Microsoft Research Reveals Facebook for Scientists: ScholarLynk

ScholarLynk is a new tool for scientists and other researchers which Microsoft Research is unveiling this week at ECDL, the European Conference on Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. The project has roots in Lewis Shepherd’s 2008 project called “Research Desktop” which combined semantic analysis with a Web 2.0-style interface. The new ScholarLynk social software prototype expands upon that earlier idea, offering its users the ability to create reading lists related to their interests which could entail emails, scholarly papers, web pages and local files. The lists can be private, shared or collaborative in nature and they support metadata, annotations and associations.

The program also has a Twitter and Facebook-like social element involving the ability to follow other users, write on their walls, engage in conversations, and provide feedback or rate each others’ research.

The prototype will become available for download in December.