A hierarchy of e-Research needs understanding value delivery in distributed IT services

Computing services are defined via various models, most of which are technology focused. As services become more diverse and divisions between them less clear-cut, a new way of describing and comparing IT services for research is needed. We present a hierarchy of the needs experiences by an individual carrying out e-Research. It considers each area of need and how a service provider might meet them through delivery of value. These start with the data the research is carried out with, moving through hardware factors, higher level needs such as applications, through to human rather than technical services such as support and strategy. We use these to compare two e-Research service types as an initial example, and then discuss the results and the further interpretation of the model.