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HILT II: Towards Interoperable Subject Descriptions
Report to the JISC Terminologies Workshop, February 2004.
Dennis Nicholson:
Centre for Digital Library Research, Strathclyde University
Overview
Aims Overview of the Problem Outcomes Server Design Summary
Function; Elements; Coverage; Use
Other Points to Note; Costs Two Alternatives
Aims
Build pilot terminologies service for JISC Information Environment, aiming to: Provide a practical experimental focus
within which to investigate and establish subject terminology service requirements for the JISC I.E
Make recommendations as regards a possible future service
Overview of the Problem
JISC & other services JISC users need: Different schemes in use Different versions of the same scheme Different approaches to amending and
extending schemes Schemes, variations vary in ability to reflect
terminologies used by users when searching Users need to:
Identify services appropriate to their search Identify relevant items either by using correct
term for scheme used or by some other method
Outcomes
Development project to build a working terminologies server with specific features
Consensus, Collaboration seen as vital, so: Dialogue with key national and international
players Mapping between schemes, rather than
preference for a single scheme (HILT I) The need for a facility to allow others to include
their own (self-provisioned) mappings The existence of other terminology servers
Server Function To:
Improve accurate, consistent description by staff
Improve accurate, informed searching by users
Map between schemes via DDC spine Map user terms to DDC, collections,
other schemes Ultimately: improve retrieval from
legacy metadata Monitor, learn from user terminology
sets
Server Elements
Wordmap; three elements: Database (Oracle) of terminology
mappings User front end that interacts with database
according to staff specifications and user input and feedback
Drag and drop, multi-user interface to support sophisticated staff interaction with database for creation and maintenance of maps, inter-service co-ordination and training
Server Schemes DDC spine; captions; relative index;
standard subdivisions LCSH to DDC mapping UNESCO to DDC mapping UK terms registry (mapped to DDC) MeSH, Regional, AAT options Pilot more limited – UNESCO, MeSH
illustrative, no AAT
The Server in Action User enters subject term Term matched to terminology set and
mapped to DDC Options and disambiguation DDC number truncated and mapped to
collections database to identify appropriate collections
Information on scheme used; advice; sample retrieval
Demonstration
Other Points; Costs
User Interface Facilities and Further Research
Machine to Machine (M2M) Facilities and Interactivity Issues
‘Limited granularity mapping’ Information Environment Services
Registry (IESR) Issues Costs over 5 years
Two Alternatives
A single scheme? (but…) Automatic Categorisation Matrix?
Auto-categorising service for every scheme Staff auto index and classify resources but correct
intellectually; both are recorded; collection and item identifier also recorded
User queries or seed documents also auto-categorised against each scheme; mapped to items using either auto or intellectual categorisation; user disambiguates at item level
Thoughts
Automatic Categorisation Matrix If it worked, it would remove the need for
expensive mapping process Interim project that investigates this approach
worth considering first? Speculative – needs researched One possible breakout session topic
Mapping may be the only way Doing nothing not an option
Further Information
Website: http://hilt.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/ e-mail:
