nise seminar 17th november 2011 antwerp

The ODIS database

An instrument for contextual data collection and analysis on intermediary structures

NISE Seminar17th November 2011Antwerp

Content

1. Introduction to ODIS 2. The ODIS-2 database 3. Test session

1. Introduction to ODIS ODIS:

Research Interface Centre and Database for the Study of 19th and 20th Century Intermediary Structures

http://www.odis.be Collaborative initiative in Flanders:

° 2000, initial funding from Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) Different universities (K.U.Leuven, UA, UGent, VUB) Main private heritage institutions with archival holdings (ADVN, Amsab-

ISG, KADOC-K.U.Leuven, Liberal Archives) New partners since 2003: Archives and Museum on Flemish Life in

Brussels (AMVB), Centre for Flemish Architectural Archives (CVAa), Centre for Religious Art and Culture (CRKC), Evangelical Archives (EVADOC), University Archives K.U.Leuven

Legal form: Non-profit organization under Belgian law (vzw) (Belgian Official Journal,

13/11/2006, nr. 884.703.544) Hosting by KADOC-K.U.Leuven, president = professor Jan De Maeyer

1. Introduction to ODIS Two major goals:

Research interface centre: Fostering interuniversity cooperation Building joint research projects on the subject General heuristic information for students and researchers,

orientation and in-depth information for foreign researchers Management of research-oriented instruments:

Jointly designed and used by the partners Broad services towards all interested research groups (history,

art and architectural history, social and political sciences, …) Building bridges between different communities: academic,

heritage, archives, libraries, museums, …

1. Introduction to ODIS At the core of the project is the ODIS database:

Operational since 2002-2003 Contextual database Open and flexible data model, with four main entities:

Organizations Persons Publications Archival units

Partners use the joint instrument for: Data storage and input Data publishing (OPAC) Data analysis

1. Introduction to ODIS Collaborative:

Joint data series and clusters offer possibilities to all Collective and central management, offering services to

partners: Input and conversion of older data series Specialized queries

One online manual with instructions and suggestions, one central help desk (info@odis.be)

Joint training of users (researchers, librarians, archivists, volunteers, local historians, …)

User group meetings offering feedback Joint hosting, maintenance and technical development

1. Introduction to ODIS Yet flexible:

Easy access (pc with internet access is sufficient) and user-friendly for different categories of users

Functionalities and support offered in accordance with their needs, expertise and collections

24/24 available (5 % maintenance time) Partners choose focus, scope, profundity of data entry Flexible data model, specific export and import facilities Individual policies regarding disclosure of data series Interconnectivity to the instruments of the partners Distributed data validation within specific user groups Author responsibility: individual or collective

1. Introduction to ODIS Complementary use:

Encyclopedia: basic and / or background information on organizations and persons

Heuristic tool: a joint gateway to the collections on these organizations or persons, thus guiding researchers to the relevant source materials

Authority system: information can be linked to main archival and library catalogues and digital repositories of partners (e.g. Adlib, Aleph, DigiTool, scopeArchiv, …)

Analytic potential: analytical queries can be launched on collected data series, if they are balanced and more or less complete

1. Introduction to ODIS Present status:

9 partner institutions, 18 user groups 15 research and heritage projects supported 154 users (individuals with user id) Volume of 143.308 records (1/1/2011):

27.650 organizations 85.102 persons 21.956 publications 8.600 archival units

1. Introduction to ODIS Resonance (during 2010):

32.853 visits: 8.968 (27,3 %) via direct traffic 17.261 (52,5 %) via search engines (Google) 6.624 (20,2 %) via referring sites

15.943 unique visitors 29.156 queries in OPAC 257.406 records consulted

1. Introduction to ODIS

Questions?

