ROADS Evaluation of Cataloguing with Connection to Interoperability (RECCI)

Ann Chapman and Michael Day
UKOLN: The UK Office for Library and Information Networking,
University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
<a.d.chapman@ukoln.ac.uk> <m.day@ukoln.ac.uk>

12 February 1998

1. Introduction

A study of the usage of ROADS templates and interoperability.

Version 2 of the ROADS software implements tools which will enable cross-searching across different subject services. For this reason, there needs to be an understanding that cross-searching depends upon a semantically consistent use of metadata, in this case ROADS templates. It is for this reason that a ROADS Template Registry exists and why some generic ROADS Cataloguing Guidelines are being developed. It also would be useful to identify areas where cataloguing policies might be co-ordinated to optimise cross-searching. For this reason, as part of ROADS Strand 2 (Interoperability) UKOLN is looking at:

• Current cataloguing policies and practice
• Editorial policies
• Impacts on cross-searching and interoperability

A small initial review of some of the eLib ROADS based services has been carried out by staff at UKOLN as a preliminary to a suggested wider study, if it is felt to be useful. Preliminary discussions took place with cataloguers at SOSIG who considered that a study of this type should be interesting and useful. The preliminary study looked at templates created by ADAM, History, OMNI and SOSIG.

2. The Original Proposal:

ROADS based services will be requested to provide UKOLN with a number of templates which will then be assessed with regard to:

1. Cross-searching ability -

• Highlighting inconsistencies between the practices of different services
• Looking at formats used for dates, languages and names
• Looking at subject terms and their use
• Checking conformance with subject service cataloguing guidelines
• Checking conformance with generic ROADS cataloguing guidelines

2. Quality -

• Internal consistency
• Typographic errors
• Other errors

In conjunction with this, services will be asked about their own editorial policies:

• What internal processes are currently carried out before a template is added to the database
• What is the role of validation processes and regular error checking

Other information, including an up-to-date statistical analysis of ROADS services' use of templates would also be gathered.

3. Deliverables

• Preliminary Report. (Published: 17 August 1998).
• Documentation of the cataloguing practices of the selected subject services and an analysis of the effect these have on cross-searching ability
• Documentation of the editorial policies practised by individual subject services and possible proposals for the use of automatic validation and error checking mechanisms

The final study would also take the form of a report with recommendations

Maintained by Michael Day of the UKOLN Metadata Group.
Last updated: 17-Aug-1998