Key Features of Research Portal for Stimulating Research in Institutions of Higher Technical Education
Author: Agarwal, Parul Dharmani
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technical Education,Higher Education,Foreign Countries,Developing Nations,Knowledge Management,Information Technology,Program Implementation,Internet,Search Engines,Research Utilization,Questionnaires,Research Methodology,Regression (Statistics),Educational Benefits,Curriculum Development,Factor Analysis

Problem Statement: The current higher learning institutions in developed countries have adapted to their changing role in a knowledge-based society It is time for developing countries like India to focus on Knowledge Management thus, the current study presents research undertaken in understanding the implication of Knowledge Management in the field of education in India. After analysing the need of Information and Communications TechnologiesICT for implementation of KM in Institutions of Higher Technical Education (IHTE) and identifying KM technologies, which academia felt could be leveraged to a greater extent, this study investigates the factors affecting the implementation and use of Knowledge Management technologies for enhancing research in IHTE. Problem statement: Realizing the importance and value of KM, the researcher has identified the key features to come out of a viable KM portal for enhancing research Institutions of Higher Technical Education Method: Data has been collected through a structured questionnaire given to 141 respondents covering 30 higher educational institutions in India, including both national as well as state level institutions. Designations of the targeted respondents in the IHTE have been categorized into two sections. The first one consists of management and senior academia, e.g. Professors, Associate Professors. These are considered to be the best addressees because they are the overseers of their institutions' operations and are likely to be the thought leaders of KM. The second section consists of assistant professors, lecturers, and research scholars who are using and also contributing to the KM system. Findings and Results: The results highlight that the academia supports the need for KM portal for research in IHTE. Three components of portal design as identified by academia of IHTE are: Research Initiation, Research Facilitation, and Research Commercialisation. A regression analysis further highlighted that there is a positive relationship between perceived benefits of research and Research Facilitation and Research Commercialisation. Based upon the above results, the portal has been designed for facilitating research in IHTE. Conclusions and Recommendations: The portal designed will facilitate the researchers in India as well as in other developed countries in identifying the new areas of research, avoiding duplication of research, and providing links of various funding agencies to support their research activities. Moreover, the portal will provide a platform for commercialising research. Thus, it is extremely important for IHTE to design a portal for simulating research activities, as research will not only enhance curriculum development but also help in enhancing the global image for the institution.