PRIDE

Glossary

AES

Advanced Encryption Standard – a replacement for DES.

Agora

A hybrid library project funded by eLib.

ANSI

American National Standards Institute.

ASF

Advanced Search Facility.

BIBLINK

A project funded under the European Union Telematics for Libraries programme.

Blowfish

A 64-bit block cipher.

Bureau

A third party serving metadata descriptions, e.g. a PICS label bureau.

CDF

Channel Definition Format. An XML application, primarily for describing 'push' channels. May also be used to describe arbitrary groupings of resources.

Checksum

A computed value which depends on the contents of a 'block of data'.

Copyright

Protection of works defined by national and international legislation granted to creators and their appointed agents.

CORBA

Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

DASL

DAV Searching and Locating. See also: WebDAV.

DC

See: Dublin Core.

DC-dot

A program for creating Dublin Core metadata that can be pasted into the headers of Web pages.

DES

Data Encryption Standard.

DESIRE

Development of a European Service for Information and Research. A project funded by the European Union Telematics for Research programme.

DIT

Directory Information Tree.

DN

Distinguished Name. An X.500 or LDAP object name.

DNS

Domain Name System.

DOI

Digital Object Identifier.

DSA

Digital Signature Algorithm.

DSA

Directory Service Agent.

DSig

Digital Signatures Initiative. Work co-ordinated by W3C to develop a trust mechanism for the Web. Will be based on RDF.

DSSSL

Document Style Semantics and Specification Language.

DSTC

Distributed Systems Technology Centre.

DTD

Document Type Definition. An application program defining document types in a SGML context.

DUA

Directory User Agent.

Dublin Core

A metadata format defined on the basis of international consensus which has defined a minimal information resource description, generally for use in a WWW environment.

EAD

Encoding Archival Description. A SGML-based metadata format developed for the description of archives.

EDI

Electronic Data Interchange. The exchange of structured data messages to enable automated transactions between application systems.

GILS

Government Information Locator Service. Metadata format created by the US Federal Government in order to provide a means of locating information generated by government agencies.

Handle System

A distributed system developed by CNRI that resolves identifiers into the information necessary to locate and access resources.

Harvest

A system providing a software architecture for gathering, indexing and accessing Internet information. Uses SOIF.

Hash Function

See: Checksum.

HTML

Hypertext Mark-up Language. The standard language used for creating Web documents.

HTTP

HyperText Transfer Protocol. The client-server protocol used for the exchange of HTML. See also: TCP/IP.

IAFA templates

Internet Anonymous FTP Archive templates. Metadata format designed for Anonymous FTP archives, now adapted for use in ROADS project.

IDEA

International Data Encryption Algorithm.

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

IETF

Internet Engineering Task Force.

IFLA

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

ILL

Inter-Library Loan protocol defined in ISO 10160 and 10161.

IMS

Instructional Management System.

INDECS

Interoperability of Data in E-Commerce Systems. A European funded project.

ISAAC

The Isaac Network: Information Seeker's Avenue to Authoritative Content.

ISBN

International Standard Book Number.

ISSN

International Standard Serial Number.

LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. Internet standard for directory services.

ldapd

LDAP daemon (server).

Licence

A framework for creators and their appointed representatives to define the terms and conditions under which a creation may be used, copied, distributed and exploited.

LIDDAS

Local Inter-lending and Document Delivery System

MAD

Microsoft Active Directory

MARC

MAchine Readable Cataloguing. A family of formats based on ISO 2709 for the exchange of bibliographic and other related information in machine readable form. For example, USMARC, UKMARC and UNIMARC.

MCF

Meta Content Framework

MD2,4,5

A one-way hash function typically used within cryptography.

Metadata

Data which provides information about a resource.

MIME

Multimedia mail enhancements to the Internet mail standard.

MPEG-7

Multimedia Content Description Interface.

NISO

National Information Standards Organization.

NIST

U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

OCLC

On-line Computer Library Center.

Open Group

A standards body.

PEM

Privacy Enhancements for Electronic Mail.

PGP

Pretty Good Privacy.

PICS

Platform for Internet Content Selection. Internet content filtering infrastructure.

PII

Publisher Item Identifier.

PKCS

Public-Key Cryptography Standards.

PURL

Persistent Uniform Resource Locator.

Push technology

New Web technologies based on pushing information to end user.

RC2,4,5

Variable key-size ciphers.

RDN

Relative Distinguished Name. An X.500 or LDAP object name.

Reggie

A Java-based metadata editor developed by DSTC.

ROADS

Resource Organisation And Discovery in Subject based services. eLib funded project developing software for use by Internet subject services. ROADS templates are a metadata format and are a development of IAFA templates.

