kiz Newsletter 06/2024
Dear readers!
This summer is full of learning and research. Parties at the lake have been cancelled so far and it's often too cold to go swimming. The only thing that can help is reading and learning: we will inform you about innovations in e-media: e.g. a new interface for Wiley textbooks (classics of the natural sciences) or the activation of all e-ref medical textbooks in Thieme's via medici.
You will receive tips on how to prevent predatory publishing on the redesigned Open Access websites of the kiz.
Have you already tested the app for Ulm University's newly launched education portal?
Until August, take advantage of the extended evening opening hours for concentrated learning in the study rooms of the library centre and the conversion of the student administration to the new campus portal, which is also making progress in the area of the portal for doctoral students and research management...
We wish you a successful semester!
Your kiz PR team
Topics of this newsletter
Campus & Business
New information from the campus portal project
The most important news first: the migration of student administration to the new campus portal was successfully completed on schedule on 7 May 2024. All student data was gradually transferred from the old to the new system. During the changeover of student administration, the old and new campus portals were unavailable or only available to a limited extent for a fortnight. Once the new campus portal has been opened, students will be able to download verifiable study certificates (e.g. for BAföG), change their address or view the semester fees paid and to be paid for the coming semester. The teams at the Student Administration Office and kiz worked hard to ensure that the changeover could be carried out without any major surprises.
Not all of the targets set for applications and admissions were achieved. Unexpected difficulties in transferring data from uni-assist to Campusportal delayed the scheduled implementation.
At the same time, work was carried out to set up a portal for doctoral candidates and prospective doctoral candidates. In the second half of the year, prospective doctoral candidates will be able to apply online for acceptance as a doctoral candidate in the new campus portal and their enrolment will be processed using the system. The doctoral secretariats and supervisors will then also be able to view and process applications via the portal.
The student statistics and doctoral student statistics for the current reporting year are to be compiled for the first time in the new campus portal with HISinOne Business Intelligence.
Preparations are underway in Research Management to launch the first stage of productive operation. The first user groups are expected to be able to create the third-party funding notification in the campus portal in late autumn. This should simplify the process and make it more transparent.
Scientific information services
New features for e-media
DEAL Participations Springer and Wiley
On our website for Open Access (OA) funding at Ulm University, you will find a continuously updated overview of the current OA funding conditions and contract participations. Following the DEAL participation with the publisher Elsevier announced in the last newsletter, the existing DEAL contracts with Springer and Wiley have also been extended from 2024.
All details on the two agreements can be found on the website:
Open Access (OA) funding at Ulm University
Please note that author participation is still required for articles in full/gold open access journals.
We strongly recommend that authors inform themselves about the funding conditions of the respective journal prior to submission in case of uncertainty.
To simplify publication processes, the Ulm University Medical Center has now been included in the contract as an affiliated institution for the Springer publishing house in addition to Elsevier and Wiley.
Contact:
oa(at)uni-ulm.de
+49(0)731 / 50-15476
Heise+
Since 2024, heise plus has been available to Ulm University for a limited number of simultaneous users. The content can be read via the following link from the campus network: https://www.heise.de/plus
Wiley Textbooks Online
The Wiley textbooks were switched to a new platform for the 2024 summer semester. The new platform VitalSource offers a much more pleasant reading experience than the previous platform Ciando. The following titles are available:
All textbook titles can also be searched in the library catalogue.
Springer E-Books Psychology 2024
The German package of Springer e-books for psychology is available for the publication years 2019-2023. Titles with copyright year 2024 have now been added to the portfolio. As this is the frontlist, new publications 2024 in this package will be added to the catalogue on an ongoing basis. All titles can be searched via the library catalogue.
Elsevier German Medical Collection (Urban&Fischer) 2023 & 2024
The popular medical e-books from the Elsevier imprint Urban&Fischer have been supplemented by two further volumes 2023 & 2024. The 2024 frontlist is continuously listed in the library catalogue from the date of publication. This means that Urban&Fischer e-books on medicine are available on ScienceDirect from 2017 onwards.
