Presenting natiOnal resources to audiences locally: exploring the role of external resources in institutional portals

Abstract

This article outlines the ongoing work of the Presenting natiOnal Resources To Audiences Locally (PORTAL) project. The project, funded under the Joint Information Systems Committee's (JISC) FAIR programme, is addressing a number of issues associated with the deployment of institutional portals within the UK tertiary education sector and looking specifically at the integration of external resources. This article draws together the results of several project deliverables and presents work in the context of the growing interest in institutional portals and national development activities in this area. The article concludes that the inclusion of external resources within institutional portals offers the potential to enhance the institutional information environment, but that such developments must be undertaken in the context of the evolving needs of both users and content providers.