Showing papers in "The Journal of Internet Cataloging in 2000"

The Relevance of Facet Analysis for World Wide Web Subject Organization and Searching

Abstract: SUMMARY Different forms of indexing and search facilities available on the Web are described. Use of facet analysis to structure hypertext concept structures is outlined in relation to work on (1.) development of hypertext knowledge bases for designers of learning materials and (2) construction of knowledge based hypertext interfaces. The problem of lack of closeness between page designers and potential users is examined. Facet analysis is suggested as a way of alleviating some difficulties associated with this problem of designing for the unknown user.

Structured Metadata Spaces

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper presents the concepts of a metadata space as it relates to cataloging and discovery. A space has multiple dimensions; in the case of resource metadata, these are descriptive dimensions. We explain the needs for orthogonal descriptive dimensions, and present a method for achieving maximally efficient, independent dimensions using semantic structures realized in structured metadata. A specific example of this system as developed in the IEEELearning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC P1484) Learning Object Metadata (LOM) is presented. The LOMis the collaborative work of many organizations including ADL, AJCC, ARIADNE, GESTALT, and IMS(see acronym list at the end of the article, following references). The scope of the concepts presented in this paper encompasses general concepts of metadata systems.

Improving Subject Searching in Web-Based OPACs: Evaluation of the Problem and Guidelines for Design

Abstract: SUMMARY Online catalog users search predominately by subject, yet it is the most difficult search to perform and retrieves records only about one-half of the time. A new generation of OPACs (online public access catalogs) is on the horizon, the Wcb-based OPAC. Wcb-based OPACs allow users to access online catalogs through a WWW (World Wide Web) interface and have the potential to improve patrons' ability to search by subject. But will this potential be realized? This article proposes some basic guidelines that can be incorporated into Web-based OPAC interface design to help users perform subject searches more effectively, and evaluates how well Web-based OPACs currently in operation address the subject searching problem.

Classification Schemes Revisited: Applications to Web Indexing and Searching

Abstract: SUMMARY Basic skills of classification and subject indexing have been little taught in British library schools since automation was introduced into libraries However, development of the Internet as a major medium of publication lias stretched the capacity of search engines to cope with retrieval Consequently, there has been interest in applying existing systems of knowledge organization to electronic resources Unfortunately, the classification systems have been adopted without a full understanding of modern classification principles Analy-tico-synthetic schemes have been used crudely, as in the case of the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) The fully faceted Bliss Bibliographical Classification, 2nd edition (BC2) with its potential as a tool for electronic resource retrieval is virtually unknown outside academic libraries

Subject Trees on the Internet: A New Role for Bibliographic Classification?

Abstract: SUMMARY Interne! information retrieval is largely the preserve of search engines and the even more popular subject trees. Subject trees have adapted principles of conventional bibliographic classification for structuring hierarchic browsing interfaces, thus providing easily used pathways to their selected resources. This combination of browsing and selectivity is especially valuable to untrained users. For the foreseeable future, it appears that subject trees will remain the Internet's only practicable use of classificatory methods for information retrieval.

Managing digital educational resources with the ARIADNE metadata system

Abstract: SUMMARY The primary goal of the ARIADNE project, supported by the European Commission, is to foster share and reuse of digital pedagogical material. For this purpose, a Europe-wide repository of reusable pedagogical documents, called the Knowledge Pool System (KPS), has been set up. One of the key features of the KPS is the underlying metadata specification, which has been used in extensive experiments. The ARIADNE metadata scheme includes both mandatory and optional elements, and is at the basis of the emerging Learning Objects Metadata standard, developed by the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee. This article presents the ARIADNE metadata scheme and discusses ARIADNE tools developed to support metadata authoring and indexing, database querying, and course development activities. A discussion of the ARIADNE community's experience is also presented.

Metadata for a Digital Library of Educational Resources

Abstract: SUMMARY PEN-DOR (the Pennsylvania Education Digital Object Repository) is a digital library providing access to atomic Web-based objects for lesson plan construction, a set of fully constructed lesson plans, and curriculum standards for the state of Pennsylvania. PEN-DOR supports lesson plan construction and enhancement activities. Through a community-based memory documentation process, PEN-DOR plans to provide access to the collective experience of teachers, students, and public school administrators working with the repository's resources. The diverse activities supported by PEN-DOR present a series of challenges in organizing and accessing Web-based objects, lesson plans, and other PEN-DOR resources for use. This article focuses on the development and implementation of the PEN-DOR metadata scheme, and discusses a number of metadata-related challenges that have emerged as a result of the project.