Content

1. Introduction to ODIS 2. The ODIS-2 database 3. Test session

2. The ODIS-2 database Hercules Project:

° 2009, funded by the Hercules Foundation (Flemish agency for research infrastructure)

Interuniversity cooperation Leuven-Antwerp Goal: “The development of the contextual web database

ODIS as an information node in a broad network of data collections, with more and user-friendly research-supporting functions and within a sustainable and modern technical environment”

A new ODIS database is currently being developed

2. The ODIS-2 database The ODIS-2 database will contain seven

interconnected entities: Organizations Persons Publications Archival units Objects (immovable heritage) Families Events

An auxiliary module for the description of repositories will also be available

ODIS-2 entity-relationship diagram

2. The ODIS-2 database The data models are based on international standards:

ISAAR(CPF): organizations, persons, families ISBD: publications ISAD(G): archival units Docomomo: objects ISDIAH: repositories

Structure of the entities: Clear authority entries: identification (names, titles, dating,

types) Free text fields according to the nature of the entity Repeatable fields and field groups for specific data elements

with analytical potential, often using standardized vocabularies and thesauri

Relational fields: clear and univocal links between entities, permitting the creation of information clusters

2. The ODIS-2 database ‘My ODIS’: users or user groups will be able to

‘customize’ the database to their own needs and preferences: They can choose which fields of the input environment they

want to see and in which order (only a few authority fields are compulsory!)

They can define own fields or field groups They can add new terms to the vocabularies / thesauri ‘Customized’ export possibilities will also be available The central management will provide assistance and will

develop help pages for the different user groups

‘My ODIS’: users will be able to define which input fields they want to use

Users select

the fields they

want to use

Partner institutionsand researchers

Input in the standardized ODIS-frame

End users

www.odis.be

Access via general ODIS-OPACwww.odis.be

Access via specificOPAC

Basic data

Specific data research unit B

Specific data researcher C

No web access

Partner institution A

Researcher C

Partner B

Extensive export possibilities (xml, csv, xls)

Input in the standardized ODIS-frame + user-defined fields

Tools of analysis of institution orindividual researcher

Partner institutionsand researchers

Input in the standardized ODIS-frame

End users

www.odis.be

Access via general ODIS-OPACwww.odis.be

Access via specificOPAC

Basic data

Specific data research unit B

Specific data researcher C

No web access

Partner institution A

Researcher C

Partner B

Extensive export possibilities (xml, csv, xls)

Input in the standardized ODIS-frame + user-defined fields

Tools of analysis of institution orindividual researcher

2. The ODIS-2 database Internationalization (1): MULTILINGUALISM:

The new database is available in English and in Dutch A Dutch and an English record about a same entity can be

developed independently; they only share some authority data (reference name, dating, …)

It is possible to add more languages in the future

RECORD

Column 1(authority data)

RECORD ENGLISH

Column 2Column 3

…

RECORD DUTCH

Column 2Column 3

…

2. The ODIS-2 database Internationalization (2): MULTICONTEXTUALITY:

Some vocabularies / thesauri in the current database are oriented to the Belgian / Flemish context

To facilitate data input about other contexts, new vocabularies are being developed: Organizations: legal forms Persons:

Decorations Levels of education (ISCED-97) Political positions Political bodies Political competences

At this moment: focus on European countries and international context

Users will be able to add additional terms themselves

Completed

Under construction

+ International context

2. The ODIS-2 database Geographical thesaurus:

The current ODIS database contains a hierarchical geographical thesaurus of Belgian and Dutch place-names

The thesaurus departs from actual territorial and administrative entities, but historical reference terms are also included

The internationalization of the thesaurus is being prepared

2. The ODIS-2 database Other important features of the Hercules Project:

Development of advanced import and export possibilities

E.g.: the implementation of GIS software in the new database will facilitate spatial analyses and representations of the ODIS content

Implementation of OAI-PMH: Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata

Harvesting Interoperability and database linking

2. The ODIS-2 database Implementation of editing tools:

Layout options Spelling check

Creation of a central repository for statistical and other related data series (e.g. membership lists of organizations, …)

2. The ODIS-2 database Technical environment:

Hardware updates: new server (HP Intel Xeon X5450 3.0 GHz Quad Core, 4 GB RAM, 146 GB hard disk)

Software updates: Windows Server 2008 Oracle 11g R2 (11.2.0.1) Enterprise Edition Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBI EE) 11g,

Oracle Fusion Middleware MapViewer

2. The ODIS-2 database

Questions?

You can always contact us:

info@odis.be

or

peter.heyrman@kadoc.kuleuven.be

joris.colla@kadoc.kuleuven.be

Content

1. Introduction to ODIS 2. The ODIS-2 database 3. Test session