Use Cases
From DigiRepWiki
Introduction
Possible uses of images are distinguished from possible users of images. Images in this context are those that may be held within an institutional repository, and this document assumes that any type of image may be held in an institutional repository.
User Types
1) Image creator (i.e. photographer, imaging technician; project assistant)
2) Image cataloguer
3) Image aggregator
4) Image researcher
5) End-user
User Needs
All users have the following requirements/needs (but to varying degrees):
• To find an image quickly and efficiently
• To be able to filter their image search by:
Date of image
Location of image
Creator of image
Format
Image size, resolution, bit-depth, etc
Digital and/or physical location
The following user groupings have further detailed requirements
Image cataloguers and aggregators
• To have access to high quality database tools, including a simple clear data entry interface
• To have access to related information
• To have on-screen access to a high resolution version of the image
• To have easy access to information about the subject of the image
Image researchers and end-users
• To have access to high quality search tools
• To have access to an online search engine
• To know that the images are sourced from a reliable and accurate source
• To be able to filter their image search by
Date (of subject, of image, of related work, etc)
Location (of subject, of image, of related work, etc)
Creator (of subject, of image, of related work, etc)
Source of image
Name of publisher
Rights owner or owners
Type of rights available (e.g. right to reproduce free of charge, etc)
Relationship to other works (e.g. academic treatise; printed book; print collection; medieval psalter, etc etc)
• To know if the image is in copyright and, if so, how to contact rights-holders
• To know if there are any costs associated with individual images
Image Creator (provider of information to the repository)
1. To be able to record technical information about the image
2. To be able to apply a (preferably machine-generated) unique ID for the image
3. To be able to record the ID of the item being copied/scanned, if relevant
Academic researcher and teacher (acting as creators / cataloguers and uploading material to an online database)
1. Simple form access to an online database
2. Guidelines written in understandable terms in an intuitive easy to use way
3. As little information as possible (i.e. as much automated stuff as possible)
4. To be able to check for errors and receive concise error messages
Image researcher, Support and Library staff
1. To find all research outputs that have happened during a particular time frame, so they can gather material for reports (e.g. RAE).
2. To know who funded the creation of the images, when the funding period was, and for how much money.
Technical support staff
1. Need to know information about the file, such as preservation info, date of creation, size, formats
2. If the image is open access, or restricted
3. Does the image contain EXIF/ITPC information that can be extracted
Academic researcher (both an image researcher and an end-user)
1. To find peer-reviewed, quality images in their area of research/academic subject.
2. To find images by a particular person or group of people.
3. To know if they can obtain a copy of a high resolution version of the image for their private study
4. To know if they can obtain a copy of a high resolution version of the image for publication
5. To know if the record only refers to an analogue image (i.e. is metadata only)
6. To know where the original work is located so they can go and view it.
7. To know if other images of the same work, or related works exist.
8. To filter by format and resolution/quality.
9. To have confidence in the integrity of image in terms of rights and digitisation method
10. To have a reference if an image is taken from a text/ pdf
Teacher (image researcher, aggregator and end-user)
1. To be able to point students to trusted image resources in their own and related subject areas
2. To know terms and conditions of use, e.g. can they be used in the classroom, are they good enough quality to project, can images be reused and published in a lesson?
3. To know if the image belong to other learning objects etc.
4. To know if related images are of use for teaching
Students/Undergraduates (image researcher and an end-user)
1. To find images relevant to particular course
2. To know if they can re-use images in their course work
3. To be able to download low resolution images for use
Professional picture researcher
1. To find images by a wide variety of search terms, including terms expressing concepts, emotions, colours etc
2. To know the content/iconography of the images, and filter by orientation and colour/black and white
3. To know cost of publication and terms of use.
National search services
1. Need to be able to search multiple repositories for academic subject, people, dates, keywords, title, rights status.
2. Need to have unique references/URI for all the works that they search so they can point to the work.
3. Need to filter data consistently, so require a common schema/mapping in use throughout.
4. Need to be able to identify metadata only records or records where the image is available also.
Subject based search services
1. As above for their particular subject, but may require a more detailed richer metadata to satisfy their subject focussed audience.
General Public
1. Find images on particular subject
2. Less specialised searching
3. Open access images
4. Rights
5. Re-use
