South Australians needing a local academic expert can now search in one place online to find the right person to help them out with consulting, research or expert comment.
Expert Guide (www.expertguide.com.au) is a free search engine designed to help journalists, business and government representatives make contact with people who are specialists in their fields.
Director Margaret Lawson said all three South Australian universities (Uni SA, Flinders, and University of Adelaide) had contributed detailed databases of staff expertise and contacts to appear in the searchable guide.
“This means that people wanting to look for a local expert can search in one place to find someone with the skills they’re looking for, quickly and easily,” Ms Lawson said.
In the past, if media or the public wanted to find an expert, they needed to contact individual universities or search databases on the various universities’ web sites.
As well as the three South Australian universities, Expert Guide also contains searchable expert contacts from 17 other universities, as well as some Co-operative Research Centres, Research Institutes, nonprofits and businesses nationwide. All up, there are about 6,000 experts listed on the site.
Ms Lawson said she encouraged South Australians looking for an expert to use the free service.
“It’s fast, it’s free, and it can make the life of journalists, lawyers, government representatives and business people much easier,” she said.
Ms Lawson said the site was not restricted to academic experts, with other organisations in South Australia welcome to apply to have their experts listed on Expert Guide.
“The site is paid for by its participants, so organisations pay an annual fee to be involved and have their credentials verified before being involved,” Ms Lawson said.
“We only accept listings from organisations that can verify their experts’ details, rather than from individuals.”
For more information: Margaret Lawson on 0419 643 243