The Socionet Personal Zone (SPZ) enables its registered users:
o to create, maintain, update all basic types of collections of electronic publications and export it into user format;
o to set up thematic collections of bibliographic descriptions and add new records to them while browsing linked RePEc sites (at the moment - the Socionet only);
o to replenish personal collections via e-mail gateway with the help of "suppliers";
o to include personal collections in the RePEc/Socionet database and/or open its broadcasting for OAI harvesting services;
o to publish research papers in EconWPA online archives or in Socionet Open Archives (including Russian language papers);
o to create supplements for different materials in RePEc/Socionet database;
o to launch a personal information robot (i-robot) for tracing new additions to the RePEc/Socionet database;
o to design a personal site at the Socionet server.

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Socionet Personal Zone is free of charge, but to be able to create your personal zone you should register. Please fill in the form and click the "Register" button. If the form has been filled in correctly, the system will send the "Terms of Use" agreement to your e-mail address mentioned in the registration form. If you accept the conditions, just return the message to the sender using the "Reply" button of your e-mail browser. In response, you will receive your login and password to the Personal Zone.

Any registered user can deal with the following applications of SPZ:

1. Creation of online versions of scientific journals, electronic collections of full-text scientific publications, thematic collections of research materials, etc. Since the format of resulting collections will be compatible with that of the RePEc/Socionet database, they can be easily integrated into the database. Upon integration, the collections will be automatically transferred to all mirror servers of RePEc/Socionet.

2. Setting up of research news channels. A Personal Zone holder can generate the list of "news suppliers" (in a general case, these are suppliers of any type of materials, publications, etc.). All publications delivered by e-mail from the "suppliers" will be automatically inserted in a certain personal collection. Then, the Personal Zone holder as a channel administrator can manage the flow of information, edit the news and carry them over to the RePEc/Socionet DB collection functioning as a news channel. In a similar way, the work of an online-journal editor with contributors can be organised.

3. Establishment of a personalised service for delivery of information on recent publications and research results in a given subject field and/or targeted to a particular scientific community. For his/her own purposes or for the sake of his/her colleagues, a user can adjust an i-robot to trace new additions to certain domains of the information space. The i-robot sends out his reports to all persons inscribed on the list of recipients of automatic notification. As soon as new materials, which might be of interest to the target group, appear in the information space, all persons from the list are immediately notified.

4. Creation of a collective specialised information "ambience" in the form of a web-site for a circle of researchers or organisations. The site can contain a subset of collections from the RePEc/Socionet database that are of interest to a particular group of researchers. It can also include a free subscription to e-mail notification of new additions to selected collections, an opportunity of holding online voting polls, etc. The site can promote circulation of information within the specific group of the scientific community as a cycle: a) members of the circle of researchers publish their research materials in certain collections; b) the thematic subset of collections is represented on a "personal" web site of one of them; c) members of the circle as subscribers receive notifications of new additions to the collections. Having received the prompt information, the members of the community can use the materials immediately in their research, and their results will then be submitted to the same collections.

The Socionet Administrator retains the right to close any personal zone if: a) its content goes beyond the subjects covered by Socionet and b) its holder violates ethical norms of scientific research.

Some Personal Zone services can be built into the web pages of external sites. For more information, please, contact the Socionet administrator.