RDF

Resource Description Framework. Provides a framework for metadata in different application areas, e.g. resource discovery, content ratings and intellectual property.

RSA

Public-key cryptosystem.

SBIG

Subject-Based Information Gateway. See: Subject Service.

SET

Secure Electronic Transaction.

SGML (ISO 8879)

Standard Generalised Mark-up Language. An international standard for the description of marked-up electronic text.

SHA

Secure Hash Algorithm.

SHHTP

HTTP secured using SSL.

SICI

Serial Item and Contribution Identifier.

sldapd

Standalone LDAP Daemon – an LDAP daemon not connected to the X.500 DIT.

S/MIME

Secure MIME.

SOIF

Summary Object Interchange Format. A metadata format developed for use with the Harvest architecture.

SSI

Server Side Include. Mechanism for dynamically generating parts of Web pages.

SSL

Secure Socket Layer. A method for end-to-end network encryption.

Subject Service

Internet subject services or gateways. Typically give access to selected Internet resources based on subject coverage and quality criteria. For example: Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG).

Unicode

A standard for international character encoding.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The Internet transport-level protocols, often used to refer to the entire collection of Internet protocols.

TF-CHIC

TERENA Task Force - Cooperative Heirarchical Indexing Coordination.

URC

Uniform Resource Characteristics.

URI

Uniform Resource Identifier. The super-set of URNs, URLs and URCs.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. The standard way to give the address of a source of information on the WWW. For example: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/publications.html

URN

Uniform Resource Name. Persistent identification for Web resources.

Warwick Framework

An architecture for the exchange of distinct metadata packages involving the aggregation of metadata packages into containers.

Web robot

A software robot that trawls the WWW, generating all-encompassing Web indexes. Also known as Web crawlers or Web spiders.

WebDAV

Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning. An IETF Working Group.

Whois++

An Internet directory services protocol.

World Wide Web Consortium

Organisation currently responsible for the development of Web protocols.

WWW

World Wide Web.

W3C

See: World Wide Web Consortium

X.500

ISO and CCITT directory service protocol

XML

Extensible Markup Language. A lightweight version of SGML designed for use on the Internet.

Z39.50

A NISO standard for an application layer protocol for information retrieval that is specifically designed to aid retrieval from distributed servers.

