science

Vascoda

Vascoda is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vascoda rather than just read about it. In short: vascoda was, until 2011, a German web portal which offered access to scientific information in various disciplines. The name vascoda is often associated with the medieval explorer Vasco da Gama, as this implies the connotation of navigating the sea of information.

Key takeaways

Vascoda belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vascoda to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vascoda from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

vascoda was, until 2011, a German web portal which offered access to scientific information in various disciplines. The name vascoda is often associated with the medieval explorer Vasco da Gama, as this implies the connotation of navigating the sea of information. Initially, though, “vascoda“ is a made-up word created by an agency for naming and branding. vascoda is also a non-profit organization which offers support and coordination of its members’ subject portals.

vascoda

Portal The vascoda web portal offers access to information and full texts on various subjects through an integrative user interface. The searches can be performed within a certain subject or interdisciplinarily. Specialized subject portals can also be accessed directly via the vascoda portal. The vascoda portal and the integrated subject portals are set up and maintained by academic libraries and other information providers with an international reputation. These institutions provide content of high standard, parts of which cannot be found by standard web search engines. Access to the portal is free. However, for some of its services and resources a fee is required (pay-per-view). Furthermore, vascoda is connected to local library holdings and document delivery services. vascoda’s data are integrated into the WorldWideScience global science gateway.

Aim The aim of vascoda is to merge academic resources into a single well-structured integrative information service.

Supporting organization vascoda is a registered voluntary association with 42 members, which are mostly German libraries and other information providers. The association’s aim is to develop and maintain the interdisciplinary vascoda portal. The vascoda office is based in Hanover. The portal is technically run by the NRW Online Utility and Library Service Centre (hbz).

Subject portals integrated into vascoda The following subject portals are currently accessible through the vascoda portal. Parts of their data are integrated into the vascoda search (as of June 2009):

vascoda-related projects A number of projects and working groups focussing on certain aspects relevant to vascoda were financially supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) or the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Various institutions were in charge of these projects. Some examples are:

Functionality and operation of the vascoda portal Metadata, standards and questions of heterogeneity Coordination, marketing, quality assurance Content: rights, licences and business concepts Overall structures and tasks Shared authentication, authorization and permissions management Modelling and questions of heterogeneity Currently, the German Research Foundation supports the vascoda 2010 project. The project aims at improving and furthering the vascoda portal.

References

Bibliography vascoda – das interdisziplinäre Internetportal für wissenschaftliche Information. 10 Fragen von Bruno Bauer an Uwe Rosemann, Direktor der Technischen Informationsbibliothek Hannover und Sprecher des vascoda-Projekts. in: Medizin – Bibliothek – Information 2005; 5(3): 11–14 (Onlineversion pdf-Datei, 98 KB) Jens E. Wolff, Thomas Oerder: Das vascoda-Portal – barrierefreie Recherche in wissenschaftlichen Fachinformationen. (Proceedings of the 95. Deutscher Bibliothekartag, Dresden 2006). (Onlineversion pdf-datei, 934 KB) Philipp Mayr, Anne-Kathrin Walter: Zum Stand der Heterogenitätsbehandlung in vascoda: Bestandsaufnahme und Ausblick., in: Bibliothek & Information Deutschland (Hrsg.): 3. Leipziger Kongress für Information und Bibliothek, 19.–22. März 2007. Leipzig: Verlag Dinges & Frick. Preprint pdf (176Kb) Ralf Depping: vascoda.de and the system of the German virtual subject libraries. In: Prasad, A.R.D. & Madalli, D.P. (eds.): International Conference on Semantic Web and Digital Libraries (ICSD 2007), 21–23 February 2007: 304-314. (pdf file, 730 KB Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine)

External links vascoda.de vascoda-Blog vascoda office at TIB/UB Hannover NRW Online Utility and Library Service Centre (hbz), technical operation World Wide Science

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vascoda

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vascoda claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vascoda before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vascoda ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vascoda

In research: Vascoda appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vascoda in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vascoda is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bibliographic databases and indexes, German digital libraries, Web portals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vascoda outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vascoda in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vascoda means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vascoda out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vascoda in simple terms?

Why does Vascoda matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vascoda?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vascoda.