Internet Search Engines: Understanding Their Design to Improve Information Retrieval

Abstract: SUMMARY The relationship between the methods currently used for indexing the World Wide Web and the programs, languages, and protocols on which the World Wide Web is based is examined Two methods for indexing the Web are described, directories being briefly discussed while search engines are considered in detail The automated approach used to create these tools is examined with special emphasis on the parts of a document used in indexing Shortcomings of the approach are described Suggestions for effective use of Web search engines are given

Search engines for the World Wide Web : An evaluation of recent developments

Abstract: SUMMARY Search engines are defined” and recent developments described, exemplified, and evaluated, especially those concerned with traditional search and retrieval capabilities. Discussion concentrates on two broad issues: (1.) collection and indexing methods and (2) retrieval and ranking methods. It is concluded that a wider adoption of field searching, proximity searching, and relevance feedback would improve quality of search results.

Cataloging Economics preprints: an introduction to the RePEc project

Abstract: SUMMARY Cataloging resources that assist in educating a domain specific community can require a finer level of granularity than objects that arc to be accessed by a more general domain community, and can become a costly process. One possible approach towards cataloging such resources is to get a community of providers involved in cataloging the materials that they provide. This paper introduces RePEc (http://netec.wust.edu/RePEc) as an example tor such an approach. RePEc is mainly a catalog of research papers in Economics. RePEc is based on set of over 80 archives, which all work independently but are interoperable. The key issue of the paper is to evaluate the success in providing data of reasonable quality a decentralized approach.

The Internet as a Tool for Cataloguing and Classification, a View from the UK

Abstract: SUMMARY The use of various Internet services by library cataloguers and subject classifiers is discussed, with special reference to Scotland and the remainder of the United Kingdom. Services include e-mail, FTP, and Websites.

Metadata Questions in Evolving Internet-Based Educational Terrain

Abstract: SUMMARY This article begins by defining the evolving Internet-based educational terrain. Questions about cataloging tools and the development of metadata standards are examined, followed by inquiry on metadata creation. The final section introduces the articles contained in this special volume.

Straining the standards : How cataloging websites for curriculum support poses fresh problems for the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper discusses two primary issues thai arose from cataloging educational sites as part of the Cataloguing Internet Resources Project in Canada. First, the complex hierarchies in which many education-related resources are found is discussed-along with the need for new policies to determine “extent” for documents embedded in the interlinked bibliographic universe. Second, the concept of and the need to re-evaluate the definition of the “edition statement” in the Web environment arc discussed. Overall, further communication is needed between the educational and cataloguing community to provide access to educational resources in the electronic environment.

Disiecta membra : Construction and reconstruction in a digital catalog of Greek sculpture

Abstract: Ancient sculpture is fragmentary. Some sculptures exist only in pieces; others have been split up; and many of the ancient world's most famous statues now survive only in multiple copies created later than the originals. This paper discusses the evolution of a Greek sculpture catalog on the Perseus Project and its recent redesign that brings the visitor's attention to these complexities of ancient art. A data field in our 4th Dimension database categorizes artworks according to their degree of entirety and automatically generates links to related objects. More than one relation for each object is permitted, which encourages users to investigate the whole range of possible connections. This multirelational database enables our next phase of catalog development, which will include the construction of series of copies, the contextualization of groups of sculptures, and the reconstruction of lost originals.

A Proposal for Categorization and Nomenclature for Web Search Tools

Abstract: SUMMARY Ambiguities in Web search tool (more commonly known as “search engine”) terminology are problematic when conducting precise, replicable research or when teaching others to use search tools. Standardized terminology would enable Web searchers to be aware of subtle differences between Web search tools and the implications of these for searching. A categorization and nomenclature for standardized classifications of different aspects of Web search tools is proposed, and advantages and disadvantages of using tools in each category are discussed.

Dewey applications for the simple arrangement of a link library : The case of Science net

Abstract: SUMMARY This article focuses on Science Net, a project that uses the Dewcy Decimal Classification (DDC) for ordering a set of large files of links for K-12 science curriculum resources for Canadian schools. The project aims to provide an alternative to the rigours of sorting through search engine results by providing what arc in effect virtual library shelves, which support online browsing that is similar to conventional browsing of library shelves. The article also discusses the adaptation of the Dublin Core data elements to fashion a template for cataloguing not simply the records that will appear in Science Net, but those that will also comprise the Virtual Reference Library project. The cataloguing and indexing procedures developed for both projects are described.

