a theory of digital library metadata the emergence of enriching and filtering
TRANSCRIPT
Getaneh Alemu (PhD)
October 2015
‘Data about data’
Describes and locates information objects
Provides context
Enables the search-ability, browse-ability, find-ability and
management of information objects
“The invisible hand” that enables effective information
organisation
Metadata constitutes a central part of library functions
(Alemu, Stevens, Ross, & Chandler, 2012; Anderson, Delve, Pinchbeck, & Alemu, 2009; Day, 2001; Gartner,
2008; Lagoze, 2010; Nilsson, 2010; NISO, 2004; OCLC/RLG, 2001; Zeng & Qin, 2008)
As library grow, of information
increases, changes and users’ expectations
change:
Contemporary standards-based metadata approaches fail to
to adequately describe the semantic aspects of
information objects
The of documents is missing (Otlet, 1934)
“In Otlet’s world each user would leave an imprint, a trail, which would
become part of the explicit history of each document” (Wright , 2007, p.190)
Scant use of theories/theoretical frameworks in the inclusion
of socially-constructed metadata
(Coyle, 2010; Coyle & Hillmann, 2007; Lagoze, 2010; Mathes, 2004; Shirky, 2005;
Veltman, 2001; Weinberger, 2005, 2007; Wright, 2007)
(Lehmann, 2010; Andersen & Skouvig, 2006.; Floridi, 2000; Hjorland, 2000)
Developing a
Exploring the inclusion of
approaches
Inductively identify concepts
Identify principles
Develop framework
Standards-based metadata approaches imply an
philosophical perspective
Web 2.0 (socially-constructed) metadata approaches seem to
follow a philosophical perspective
Cultural artefacts very often lend themselves to various
and contexts
Alemu, G., Stevens, B., Ross, P. (2012) Towards a conceptual framework for user-driven semantic metadata
interoperability in digital libraries: A social constructivist approach. New Library World. 113 (1/2), 38-54
: inductively developing
concepts/principles/theoretical framework/theories
Theory rather than theory testing
Simultaneous data collection and analysis
Fitting for research areas
Three approaches to grounded theory method
Glaserian (Glaser & Strauss, 1967)
Straussian (Strauss & Corbin, 1998)
(Charmaz, 2006)
Alemu, G., B. Stevens, P. Ross. (2012) Semantic metadata interoperability in digital libraries: a constructivist
grounded theory approach. Bulletin of IEEE Technical Committee on Digital Libraries. 8(1).
Open-ended
Exploratory
11 in-depth interviews
Library as a place
Obsolescence of OPAC
Standards-based versus
socially-constructed
metadata approaches
Sluggish adoption of
Semantic Web
technologies
Bridging cultural
differences through
metadata
Collaboration and
metadata crowd sourcing
The need for theoretical
foundations
Study No.
Interviewees
Study Total Number Profession Sub-total
Study One 11
LIS MSc Students 8
LIS PhD Student 1
LIS Lecturers 2
Study Two21
Librarians 10
LIS Researchers 5
LIS Lecturers 2
Metadata
Consultants4
Study Three 25
Under-graduate Students (BSC) 5
Post-graduate Students (MSc=4 & PhD=6) 10
Lecturers (other than LIS) 10
Total 57
Institution Number of
Interviewees
The British Library 3
Library of Congress 1
Harvard University 1
University of Portsmouth 3
University of Loughborough 1
Kings College London 1
University of South Australia 1
University of Bologna 1
University of Parma 1
University of Zimbabwe 1
University of North Texas 1
Queensland University of Technology 1
OCLC Online Computer Library Centre 1
University College London 1
Cloud of Data 1
2 consultants who are not affiliated to any organisation 2
Reducing barriers to contribution
Simplicity, interestingness and fun
Re-findability
Sense of ownership
Own vocabularies
Altruism and reputation
Engaging with users
of users through
Enables to match the growing collections with the assignment
of
Metadata and (reflecting user
interpretations/terminologies/better conforming to
user requirements)
complement to the
of
Metadata should be about the interface not
about the
Granularly metadata
Uniquely metadata
Creating and facilitating links
It brings
It widens opportunities for
Institutional and
Facilitates metadata and
Minimises or
Flexible and open schemes
filtering
Flexibility to and customise interface displays
catalogue views based on
navigation
From metadata to metadata ;
From metadata to a where
augments expert-created metadata;
From and to
( );
From metadata to metadata;
From metadata records to metadata ;
From a (global) OPAC interface to
and user-friendly interfaces;
From to through tag
clouding, metadata zeitgeist and faceted navigation.
Methodological contribution
A and
Contribution to LIS field/metadata
Emerging metadata principles
A theoretical
Inclusion of the of metadata through a
approach, partly addressing Otlet’s 1934 vision
of contemporary metadata
assumptions and principles
Better reflects the (linguistic/cultural)
It is argued that the findings well with the data; are , ‘
and interpretations but it is among other possible .