ZING Meeting – 22/23 June 2005, ChicagoZING Meeting – 22/23 June 2005, Chicago

CREE ProjectCREE Project(Contextual(Contextual ResourceResource EvaluationEvaluation Environment)Environment)

Matthew J. DoveyMatthew J. Dovey

University of OxfordUniversity of Oxford

IntroductionIntroduction

The CREE Project The CREE Project Part of the JISC Portals ProgrammePart of the JISC Portals Programme http://www.hull.ac.uk/esig/cree/http://www.hull.ac.uk/esig/cree/

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 WSRPortlet development using JSR 168 and WSR

CREE - PartnershipCREE - Partnership

Lead: e-SIG, University of HullLead: e-SIG, University of Hull

OUCS, University of OxfordOUCS, University of Oxford EDINA, University of EdinburghEDINA, University of Edinburgh Archaeology Data Service, University of YorkArchaeology Data Service, University of York Newark & Sherwood CollegeNewark & Sherwood College instructional media + magic, incinstructional media + magic, inc

CREE – A JISC ProjectCREE – A JISC Project

Joint Information Systems CommitteeJoint Information Systems Committee UK Government Agency supporting post-16 UK Government Agency supporting post-16

educationeducation• Network (SuperJANET) Network (SuperJANET) • Content Content • Advice Advice • Development Development

$1.4 million per year on portals$1.4 million per year on portals

JISC Portals ProgrammeJISC Portals Programme

A range of portal development projectsA range of portal development projects Each supports: Each supports:

Resource discovery across distributed multiple Resource discovery across distributed multiple resourcesresources

Presentation Presentation Use of open standards e.g., Z39.50, SRW/U, OAI, Use of open standards e.g., Z39.50, SRW/U, OAI,

RSS RSS

Each has its own discrete website Each has its own discrete website

Where does CREE fit in?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 themPortals 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 embeddingTesting portal technologies to enable embedding

User evaluationUser 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 SurveyCREE Survey

National survey carried outNational survey carried out September - October 2004September - October 2004 >4500 responses>4500 responses

• 2500 of them came from Oxford!2500 of them came from Oxford!

CREE Focus groupsCREE Focus groups 13 groups held: 6 staff and 7 student13 groups held: 6 staff and 7 student >60 people from across disciplines >60 people from across disciplines University of Hull and University of Oxford, University of Hull and University of Oxford,

Newark and Sherwood College Newark and Sherwood College

What did the survey find?What did the survey find?

85% used Internet search tools daily85% used Internet search tools daily

61% used them daily for learning, teaching 61% used them daily for learning, teaching or researchor research

67% used subject-specific resources67% used subject-specific resources

68% used the local library catalogue at least 68% used the local library catalogue at least weeklyweekly

54% used other library catalogues at least 54% used other library catalogues at least monthlymonthly

What search tools are used?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 usedYahoo!,Ask Jeeves,Altavista also used

Nationally maintained subject-specific resourcesNationally maintained subject-specific resources Second in popularity to GoogleSecond in popularity to Google But users are aware of and use more specific search But users are aware of and use more specific search

tools (especially electronic journals)tools (especially electronic journals) Choice of tool is according to needChoice of tool is according to need

Simultaneous SearchingSimultaneous Searching

Displaying search resultsDisplaying search results

Technical developmentTechnical development

Test out how users wish to interact with Test out how users wish to interact with portal search tools in different contextsportal search tools in different contexts Institutional portalInstitutional portal Learning Management SystemsLearning Management Systems Virtual Research EnvironmentsVirtual Research Environments Outside of formal frameworkOutside of formal framework

Creation of interactive search interface Creation of interactive search interface demonstrators for users to viewdemonstrators for users to view

Testing portal standardsTesting portal standards

For testing in portals and related For testing in portals and related frameworksframeworks

Developing portlets using open standardsDeveloping portlets using open standards JSR 168JSR 168 WSRPWSRP

Examine the relationship between theseExamine the relationship between these

Potted History of JSR-168/WSRPPotted History of JSR-168/WSRP

Apache JetSpeed Portal

WebServices

Web Service User Interface

JCP - Java Portlet APIJSR 168

OASIS TCWeb Service for Remote Portals

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003Very rough timeline…

OASIS TCWeb Service for

Interactive Applications

OASIS TCWSIA Family

WSRP (initial spec)

OASIS TCWSRP 1.0

(WSIA dropped)

JSR 168 1.0

WSRP Implementations: Java, .Net, Perl, Python

WSRP 2.0, JSR168 2.0

Re-purposing existing toolsRe-purposing existing tools JAFER – OpenSource Z39.50/SRW engine for searching library JAFER – OpenSource Z39.50/SRW engine for searching library

catalogues (and other) – Oxfordcatalogues (and other) – Oxford http://www.jafer.orghttp://www.jafer.org

GetRef - Metasearch engine for searching bibliographic databases – GetRef - Metasearch engine for searching bibliographic databases – EDINAEDINA

Including GetCopy - OpenURL resolver – EDINAIncluding GetCopy - OpenURL resolver – EDINA http://edina.ac.uk/getref/http://edina.ac.uk/getref/

Archaeology Data Service Z39.50 searchArchaeology Data Service Z39.50 search http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/

XSLT based Google Portlet developed by im&mXSLT based Google Portlet developed by im&m http://www.immagic.comhttp://www.immagic.com

Development pathDevelopment path

All project partners concluded that JSR All project partners concluded that JSR 168 was the simpler development route168 was the simpler development route JSR 168 portlets developed for all so farJSR 168 portlets developed for all so far

JSR 168 portlet is basis for WSRP portletJSR 168 portlet is basis for WSRP portlet JAFER the first example of thisJAFER the first example of this ADS now working via this route as wellADS now working via this route as well Google being developed Google being developed

uPortal at HulluPortal at Hull

The usual stuffThe usual stuff

Workflow for SRW SearchesWorkflow for SRW Searches

User

Portal Portlet WebService

Catalogue

HTML Post WSRP sendBlockingI

nteraction

SRW Request

HTML fragment

(portlet CSS styles)

HTML Rendered

portal

SRW Response

getExplain

XSLT Transform

WSRP getMarkupReq

uestZeeRex

HTML Form Fragment

(Portal CSS)

HTML Search Form

Rendered Portal