Experts predict explosive growth in mobile computing in the coming years. On mobiles devices alone, statistics show the number of smartphone users will reach 1 billion by the year 2016. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) International Nuclear Information System (INIS) is leveraging the increased use of these devices on the go by recently launching a mobile version of its website, thereby helping it target a new audience.
INIS is operated by the IAEA in collaboration with over 150 member-countries. It hosts one of the world's largest collections of published information on the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology and offers free online access to a unique collection of non-conventional literature. It is a main source of nuclear information and contains over 3.4 million bibliographic records with 440,000 full text documents available online. The information shared on this platform is essential to governments, academic and research institutions and private companies.
"INIS is a main source of nuclear information for many IAEA Member States, and as such, represents a potential target for mobile visitors," Dobrica Savic, head of IAEA nuclear information section says. More than five percent of INIS visitors use mobile devices and many users have been requesting better mobile compatibility," he added.
He said the INIS website visitors are now able to easily explore INIS on a variety of mobile devices. "This is of particular relevance as lower costs of phone subscriptions and the removal of technological barriers to mobile computing are expected to create an even wider pool of users who would benefit from accessing INIS information on the go."
The mobile version of the INIS website has been thoroughly tested on various types of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets running different operating systems. INIS mobile users will be able to explore the website on the mobile device of their choice and download the information they need. The website will automatically redirect to the mobile version when accessed from a mobile device.
The expansion of INIS bibliographic database to support mobile devices is part of ongoing initiatives at the IAEA to promote online-based knowledge-sharing and electronic learning (eLearning). To date, there are at least a dozen eLearning platforms within the Agency that cover diverse topics ranging from radiation oncology to nuclear law. In late 2011, the IAEA's Human Health Division within the Department of Nuclear Science and Applications (NAHU) opened a mobile learning (mLearning) program to the general public.
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