Science Commission Test-Runs Portal

The African Union-Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC) has selected 100 members from its database of African Union Network of Sciences (AUNS)  science portal to test-run its efficiency.
The Programme Associate of AU-STRC, Mr Nebyat Ayele, made this call while speaking in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the Ayele, “AUNS portal was recently developed and completed, we are currently on the testing stage.
“Prior to the public launch of the portal and roll out, we are requesting feedbacks and criticism from the 100 people on the developed portal,’’ he said.
Nebyat, while explaining how the selection process and testing was carried out, said the 100 testers were selected following a competitive process where frequent interactions and exchange of information between members were considered.
He said that other factors taken into consideration were regional, field of study, level of education amongst others.
“ Early in June, in the first week, the selection process began and it lasted for a week. The 100 testers were chosen from the AUNS database.
“The selection process included 70 per cent IT specialists and the rest 30 per cent were from different fields of sciences and social sciences.
“And 20 per cent of the testers were professors, 30 per cent were doctors, 10 per cent were associate professors, while the remaining 40 per cent were from other fields of sciences and social sciences who were undergraduates,’’ he said.
Nebyat said at the end of the selection process, an editable online questionnaire were issued to the testers and the feedback had been laudable, progressive and criticisms were positive.
“ The aims of issuing the questionnaire to the testers are to get more personal information, access to the portal’s digital library, sharing and downloading of publications, group chatting, probability of recommending the portal to others.
“Others are general satisfaction, the portal interface, a selection of an official logo for the portal and an overall rating of the portal by the testers.
“ We were looking to achieve a portal which is standard, goal oriented and knowledge sharing from the replies we get,’’ he said.
Nebyat said the commission would issue a letter and certificate of recognition to all the testers after all the questionnaires are submitted.
The Tide source reports that the AUNS is an online platform where scientists, engineers, technology developers innovators, inventors and individuals in Africa and in the Diaspora will be able to interact, cooperate, exchange information and  knowledge and complement one another in research and academic work to address Africa’s science and technology development challenges.
AU-STRC is a specialised institution within the African Union, which spearheads the promotion and the role of science, technology and research in strengthening of integration, cooperation and development of the African Union member states.