ZING Meeting – 22/23 June 2005, Chicago CREE Project (ContextualResourceEvaluationEnvironment) CREE Project (Contextual Resource Evaluation Environment) Matthew J. Dovey University of Oxford

Introduction The CREE Project The CREE Project Part of the JISC Portals Programme Part of the JISC Portals Programme User evaluation User evaluation How do users want to search? How do users want to search? Technical development Technical development Portlet development using JSR 168 and WSR Portlet development using JSR 168 and WSR

CREE - Partnership Lead: e-SIG, University of Hull Lead: e-SIG, University of Hull OUCS, University of Oxford OUCS, University of Oxford EDINA, University of Edinburgh EDINA, University of Edinburgh Archaeology Data Service, University of York Archaeology Data Service, University of York Newark & Sherwood College Newark & Sherwood College instructional media + magic, inc instructional media + magic, inc

CREE – A JISC Project Joint Information Systems Committee Joint Information Systems Committee UK Government Agency supporting post-16 education UK Government Agency supporting post-16 education Network (SuperJANET)Network (SuperJANET) ContentContent AdviceAdvice DevelopmentDevelopment $1.4 million per year on portals $1.4 million per year on portals

JISC Portals Programme A range of portal development projects A range of portal development projects Each supports: Each supports: Resource discovery across distributed multiple resources Resource discovery across distributed multiple resources Presentation Presentation Use of open standards e.g., Z39.50, SRW/U, OAI, RSS Use of open standards e.g., Z39.50, SRW/U, OAI, RSS Each has its own discrete website Each has its own discrete website

Where does CREE fit in? Contextual Resource Evaluation Environment Context in that there are different portal environments Institutional National/International Library Virtual Learning Environments Virtual Research Environments Etc. Portals have assumed user will come to them Portals have assumed user will come to them Better taking the portals, or portal functionality, to the user Better taking the portals, or portal functionality, to the user Embedding in institutional contexts Embedding in institutional contexts CREE CREE Investigating whether users find this valuable Investigating whether users find this valuable Testing portal technologies to enable embedding Testing portal technologies to enable embedding

User evaluation How do users want to search? How do users want to search? How do they currently search? How do they currently search? What requirements do users have for searching? What requirements do users have for searching? How might different contexts affect searching? How might different contexts affect searching?

CREE Survey National survey carried out National survey carried out September - October 2004 September - October 2004 >4500 responses >4500 responses 2500 of them came from Oxford!2500 of them came from Oxford! CREE Focus groups CREE Focus groups 13 groups held: 6 staff and 7 student 13 groups held: 6 staff and 7 student >60 people from across disciplines >60 people from across disciplines University of Hull and University of Oxford, Newark and Sherwood College University of Hull and University of Oxford, Newark and Sherwood College

What did the survey find? 85% used Internet search tools daily 61% used them daily for learning, teaching or research 67% used subject-specific resources 68% used the local library catalogue at least weekly 54% used other library catalogues at least monthly

What search tools are used? Google! Google! Used frequently by over 90% Used frequently by over 90% Usually as first choice and starting point Usually as first choice and starting point Sometimes as last resort! Sometimes as last resort! Yahoo!,Ask Jeeves,Altavista also used Yahoo!,Ask Jeeves,Altavista also used Nationally maintained subject-specific resources Nationally maintained subject-specific resources Second in popularity to Google Second in popularity to Google But users are aware of and use more specific search tools (especially electronic journals) But users are aware of and use more specific search tools (especially electronic journals) Choice of tool is according to need Choice of tool is according to need

Simultaneous Searching

Displaying search results

Technical development Test out how users wish to interact with portal search tools in different contexts Test out how users wish to interact with portal search tools in different contexts Institutional portal Institutional portal Learning Management Systems Learning Management Systems Virtual Research Environments Virtual Research Environments Outside of formal framework Outside of formal framework Creation of interactive search interface demonstrators for users to view Creation of interactive search interface demonstrators for users to view

Testing portal standards For testing in portals and related frameworks For testing in portals and related frameworks Developing portlets using open standards Developing portlets using open standards JSR 168 JSR 168 WSRP WSRP Examine the relationship between these Examine the relationship between these

Potted History of JSR-168/WSRP Apache JetSpeed Portal WebServices Web Service User Interface JCP - Java Portlet API JSR 168 OASIS TC Web Service for Remote Portals Very rough timeline… OASIS TC Web Service for Interactive Applications OASIS TC WSIA Family WSRP (initial spec) OASIS TC WSRP 1.0 (WSIA dropped) JSR WSRP Implementations: Java,.Net, Perl, Python WSRP 2.0, JSR

Re-purposing existing tools JAFER – OpenSource Z39.50/SRW engine for searching library catalogues (and other) – Oxford JAFER – OpenSource Z39.50/SRW engine for searching library catalogues (and other) – Oxford GetRef - Metasearch engine for searching bibliographic databases – EDINA GetRef - Metasearch engine for searching bibliographic databases – EDINA Including GetCopy - OpenURL resolver – EDINA Including GetCopy - OpenURL resolver – EDINA Archaeology Data Service Z39.50 search Archaeology Data Service Z39.50 search XSLT based Google Portlet developed by im&m XSLT based Google Portlet developed by im&m

Development path All project partners concluded that JSR 168 was the simpler development route All project partners concluded that JSR 168 was the simpler development route JSR 168 portlets developed for all so far JSR 168 portlets developed for all so far JSR 168 portlet is basis for WSRP portlet JSR 168 portlet is basis for WSRP portlet JAFER the first example of this JAFER the first example of this ADS now working via this route as well ADS now working via this route as well Google being developed Google being developed

uPortal at Hull

The usual stuff

Workflow for SRW Searches