January - February 2016
- Details
- Category: Editorial
- Last Updated on Monday, 05 September 2016 06:24
- Written by Stavros Hatzopoulos PhD
- Hits: 7059
The last few months we had the opportunity to exchange some opinions on the possible directions the OAE Portal might take and whether we should introduce material geared for specific areas , showing a great expansion, such as India and Africa.
The material in the Portal was designed with the Hearing Scientist / Audiologist in mind . The last few years the FORUM space was opened to a greater non-professional public, but only this year we have realized that we need more information for the ordinary non professional people, mainly for families who seek information on hearing deficits and intervention strategies (hearing aids, rehab, cochlear implants, speech therapy approaches etc).
We STILL don't have a definite answer on how to assist this important category of users. Some colleagues of mine have suggested the separation of the material for professional and non-professional users , but this division is very artificial and personally I am against it. The Portal material has to be expanded .. and the task of the Portal user is to find it . Of course we need to make the exposure of non-technical material an easy process not buried in endless menus ... and although this seems very straight-forward .. it is difficult to implement easily.
It would be nice to hear your opinion in this issue, since the OAE Portal is a Open Access depository of Knowledge. It would be a great privilege for me and my collaborators to listen what you have to say.
And now, another important point:
We are seeking collaborators from areas where information is kind of difficult to get (India, Nothern, Central, & Southern Africa), so please if you reside in these areas drop us a line and tell us what you think about the information we provide in the Portal and how we can establish a connection / collaboration with you.