schools and management departments worldwide. For managers in corporate and public organisations, Emerald Management First provides fast and friendly access to applied research, ideas, insights and interviews from the world’s best management thinkers.
For further information please contact:
Catherine Dhanjal
TheAnswer Ltd
Tel: 01883 650434/0794 166 9925
Catherine.dhanjal@
