Andy Powell, Eduserv Foundation July 2006 Repository Roadmap – technical issues

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Where are we now? repository interoperability supported by –use of OAI-PMH to exchange metadata –use of HTTP to exchange full-text however, no widely agreed mechanisms for getting stuff into repositories metadata is largely simple DC (or LOM in the case of learning objects) some expectation for growing use of complex objects, i.e. bundles of stuff embryonic forms of linking between eprints and data

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Where are we now? strategies for assigning identifiers to content variable across repositories –e.g. identifiers assigned and exposed at work, and manifestation levels –difficult to reliably move from metadata to full text little use of explicit machine-readable licences –though note widespread interest in Creative Commons limited integration with institutional or national single sign-on mechanisms –particularly important where we expect to see repositories used across and between institutions

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Where do we want to be? need to put agreements in place about… –using qualified DC to describe eprints –complex object model for use across resource types note tension between being generic and being useful! –mechanisms for instantiating complex object model in XML –how/when identifiers are assigned to entities in the complex objects –handling citations between eprints and data –e-Framework Service Usage Model for repositories (i.e. what APIs should a repository expose to applications in the outside world?)

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Where do we want to be? better integration of repository content into the services people actually use (i.e. Google, etc.) better integration of repositories into access management approaches such as Shibboleth encourage more consistent approach to licensing of open access material –preferably in machine-readable way

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York DC Eprints application profile JISC funded work to develop a qualified DC application profile for describing eprints work being led by –Julie Allinson, UKOLN, University of Bath –Andy Powell, Eduserv Foundation with input from a range of contributors – primarily in the UK

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York FRBR as model application profile recognises that eprints are essentially complex bibliographic objects uses FRBR as basis for the eprint model –i.e. using Work, Expression, Manifestation, Item and Person/Organisation as key entities in the model uses Dublin Core description sets as mechanism for capturing multiple descriptions about each of these entities –description sets part of the Dublin Core Abstract Model –DCMI still finalising recommendations for encoding description sets in XML and RDF

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Sounds complicated? complexity in model necessary to capture –is adaptation of type relationships between works –is translation of and is version of type relationships between expressions –is format of type relationships between manifestations –is copy of type relationships between items gives enough richness to make –informed appropriate copy decisions –sense of old fashioned citations between expressions and new fangled hypertext links between items –reliably move from metadata to full-text complexity in model invisible to end-user

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Where next? eprints application profile not an alternative to discussion about complex objects but FRBR helpful in understanding those objects JISC-funded work near to completion need to share with wider audience use of FRBR in this way is novel – needs critical analysis intention is to do some of this thru Dublin Core working groups (e.g. at DC-2006 conference) note: XML encoding still awaiting finalisation of encoding guidelines by DCMI

July 2006JISC / CNI Conference, York Questions?