Maintained by: Andy Powell
Last updated: 18-Jan-1999

AES	Advanced Encryption Standard – a replacement for DES.
Agora	A hybrid library project funded by eLib.
ANSI	American National Standards Institute.
ASF	Advanced Search Facility.
BIBLINK	A project funded under the European Union Telematics for Libraries programme.
Blowfish	A 64-bit block cipher.
Bureau	A third party serving metadata descriptions, e.g. a PICS label bureau.
CDF	Channel Definition Format. An XML application, primarily for describing 'push' channels. May also be used to describe arbitrary groupings of resources.
Checksum	A computed value which depends on the contents of a 'block of data'.
Copyright	Protection of works defined by national and international legislation granted to creators and their appointed agents.
CORBA	Common Object Request Broker Architecture.
DASL	DAV Searching and Locating. See also: WebDAV.
DC	See: Dublin Core.
DC-dot	A program for creating Dublin Core metadata that can be pasted into the headers of Web pages.
DES	Data Encryption Standard.
DESIRE	Development of a European Service for Information and Research. A project funded by the European Union Telematics for Research programme.
DIT	Directory Information Tree.
DN	Distinguished Name. An X.500 or LDAP object name.
DNS	Domain Name System.
DOI	Digital Object Identifier.
DSA	Digital Signature Algorithm.
DSA	Directory Service Agent.
DSig	Digital Signatures Initiative. Work co-ordinated by W3C to develop a trust mechanism for the Web. Will be based on RDF.
DSSSL	Document Style Semantics and Specification Language.
DSTC	Distributed Systems Technology Centre.
DTD	Document Type Definition. An application program defining document types in a SGML context.
DUA	Directory User Agent.
Dublin Core	A metadata format defined on the basis of international consensus which has defined a minimal information resource description, generally for use in a WWW environment.
EAD	Encoding Archival Description. A SGML-based metadata format developed for the description of archives.
EDI	Electronic Data Interchange. The exchange of structured data messages to enable automated transactions between application systems.
GILS	Government Information Locator Service. Metadata format created by the US Federal Government in order to provide a means of locating information generated by government agencies.
Handle System	A distributed system developed by CNRI that resolves identifiers into the information necessary to locate and access resources.
Harvest	A system providing a software architecture for gathering, indexing and accessing Internet information. Uses SOIF.
Hash Function	See: Checksum.
HTML	Hypertext Mark-up Language. The standard language used for creating Web documents.
HTTP	HyperText Transfer Protocol. The client-server protocol used for the exchange of HTML. See also: TCP/IP.
IAFA templates	Internet Anonymous FTP Archive templates. Metadata format designed for Anonymous FTP archives, now adapted for use in ROADS project.
IDEA	International Data Encryption Algorithm.
IEEE	Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
IETF	Internet Engineering Task Force.
IFLA	International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
ILL	Inter-Library Loan protocol defined in ISO 10160 and 10161.
IMS	Instructional Management System.
INDECS	Interoperability of Data in E-Commerce Systems. A European funded project.
ISAAC	The Isaac Network: Information Seeker's Avenue to Authoritative Content.
ISBN	International Standard Book Number.
ISSN	International Standard Serial Number.
LDAP	Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. Internet standard for directory services.
ldapd	LDAP daemon (server).
Licence	A framework for creators and their appointed representatives to define the terms and conditions under which a creation may be used, copied, distributed and exploited.
LIDDAS	Local Inter-lending and Document Delivery System
MAD	Microsoft Active Directory
MARC	MAchine Readable Cataloguing. A family of formats based on ISO 2709 for the exchange of bibliographic and other related information in machine readable form. For example, USMARC, UKMARC and UNIMARC.
MCF	Meta Content Framework
MD2,4,5	A one-way hash function typically used within cryptography.
Metadata	Data which provides information about a resource.
MIME	Multimedia mail enhancements to the Internet mail standard.
MPEG-7	Multimedia Content Description Interface.
NISO	National Information Standards Organization.
NIST	U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
OCLC	On-line Computer Library Center.
Open Group	A standards body.
PEM	Privacy Enhancements for Electronic Mail.
PGP	Pretty Good Privacy.
PICS	Platform for Internet Content Selection. Internet content filtering infrastructure.
PII	Publisher Item Identifier.
PKCS	Public-Key Cryptography Standards.
PURL	Persistent Uniform Resource Locator.
Push technology	New Web technologies based on pushing information to end user.
RC2,4,5	Variable key-size ciphers.
RDN	Relative Distinguished Name. An X.500 or LDAP object name.
Reggie	A Java-based metadata editor developed by DSTC.
ROADS	Resource Organisation And Discovery in Subject based services. eLib funded project developing software for use by Internet subject services. ROADS templates are a metadata format and are a development of IAFA templates.
RDF	Resource Description Framework. Provides a framework for metadata in different application areas, e.g. resource discovery, content ratings and intellectual property.
RSA	Public-key cryptosystem.
SBIG	Subject-Based Information Gateway. See: Subject Service.
SET	Secure Electronic Transaction.
SGML (ISO 8879)	Standard Generalised Mark-up Language. An international standard for the description of marked-up electronic text.
SHA	Secure Hash Algorithm.
SHHTP	HTTP secured using SSL.
SICI	Serial Item and Contribution Identifier.
sldapd	Standalone LDAP Daemon – an LDAP daemon not connected to the X.500 DIT.
S/MIME	Secure MIME.
SOIF	Summary Object Interchange Format. A metadata format developed for use with the Harvest architecture.
SSI	Server Side Include. Mechanism for dynamically generating parts of Web pages.
SSL	Secure Socket Layer. A method for end-to-end network encryption.
Subject Service	Internet subject services or gateways. Typically give access to selected Internet resources based on subject coverage and quality criteria. For example: Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG).
Unicode	A standard for international character encoding.
TCP/IP	Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The Internet transport-level protocols, often used to refer to the entire collection of Internet protocols.
TF-CHIC	TERENA Task Force - Cooperative Heirarchical Indexing Coordination.
URC	Uniform Resource Characteristics.
URI	Uniform Resource Identifier. The super-set of URNs, URLs and URCs.
URL	Uniform Resource Locator. The standard way to give the address of a source of information on the WWW. For example: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/publications.html
URN	Uniform Resource Name. Persistent identification for Web resources.
Warwick Framework	An architecture for the exchange of distinct metadata packages involving the aggregation of metadata packages into containers.
Web robot	A software robot that trawls the WWW, generating all-encompassing Web indexes. Also known as Web crawlers or Web spiders.
WebDAV	Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning. An IETF Working Group.
Whois++	An Internet directory services protocol.
World Wide Web Consortium	Organisation currently responsible for the development of Web protocols.
WWW	World Wide Web.
W3C	See: World Wide Web Consortium
X.500	ISO and CCITT directory service protocol
XML	Extensible Markup Language. A lightweight version of SGML designed for use on the Internet.
Z39.50	A NISO standard for an application layer protocol for information retrieval that is specifically designed to aid retrieval from distributed servers.