Image courtesy Zsuzsanna Kilián, stock.xchng.

The UK e-Science program has allowed for the release of ‘The Fourth Paradigm,’ a e-book that recognizes that data-intensive science is dramatically changing the way research is performed, and provides a compendium of progress in the field.

It is dedicated to the memory of Jim Gray, who christened data-intensive research "The New Paradigm," who shaped the transactional model of databases we all depend on, and who led Microsoft into supporting the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and into developing new database technology to support data-intensive research. Sadly, Jim was mysteriously lost at sea in January 2007.

The book has several connections with UK e-Science since the prime mover and first editor is Tony Hey. OMII-UK PIs, Carole Goble and Dave De Roure, have both written chapters in the book and are attended the book launch at the Microsoft e-Science conference in Pittsburgh earlier.

The book will be available for free, to download from the website.

In addition, the New York times also had a highly relevant article.