CURRICULUM VITAE
Simon
Simon Matthew Collery
12 James Street Oxford OX4 1ET
Home Ph 01865 725 274 Work Ph 01865 200 800
collery@easynet.co.uk

SUMMARY


As an editor I have worked exclusively with reference data intended for publication in the electronic media. I have well developed interpersonal and communication skills and my strengths lie in problem solving, analyzing complex information and evaluating strategies. Being self-motivated, I work as well on my own as in a team. Since I left full time education I have completed a number of courses to acquire new skills and intend to continue this practice.


SKILLS

I have been using the WWW for research for about three years, employing various search strategies, specialized search engines and meta search engines. I have some experience of using HTML, which I prepare using HomeSite. I also have some experience of using Adobe Photoshop for photographic enhancement. I am presently learning about Perl and XML with a view to understanding the processes involved in web design. I have been using database, word processing and spreadsheet packages for over ten years and I am very familiar with Windows 98.


WORK EXPERIENCE

February 1998 - Present

DATA EDITOR, AND DATA SOLUTIONS, OXFORD

The project I have been working on involved developing classified vocabularies for resource exploration. Grouping words using a hierarchical classification scheme allows the generation metadata which identifies what a document is about. This means that documents can be classified automatically. The data has significant applications in data retrieval in high volume repositories of information, such as the World Wide Web.

Making data available in electronic forms means that it needs to be structured in a different way from traditional print media. It needs to be verified, authenticated and indexed automatically to allow its proper management. The classified data being developed at AND will contribute significantly to this end.

As quality assurance editor I was responsible for compiling the data, checking quality, developing the classification scheme, assisting with supervision and training of editorial assistants and specifying requirements for the database software.

I understand a lot about how search engines work and how the concept I have been developing could impact on the future of information management.

I was also responsible for testing prototype models of the proposed products and producing reports on the results. I was involved in making recommendations for improvement and modification.

May 1994 - April 1998

READER, OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY, OXFORD

My work for Oxford University Press involved abstracting research articles and checking new research for the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, the largest English dictionary in the world.

During this time I learned about many aspects of lexicography and scholarly research. The work was carried out in copyright libraries and involved using printed and online catalogues, online databases, the internet, and various other sources of scholarly material. I was also involved in editing citations in the dictionary and applying a consistent style. This dictionary is now produced online and on CD ROM.

September 1993 - April 1994:

SELF-EMPLOYED AS A TEACHER OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, PRAGUE, THE CZECH REPUBLIC

My students were of differing abilities and this required the customizing and tailoring of courses. I mainly taught adults working in industry who required English for business purposes, though I had some university students. Course materials were in short supply at this time in the Czech Republic so I had the added challenge of modifying whatever was available to suit the purposes at hand.

January 1985 - December 1988:

TRAINEE HOTEL MANAGEMENT, DUBLIN AND LONDON

I spent three and a half years training in all aspects of hotel management in top Dublin and London hotels. My strengths lay in the areas of purchasing, stock control and front of house management. In my final position I was in charge of eight members of staff in a 240 bedroom hotel.

EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS


1983 -1984Irish Leaving Certificate
('A' Levels Equivalent)
I studied English, French, Irish, Biology and Geography
 
1988 - 1992 B.A. Philosophy(2.I)
Birkbeck College, University of London
 
1992 - 1993 Course in Cognitive Science
Westminster University, London
 
1995 - 1996 Course in Modern Irish Literature
Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford
 
INTERESTS

Canoeing, theatre, reading, playing mandolin, choral singing, folk singing.

Voluntary work: I spent 1 hour per week reading for blind students and academics, from September 1994 to September 1997, at the Blind Readers' Recording Room, Oxford.

REFERENCES MAY BE SOUGHT FROM

 
Judi Vernau
Editorial Director
AND Data Solutions
Suite C
Kingsmead house
Oxpens Road
Oxford OX1 1RS
Mr. Edmund Weiner
Deputy Chief Editor
Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford University Press
Walton Street
Oxford OX2 6DP