GEM: Design and Implementation of a Metadata Project for Education

Abstract: summary The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) is a project funded by the Department of Education's National Library of Education and a special project of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. GEM catalogs and organizes educational materials on the Internet using metadata technology. This article focuses on the development of the GEM metadata profile, a key step in the development of the GEM project. Research activities contributing to the development and the refinement of the GEM metadata profile are presented, as well as two case studies that apply the GEM metadata profile.

Librarian, catalog thy work! Getting started integrating Internet resources into OPACs

Abstract: The Internet, and user demand lor information from the Internet, grows and expands at a phenomenal rate, daily. As academic publishing trends change and stability comes to resources already present on the Web, libraries will find more and more useful Internet resources that they want to connect their users to. The OPAC already serves as a central finding tool for much of a library's intellectual holdings, and can perform the same function for a library's Internet “holdings” as well. While the prospect of “cataloging the Internet” seems daunting at first, developing a staged approach for integrating Internet resources into the OPAC can provide libraries with valuable experience for deciding how to best harness this growing body of knowledge. A logical first stage is the cataloging of a iibrary's own Web pages.

Signposts on the Information Superhighway: Indexes and Access

Abstract: SUMMARY Users of the Information Superhighway need signposts to find their way to appropriate, accurate and current information. Given the sheer quantity of information, intellectual indexing is more relevant than ever, complementing and augmenting automatic keyword indexing. Signposts come in various forms including browser bookmarks, local, on-site and remote lists, indexes and directories, temporary search engine results, and metadata. The considerable body of theory on vocabulary control for online database searching can be adapted to index construction for the Internet. At the same time, there are unresolved issues concerning information quality, indexing decisions, and standards.

Metadata Issues, Document Architecture, and Best Educational Practices

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper outlines metadata issues for documents created for a Web-based environment concerned with issues of best educational practices Metadata describing the documents related to educational practice must be able to describe context of the practice Moreover, document structure itself is problematic because, in a Web-based environment, a document that appears on a user's workstation as a single object may in fact be an assembly of linked, yet discrete, documents residing in distributed databases The paper discusses in detail the problem of describing the context of practice, a distributed document architecture, and metadata based on the Dublin Core and GEM metadata standard The paper ends with a discussion of weaknesses of the Dublin Core when documenting physically distributed documents

USE, the Universal Subject Environment : A new subject access approach in the time of the Internet

Abstract: SUMMARY USE, a new subject approach particularly designed for automated use on the Internet and elsewhere, is proposed. This system combines a fixed linguistic component with a simple and consistent structure for combination of terms, suitable for multinational, multicultural and multilingual use. Examples of its use in practice are given. An international implementation approach for USE is provided.

Classification Practice and Implications for Subject Directories of the Chinese Language Web-Based Digital Library

Abstract: The availability of an increasingly large number of Chinese language resources in cyberspace underpins the foundation for a global digital library. This study presents a methodology to investigate the classification practice of this digital library by examining more than one hundred Chinese language subject directories. The findings show that the construction of these subject directories does not follow established classification systems that are widely employed in the traditional library cataloging of the Chinese-speaking world. Numerous top-level subject headings have emerged in subject directories due to the lack of uniform subject heading control. However, each subject directory usually entertains 12 to 16 subject categories. Pareto's rule, or the 20/80 rule, may govern the access to the resources of this digital library.

Discovering and Using Educational Resources on the Internet: Global Progress or Random Acts of Progress?

Abstract: L'Internet et le Web sont en train de remodeler le paysage educatif. La mise en place de metadonnees pour la description et la decouverte des ressources instructionnelles du Web joue un role critique dans l'efficacite de ces nouveaux outils. La IMS (Instructional Management System) Cooperative tente de bâtir une architecture Internet pour l'apprentissage, en fournissant notamment des specifications techniques pour les metadonnees. L'infrastructure globale d'apprentissage definie par ces specifications permettra ainsi de repondre aux defis poses par l'education en ligne. Au coeur de ce travail sur les metadonnees, se trouve l'idee que l'indexation doit etre laissee aux developpeurs des ressources educatives, mais pour cela les professionnels du catalogage et de l'indexation doivent elaborer des normes, afin de rendre efficace cette tendance a la desintermediation.

