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1 – 10 of over 36000Ricky Robinson, Jadwiga Indulska and Ted McFadden
The purpose of this paper is to characterise a number of current and future computing environments and summarises their resource discovery requirements. It then seeks to analyse…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to characterise a number of current and future computing environments and summarises their resource discovery requirements. It then seeks to analyse, with respect to the requirements of each environment, several established service discovery protocols and some newer protocols that are still in the research domain. In addition, the key features of a new resource discovery protocol that has been developed to operate with heterogeneous computing environments are described.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature survey was undertaken, highlighting the shortcomings of existing resource discovery protocols with respect to large pervasive computing environments. Given the identified gaps in existing protocols, an alternative protocol is suggested.
Findings
The main findings of this paper relate to the identified shortcomings of existing resource discovery protocols. It was also found that a hybrid resource discovery protocol capable of spanning dynamic, mobile computing environments and more stable ones was able to overcome many of the challenges presented by large‐scale pervasive computing environments.
Originality/value
This paper presents comprehensive literature survey of the state‐of‐the‐art in resource discovery protocols, pointing out some of the problems that are not solved. The paper describes the design of an alternative protocol, and presents an evaluation of it. The pervasive computing research community can draw upon the survey and evaluation to guide the design of future resource discovery protocols for the increasingly dynamic world in which we live.
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Steven Bird and Gary F. Simons
This paper reports on the first 20 years of the Open Language Archives Community (OLAC), comprehensive infrastructure for indexing and discovering language resources.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reports on the first 20 years of the Open Language Archives Community (OLAC), comprehensive infrastructure for indexing and discovering language resources.
Design/methodology/approach
We begin with the original vision, assess progress relative to the original requirements, and identify ongoing challenges.
Findings
Based on the overview of OLAC history and recent developments and on the analysis of the situation in the language archives area as a whole, the authors propose an agenda for a more sustainable future for open language archiving.
Originality/value
This paper examines the progress of OLAC and discusses improvements in such areas as participation, access, and sustainability.
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A.R.D. Prasad and Nabonita Guha
The purpose of this paper is to show that concept naming alone in document annotation is not sufficient to convey the thought content of the information resource. The paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show that concept naming alone in document annotation is not sufficient to convey the thought content of the information resource. The paper presents an outline of semantic document annotation which combines two major processes: facet analysis and concept categorisation. This is also an effort to show how RDF schema can be designed and implemented so that the properties of the schema are able to express the basic structure of the subject matter of the resource.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a methodology for representing the subject matter of a document in terms of RDF. For the purposes of faceted subject annotation, it has developed an extended RDF schema for simple knowledge organisation system (SKOS). The facets and relationships of the faceted subject indexing language postulate‐based permuted subject indexing system (POPSI) have been transformed into RDFS classes. The elementary categories of POPSI form the property classes in the POPSI/RDF Schema. These property classes have been used to formulate the subject description of a document.
Findings
The subject annotation of a document using this schema expresses all the components of the thought content of an information resource.
Practical implications
The examples given in this paper show the applicability of this schema in describing resources in web directories and annotating scholarly documents in digital libraries. In a broader perspective, this provides a methodology for formulating the subject metadata of web resources. This schema helps in formulating the subject string(s) for a resource outlining the skeleton structure of its thought content.
Originality/value
SKOS has been developed as an RDF schema representation of the traditional knowledge organisation systems. But the schema has limited room to accommodate subject indexing languages. The present schema extends the SKOS schema to accommodate the representation of faceted subject indexing languages. The faceted subject annotation system has been adopted for the very reason that it has precedence over the enumerated classification systems, controlled vocabulary lists, etc. The potential to describe the specific subject of the document with more accuracy and representation of context gives the faceted subject indexing languages strength to make the subject description explicit and machine processible.
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The paper aims to explain the character and causes of obsolescence in assigned subject descriptors.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to explain the character and causes of obsolescence in assigned subject descriptors.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper takes the form of a conceptual analysis with examples and reference to existing literature.
Findings
Subject description comes in two forms: assigning the name or code of a subject to a document and assigning a document to a named subject category. Each method associates a document with the name of a subject. This naming activity is the site of tensions between the procedural need of information systems for stable records and the inherent multiplicity and instability of linguistic expressions. As languages change, previously assigned subject descriptions become obsolescent. The issues, tensions, and compromises involved are introduced.
Originality/value
Drawing on the work of Robert Fairthorne and others, an explanation of the unavoidable obsolescence of assigned subject headings is presented. The discussion relates to libraries, but the same issues arise in any context in which subject description is expected to remain useful for an extended period of time.
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This paper was given at an open meeting of WERTJD, the West European Round Table on Information and Documentation, held in Bordeaux on the 31 May 1991. The topic was The Languages…
Abstract
This paper was given at an open meeting of WERTJD, the West European Round Table on Information and Documentation, held in Bordeaux on the 31 May 1991. The topic was The Languages for Information in the Europe of 1993. The meeting had been organized on behalf of WERTID by its French member ADBS, Aslib being the British member.
Koraljka Golub, Pawel Michal Ziolkowski and Goran Zlodi
The study aims to paint a representative picture of the current state of search interfaces of Swedish online museum collections, focussing on search functionalities with…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to paint a representative picture of the current state of search interfaces of Swedish online museum collections, focussing on search functionalities with particular reference to subject searching, as well as the use of controlled vocabularies, with the purpose of identifying which improvements of the search interfaces are needed to ensure high-quality information retrieval for the end user.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first step, a set of 21 search interface criteria was identified, based on related research and current standards in the domain of cultural heritage knowledge organization. Secondly, a complete set of Swedish museums that provide online access to their collections was identified, comprising nine cross-search services and 91 individual museums' websites. These 100 websites were each evaluated against the 21 criteria, between 1 July and 31 August 2020.