Relaunch of the Open Access topic page
The kiz bundles all information on the topic of Open Access on a dedicated website with a corresponding short link: https://uni-ulm.de/open-access. The relaunch of the site focussed on making the content accessible and appealing for mobile use. To achieve this, text was shortened and informative graphics and image elements were used. A central contact button now bundles all the information about the contact persons on a new subpage. A special focus is placed on the topic of "predatory publishing", which now has its own subpage, providing strategies - from copyright infringements to reputational damage caused by identity theft with the help of AI.
Medical students: Switch to Thieme via medici campus licence
The Faculty of Medicine, together with the kiz, is now making Thieme's via medici available as a cross-linking and learning tool for students of human medicine. An extension of the licence for dentistry is being examined.
As part of the campus licence, the learning and crossing portal via medici from Thieme can be used completely free of charge. There are no additional fees and the product includes unlimited cross-referencing.
For students
Via medici includes the following contents, among others:
- Thousands of interactive learning modules for the entire degree programme in human medicine
- Flexible sorting of the learning modules according to subjects, organ systems, main symptoms and the curriculum for medical studies in Ulm
- Over 35,000 original IMPP exam questions for unlimited ticking
- More than 120 up-to-date electronic Thieme textbooks (including the PROMETHEUS Learning Atlas of Anatomy and the books in the Dual Series), as well as specialist journals
- Hundreds of case studies and visual diagnoses, interactive learning courses
- Media centre with illustrations and videos
- 3D anatomy models
Instructions for activating the campus licence can be found here:
https://viamedici.thieme.de/landing-page/inhalte-freischalten
Download Product-Flyer for students (german)
Students who have already taken out a private subscription to via medici can apply for a refund via the Thieme contact form at viamedici.thieme.de/kontakt, stating the university and the e-mail address of the account.
For lectures
As part of the campus licence, you can also use Thieme's teaching and learning portal via medici, including the lecturer function, free of charge.
In via medici you will find specific functions for lecturers in addition to the content, which you can also use:
Blended learning with via medici
With the intuitive lecturer navigation, you can map your courses in via medici and provide your students with specific content to prepare and follow up on the desired topics. The content from via medici can be combined with your own teaching materials and other external content. You work in a personal area and can release your courses exclusively to the desired students via a password-protected URL of your choice.
You can also use a shared lecturer area with colleagues to create courses together.
Knowledge chek
In via medici kreuzen, you can put together specific IMPP question sessions on a defined topic for your students to test their knowledge.
Use of the Thieme image database
As part of the campus licence, members of Ulm University can use over 40,000 detailed illustrations (including PROMETHEUS) in their teaching - with integrated PowerPoint export and automatic, legally secure citation.
Instructions for activating the campus licence including the lecturer functions can be found here:
https://viamedici.thieme.de/landing-page/inhalte-freischalten-dozierende
Download Product flyer for lectures (german)
Upgrade from OPARU to the latest DSpace version
In February 2024, the open access repository of Ulm University and Ulm University of Applied Sciences OPARU was updated to the latest version DSpace 7. DSpace is the most widely used open source software for repositories in the academic sector worldwide. Due to the major technical changes that the new version brings with it, the upgrade was associated with corresponding preparatory work.
The new version offers a completely new interface and a new, more intuitive user interface to improve the user experience. For example, when submitting your publication, you now enter all relevant data on just one page.
If you have any questions, please contact our helpdesk.
Training portal of Ulm University
In spring 2024, Ulm University launched a new portal for further education and training.
The portal brings together all the attractive courses offered by ProTrainU, the ZLE, the Equal Opportunities Department, the ZUV and kiz in one place. This makes it possible to see the available topics at a glance and significantly simplifies the selection of courses. The training portal will also be available via an app.
At kiz, registration for courses still takes place via Moodle. In addition, the large further education and training platform LinkedIn Learning continues to be licensed and made available by kiz.
Library use
Extended opening hours during exam preparation
Large reading room, individual workstations, work booths, group work, printers and scanners, vending machine cafeteria, chill zone
From 15th of June to 9th of August 2024, the Central Library and its reading room will be open as follows
| Mo - Do | 08 - 22 h |
| Fr | 08 - 20 h |
| Sa + So | 10 - 20 h |
The newly established Helmholtzstr. 18 learning centre is open as follows:
| Mo - Fr | 08 - 16 h |
Take advantage of the pleasant learning atmosphere in the library building at
University West and in the faculty building (MaWi) in Helmholtzstr. 18!
We wish all students who are studying for their exams the best of luck!