The School Library Media Center in the Digital Age: Issues in the Cataloging of Electronic Resources

Abstract: SUMMARY In May J999 a survey was distributed to 214 school library media specialists to explore the ways in which school library media centers provide access to electronic resources such as educational software, interactive multimedia, and Internet resources. Thesurvey also addressed the use of curriculum enhancements to the MARC formal, including fields 856, 658, 526, and 521 in school library catalogs. Results show that while direct-access electronic resources are being fully integrated into collections and services in the library media center, Internet resources are not yet at that point and most library media center catalogs do not reflect the use of curriculum-enhanced MARC for electronic or other materials. The need to develop cooperative cataloging ventures to create curriculum linkages for electronic educational resources is identified.

Democratizing education at the Schomburg : Catalog development and the internet

Abstract: SUMMARY This article documents the development of the catalog at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (NYPL), from its early heginnings up through digital access as is now evident in its Internet presentation, The Digital Schomburg. The role of this unique library as educator and producer is discussed, as well as the cataloging decisions and processes required in mounting The Digital Schomburg. Links to a number of Digital Schomburg resources are provided.

Providing Access to Course Material at Deakin University

Abstract: SUMMARY Deakin University Library was requested by Deakin Australia, the corporate arm of Deakin University, to suggest ways to provide access to their course material. The project looked at how metadata could he incorporated retrospectively and into new print and electronic course material. Although the material is produced in two formats, the archival format would be electronic. Even though access to the Deakin Australia material would be by instructional designers only, the project was seen as the first steps in the exploration of issues the Library would need to consider in providing public access to the University's general course material. This article outlines the recommendations made to Deakin Australia and the reasons behind them.

Introduction: Increasing the Odds

Abstract: Picasso's strategy might be retidered as ''I'll know it when I see it.\" Information scientists also use this approach but they know it as serendipity-\"the faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident\" (Oxford English Dictionary). When it works, i t often returns useful results. It cannot, however, be relied on because there is no procedure that can be invoked to guarantee that it will work. This collection of papers considers the tools and procedures now available or of possible future benefit for searching the Internet more systematically, and also discusses how Internet pages can be modified to facilitate more efficient retrieval. We hope that the topics treated and the questions posed herein will prove interesting, challenging, and valuable to a wide audience. This audience may include:

ALADIN : An example of integrating traditional and electronic services in the digital environment

Abstract: This article provides an overview of ALADIN (Adult Learning Documentation and Information Network) and reports on a worldwide survey carried out by the Documentation Centre of the UNESCO Institute for Education and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology. The survey served as a first step towards implementing international co-operation and cross-border networking between adult education documentation and information services as part of ALADIN's activities. The survey helped to identify a variety of networking procedures and important components of organizing and cataloguing traditional as well as electronic formats on the global scale. Overall, the survey helped to provide data so that adult education can benefit from worldwide exchange of information and bring about the democratic globalization of knowledge. (Full report and information on ALADIN members are available at: http:// .)

Cataloging K-12 math and science curriculum resources on the internet : A non-traditional approach

Abstract: SUMMARY The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC), a project funded through the Office of Educational Research and improvement at the U.S. Department of Education, was created to collect and describe K-12 math and science curriculum resources and provide online access to the descriptive cataloging records (http://www.enc.org/rf/nf_index.htrn). This article discusses methods of identification and selection of WWW sites for ENC, and addresses the cataloging and abstracting of these WWW sites utilizing non-standard cataloging guidelines. This article also discusses ENC's efforts to add value information through the identification of state frameworks or national standards appropriate to the resource, awards or third party reviews, and by linking to related collection items or Websites that support, enhance, or are required for use of the resource described.

Using the online catalog as a publishing source in an academic institution

Abstract: SUMMARY This article reports on the Digital Library Project in 1995 a! the Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York. The project's goal was to deliver electronic information generated by faculty and/or university organizations through the online catalog, by providing a seamless link from a bibliographic record in the OPAC to the electronic item via the Internet. Catalysts for the project included the faculty's need to share and distribute electronic information and the library's need to reduce traffic at the Service Desk, where course materials were kept. Student can now access course-related material remotely, eliminating long lines at the Service Desk, and faculty can exchange electronic information on a secure network.