European Endeavor Users Group Meeting Helsinki, Sept Esa-Pekka Keskitalo, System Analyst Helsinki University Library OpenURL 1.0

Outline Background The Draft OpenURL in Libraries

Background Appropriate Copy Problem Broken Link Problem Appropriate Copy – Linkking should be user sensitive Broken Links should be fixed centrally (need to be fixed somewhere)

OpenURL is ”a methodology for describing resources that that are referenced in a networked environment context of the reference” Neutrally in respect to applications and user communities

From 0.1 to 1.0 Much extended ”Registry” From ”scholarly” to a more general approach

Standard in two parts 1.ContextObject a)A description of a resource that is referenced (target) b)A description of the context of the reference (source) c)A definition of a set of Namespaces 2.Registry a)Detailed lists of options – will expand

A Context Object is a Set of Entities Context Object is an information construct with six Entities. Referent is the core entity sine qua non Referent = what is being referenced = what we e.g. want to read in fulltext

ContextObject  Entities Resolver Referent Referrer Service type Requester Referring Entity

ContextObject  Entities 1.Referent: a referenced resource, e.g. an article, a person etc. 2.Referring entity: where the reference is, e.g. an article 3.Requester: who is using the system 4.Service Type: what is wanted, e.g. ”fulltext” 5.Resolver: the target resolving service 6.Referrer: The system that generates the ContextObject.

ContextObject  Entities  Descriptors Detailed information about an Entity. 1.Identifiers 2.Metadata-by-Value 3.Metadata-by-Reference 4.Private Data

ContextObject  Entities  Descriptors  1) Identifiers Defines 1.Namespace that is being used 2.Identifier, unique in that Namespace Namespace: DOI Identifier: /science Namespace: Mailto Identifier: Namespace: ISSN Identifier:

ContextObject  Entities  Descriptors  2) By-Value Metadata Defines the metadata format used metadata expressed in that format Metadata: MARC21 = MARCXML Schema rft_val_fmt = ori:fmt:xml:xsd:MARC Policing the new world disorder / by Robert Oakley and Michael Dziedzic.

ContextObject  Entities  Descriptors  3) By-Reference-Metadata Defines the Metadata Format used the network location of the metadata Metadata: MARC21 = MARCXML Schema rft_ref_fmt = rft_ref =

ContextObject  Entities  Descriptors  4) Private Data Not defined in the Standard Specific to the Referrer (the generator of the ContextObject) Must be understood by the Resolver

ContextObject  Entities  Constraints Exactly 1 Referent in one ContextObject No more than 1 Referring Entity, Requester, Referrer Zero or more Service Types and Resolvers. All Descriptors may describe all Entities Multiple Descriptors possible

REGISTRY description of network-referenced resources description of the context of the references support of transportation of the descriptions over the network

Registry  Components 1.Namespaces –3 Naming Environments 2.Character Encodings 3.Physical Representations 4.Constraint Languages 5.Context Object Formats 6.Metadata Formats 7.Transports 8.Community Profiles

Registry  Components 1) Naming Environments a)URI – Uniform Resource Identifier b)ORI – Open Resource Identifier c)XRI – Private Resource Identifier

Registry  Components  Naming Environments a) Uniform Resource Identifier –Internet Assigned Naming Authority (IANA) –http, ftp, mailto –ldap –urn, urn:ISBN, urn:ISSN, urn:NBN

Registry  Components  Naming Environments b) Open Resource Identifier bibcode, doi, isbn, issn, oai, sici Id for Referrers: –domain name + string Id for Service Types: –abstract, citation, fulltext, holdings, ILL

Registry  Components  Naming Environments c) Private Resource Identifier Not defined any further

Registry  Components  2) Encodings Character Encodings –UTF-8, ISO , Big5 –IANA List

Registry  Components  3) Physical Representations Physical Representations –XML and KEV (Key/Encoded Value) –KEV specified in the Standard

Registry  Components  4) Constraint Languages Constraint Languages –Z MTX –W3C XML Schema

Registry  Components  5) Context Object Formats Format –a concrete method to express a class of information constructs –Physical representation + constraint language+ constraints A definite choice set within the Format triple –KEV + MTX + Matrix of Section 8.1. of Part 2 –XML + XSD + XML Schema of Section 8.2 of Part 2

Registry  Components  6) Metadata Formats MARC 21 OAI_dc XML and KEV metadata formats for books, dissertations, journals, patents specially defined

Registry  Components  7) Transports Method of tarnsporting over the network OpenURL 0.1 for backwards compatibility 6 combinations: OpenURL http or https –inline –by reference GET / POST –by value GET / POST

Registry  Components  8) Community Profiles A set of choices from Registry entries for an application domain –1 Context Object Format –Metadata Formats –URI and ORI Namespaces –Transports –Identifiers –Expressed in XML

Draft Standard 1.0 Released in March Time for testing and comments ends in November, 2003 Big changes to version 0.1

OpenURL resolving server Resolving server needs constat attention Centralised update services emerging, but - Central knowledge needs adjusting Local knowledge needed in addition Growing demand for reliable identifiers A standard for knowledge database format would be useful

Library Systems Need to be ”OpenURL Enabled” 0.1 ”pretty easy”; how about 1.0?

OpenURL and cataloguing What should be catalogued into the records? Every static URL in records will be a problem Static URLs still useful as long as they work Cataloguing rules revision?

OpenURL and the others DOI and URN are for persistent linking, OpenURL for context-sensitive linking  Work well togethet OpenURL is not a new Z With OpenURL, you have to know what you are looking for. OpenURLs are not for human eyes

OpenURL in the Future OpenURL is gaining momentum Standardisation Sharing of knowledge Identification Software development