Findings
Although many standards and guidelines are in place to ensure quality-controlled subject indexing, which in turn support information retrieval of relevant resources (as individual or full search results), the study shows that they are not broadly implemented, resulting in information retrieval failures for the end user. The study also demonstrates a strong need for the implementation of controlled vocabularies in these museums.
Originality/value
This study is a rare piece of research which examines subject searching in online museums; the 21 search criteria and their use in the analysis of the complete set of online collections of a country represents a considerable and unique contribution to the fields of knowledge organization and information retrieval of cultural heritage. Its particular value lies in showing how the needs of end users, many of which are documented and reflected in international standards and guidelines, should be taken into account in designing search tools for these museums; especially so in subject searching, which is the most complex and yet the most common type of search. Much effort has been invested into digitizing cultural heritage collections, but access to them is hindered by poor search functionality. This study identifies which are the most important aspects to improve.
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To determine the effect of web page editing tools on inclusion and page specificity of meta tagged descriptions and keywords.
Abstract
Purpose
To determine the effect of web page editing tools on inclusion and page specificity of meta tagged descriptions and keywords.
Design/methodology/approach
Using customized software with Yahoo!'s random page service, data from 2,048 URLs were logged. Generator identification was cross‐tabulated with presence and length of both descriptions and keywords. A second analysis on pages on geocities.com was performed using URLs from Altavista. Local links from a sample of the Yahoo! set were followed and linked‐to pages were examined for presence of description or keywords and whether these differed from those on the linking pages.
Findings
The Yahoo! set showed generally no significant difference in inclusion of descriptions and keywords between generator‐identifying and other pages. The geocities.com set did show a significant difference for both keywords and descriptions. Exact repetition of descriptions or keywords between pages on the same site did not generally correlate significantly with identified generators.
Research limitations/implications
Various other tools may have been used to create both generator‐identifying and other pages. A third factor, author level, is probably influencing both choice of authoring tool and decision to include description and keywords. How well keywords and descriptions actually fit the pages was not examined. Further research might examine other differences between the two sets.
Practical implications
Assistance with keywords and descriptions varies widely among web site editing packages, but is not a major selection criterion.
Originality/value
The hypothetical relationships had not previously been tested.
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This paper aims to report work on achieving semantic interoperability in electronic auctions. In particular, it considers the advantages and drawbacks of using hard‐coding and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report work on achieving semantic interoperability in electronic auctions. In particular, it considers the advantages and drawbacks of using hard‐coding and using semantic messages in the communication between the auction system and the participants of the auction.
Design/methodology/approach
It is demonstrated that although XML‐documents are commonly used for information exchange they do not provide any means of talking about the semantics (i.e. meaning) data. It is also shown that by expressing exchanged documents by resource description framework (RDF) the semantics of the messages can be captured in the message.
Findings
It is recognized that hard‐coding is proven to be a valuable and powerful way for an exchange of structured and persistent business documents (messages). However, if we use hard‐coding in the case of non‐persistent documents and non‐static markets we will encounter problems in deploying new auction policies and extending the system by new participants.
Practical implications
The introduction of the RDF‐technology in message exchange is challenging as it incorporates Semantic web technologies into many parts of the auction system, e.g. on data stores and query languages. The introduction of this technology is also an investment. The investment on new Semantic web technology includes a variety of costs including software, hardware and training costs.
Originality/value
By automating electronic auctions both buyers and sellers can benefit as they can achieve cost reductions and shorten the duration of the auction processes. Also new auction formats can be easily deployed.
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Tsvetanka Georgieva-Trifonova, Kaloyan Zdravkov and Donika Valcheva
The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current state of the existing research on the application of semantic technologies in bibliographic databases by providing answers to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current state of the existing research on the application of semantic technologies in bibliographic databases by providing answers to a set of research questions resulting from a systematic literature review.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study consists of conducting a systematic literature review of research works related to the application of semantic technologies in bibliographic databases. A manual keyword search is performed in known academic databases. As a result, a total of 78 literature sources are identified as related to the topic and included in the review. From the selected literature sources, information is extracted, which is then summarized and analyzed according to previously defined research questions and finally reported. Besides, a framework is defined to classify literature sources found and collected as a result of the study. The main criteria, according to which the classification is performed, are the used semantic technology and the research problem for which semantic technologies are applied in bibliographic databases. The classification of the publications is verified by each author independently of others.
Findings
The conducted systematic scientific review establishes that the evolution of semantic technologies sets a period of increased interest in the researchers, as a result of which the advantages of using them for bibliographic descriptions are examined and practically confirmed. After defining semantic models for bibliographic descriptions and approaches to transform existing bibliographic data into their correspondence, the research interest is directed at their comparison, collation; enrichment to facilitate search and retrieval of useful information. Possible perspectives for future research are outlined, which mainly relate to the complete use of the created data sets and their transformation into knowledge repositories.
Originality/value
Despite the increasing importance of the semantic technologies in various areas, including the bibliographic databases, there is a lack of comprehensive literature review and classification of literature sources relevant to this topic. The detailed study proposed in the present paper supports introducing with the existing experience in the application of semantic technologies in bibliographic databases, as well as facilitates the discovery of trends and guidelines for future research.
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