IGNOU Making Online Database of Experts

New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU’s) National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education (NCIDE) is preparing a comprehensive database of experts. Those experts may be interested to be associated with various academic activities of the university such as course writing, editing, translating, question paper setting, moderation or evaluation.

Also, in order to serve the purpose, the university has developed a software namely e-Resource of Experts which helps in online database creation and management. It will also be useful for the faculty of IGNOU as well as for the experts.

IGNOU's e-Resource of Experts has three modules including Data Entry Module, Data Access Module and Data Editing Module.

Data Entry Module is open for all. Any subject expert, who thinks that he/she can contribute for the aforesaid causes of IGNOU, can submit his/her profile online. There is also a provision of updating the profiles. The experts can update or modify their profile any time just by using their user ID and password generated at the time of registration.

Data Access Module has restricted access for the IGNOU officials only. The authorized IGNOU faculty and staff can access the e-Resources of Experts to search for an expert by name, subject area, specialisation or location etc.

Data Editing Module has restricted access for the administrator only for generating different types of lists of the experts. The administrator can add and update profile of an expert from time to time.

Dr. O.P. Sharma, Deputy Director, NCIDE, IGNOU, has said that besides being highly user friendly for the experts, faculty, staff and the administrator, the e-Resource of Experts has certain features such as anybody from anywhere can upload his/her profile anytime, the profile of an expert can be updated from time to time by the expert as well as by the administrator. He also said that it provides facility to search for an expert by name, subject area of specialization or location and also gives a quick view of subject wise list of experts. He also added that users can also view the complete profile of an expert for detailed information.

Moreover, as per sources, all the profiles received can be scrutinized by the concerned faculty and the list of suitable experts may be generated online. Any expert who wants to join hands, can submit his/her profile online by clicking the button 'e-Resource of Experts',  given on the home page of IGNOU's website www.ignou.ac.in . They should ensure that the information they provide is accurate. However, IGNOU reserves the right not to consider an expert to work in IGNOU which it believes has furnished wrong details or it finds it to be misleading or unsuitable for the University.