1. Disclosing Freedom of Information Releases
Ann Apps
MIMAS,
The University of Manchester, UK

2. Outline JISC Information Governance Gateway (JIGG) project
JIGG Freedom of Information Disclosure Logs application
Potential of using OAI-PMH
Social aspects to take-up
Funded by JISC at The University of Manchester
Technical development by MIMAS
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3. JISC Information Governance Gateway (JIGG)
UK Higher Education compliance with UK information government legislation
‘One stop shop’
Relevant, up-to-date information
Records management
Copyright
Data protection
Environmental information
Freedom of Information
Private discussion area for practitioners
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4.
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5. Freedom of Information (FOI)
FOI Act 2000 (Scotland 2002)
Provide requested information within fixed timescale
Unless valid exemption
Applies to Higher Education Institutions
Encouraged to publish disclosure logs
Currently few
Mostly lists on a web page
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6. JIGG and FOI Publish FOI Disclosure Log entries for UK HEIs
Web search within JIGG
Dissemination via OAI-PMH
Contribution to JIGG by:
Dedicated data Editor
Consistency of records
OAI-PMH harvest by JIGG
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7. JIGG FOI Application Profile
‘OAI Template’
Investigate content of disclosure logs
Agreement with community of practitioners
Documented as Dublin Core Application Profile
Properties are DC or JIGG-specific
Some properties for discovery
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8. FOI Log Entry Properties: Descriptive
Title: LJMU Review Magazine
Description: Cost of production, etc
Subject: Marketing
Request History: LJMU disclosed some info, etc
Response Summary: X pounds per year
Full Text: URLs of documents released
Title, Description: required
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9. FOI Log Entry Properties: HEI and Dates
Publisher: Liverpool John Moores University
Country in UK (vocabulary): England
Is Part Of: URL of LJMU’s FOI Disclosure Log
Identifier: FOI 5/12
Date Received:
Date Completed (optional):
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10. FOI Log Entry Properties: Vocabularies
Info Released: partial
Legislation: Freedom of Information Act 2000
Exemption: 43 Commercial interests
Exemptions cover:
National security / defence
Personal / confidential information
Info already published
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11. XML Serialisation Consistent with Dublin Core XML preferred
New proposed guidelines verbose
JIGG XML based on ‘Dublin Core in XML Minimal’ – example in paper
Conformance to Dublin Core Abstract Model indicated by DC-Text example in paper
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12. Publication of FOI logs: Benefits and Concerns
Persistent repository of common solutions: an FAQ
Reduce number of requests
Share experiences
Consistent responses
Avoid reinventing the wheel
Concerns:
Accountability, comparison
Insufficient staff resource – is there value?
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13. JIGG Current Status JIGG portal: beta JIGG FOI: implementation phase
‘OAI Template’ agreed
Need to engage practitioners
Expected that data entry will use Editor
Harvest by JIGG from HEIs is visionary
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14. JIGG and OAI-PMH Introducing OAI-PMH to a new sector
Open Repository of FOI disclosure logs seems appropriate
JIGG approach is standards-based
JIGG will provide OAI-PMH Harvest of the repository
Further vision: broaden to other organisations
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15. IESR Details Thank You! Questions? ann.apps@manchester.ac.uk
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