CIPHER Project Summary - Conclusions

The applications developed have clearly realized, and in several cases exceeded, the original goals of the CIPHER project. The needs of a community change over time and in order to meet those needs a flexible, sustainable infrastructure is required. The broad range of tools available as a result of the CIPHER project, combined with the methodological guidelines governing their use, will enable CH Forums to be produced that meet the community's needs and evolve along with the community they support. The complementary toolkit approach taken in CIPHER is considered fundamental for ensuring the level of technical sustainability required.

Community participation in the development and deployment of a CH Forum is not only a sensible approach to design but an essential approach to ensure that the community develops a sense of ownership for their Forum. Communities that identify with and hold a sense of belonging to the CH Forum will continue to develop the Forum as long as their shared interest is held. A community's participation in the Forum development process was found to significantly influence content sustainability.

Communities of interest are formed and sustained through the members' motivation for exploring a shared topic of interest. However, the community itself does not exist in a vacuum, the stakeholders that benefit from the communities activities have a role to play in supporting and ensuring the financial sustainability of the CH Forum. A holistic approach to the community and all of the associated stakeholders fosters a sense of inclusion and can help to avoid segregation or fracturing of the community's activities.