DESIRE II: Project Deliverable

Project Number:

RE 4004 (RE)

Project Title:

DESIRE II - Development of a European Service for Information on Research and Education II

Deliverable Type:

(PU/LI/RP)

Deliverable Number:

D3.4

Contractual Date of Delivery:

Month 15 – September 1999

Actual Date of Delivery:

30 September 1999

Title of Deliverable:

Desire Information Gateways Handbook

Workpackage(s) contributing to the Deliverable:

WP3

Nature of the Deliverable:

RE

Author:

Martin Belcher

Contact Details:

Institute for Learning and Research Technology
University of Bristol
8-10 Berkeley Square
BRISTOL
BS8 1HH
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 7192
Fax: +44 (0)117 928 7112
Email: martin.belcher@bristol.ac.uk

Other Authors:

Dan Brickley, Phil Cross, Michael Day, Yuri Demchenko, Rachel Heery, Debra Hiom, Traugott Koch, Marianne Peereboom, Emma Place, Andy Powell, Fredrick Rybarczyk, Ann-Sofie Zettergren.

URL

http://www.desire.org/html/research/deliverables/D3.4/

Abstract

This document reports on the "Information Gateways Handbook". The handbook has been developed and published as an online document. The full handbook can be accessed at:

http://www.desire.org/html/research/deliverables/D5.1/

A full printed version of the handbook and peer review reports is available from the DESIRE Project Manager on demand.

Keywords

Information gateway
Internet resource discovery
quality controlled
Metadata
Web standards
Internet cataloguing
National Libraries
strategic managers
collaboration
international perspective

Distribution List:

Commission
Project Partners
Web site

Issue:

V1.0

Reference:

http://www.desire.org/html/subjectgateways/handbook/

Total Number of Pages:

Web document, prints to approximately 150 A4 sides.

 

Table of Contents

PART I Title Page

DESIRE II: Project Deliverable *

Part II *

Document Control *

Executive Summary *

Scope Statement *

1.1 Section 1: Strategic Issues *

1.2 Section 2: Information Issues *

1.3 Section 3: Technical Issues *

1.4 Appendixes: *

 

 

Part II

Document Control

Issue Number

Issue Date

Reason for Change

V1.0

30/09/99

First version for delivery
     
     

Executive Summary

The Desire Information Gateways Handbook is designed to support libraries and other organisations interested in setting up large-scale information gateways on the Internet. It offers a step by step guide and points to tools, examples and documentation, which can support the process.

The handbook is divided into three sections to reflect the managerial, information and technical issues that building a gateway raises.

Section 1: Strategic Issues

Section 1 of the handbook is aimed at the people responsible for strategic management - funders and project managers who will initiate the set up of a gateway and who will steer its direction over time.

It aims to give an overview of the key issues involved in gateway projects, giving a rationale for these projects. It covers the important decisions that need to be made when setting up a new gateway (for example, staff effort, skills and costs) but also deals with logistics for managing an existing gateway.

Section 2: Information Issues

Section 2 of the handbook is aimed at gateway staff responsible for information management - the subject specialists and information professionals who will consider the content and organisation of the information within the gateway.

It aims to cover the important decisions that need to be made when setting up a new gateway (such as choosing a metadata format, designing a use interface, writing a selection policy) but also covers issues that arise in the day-to-day running of an existing gateway (such as cataloguing, resource discovery and publicity and promotion).

Section 3: Technical Issues

Section 3 of this handbook is aimed at gateway staff responsible for technical implementation - Internet specialists who will manage the hardware and software and implement new technical features.

It aims to cover the important decisions that need to be made when setting up a new gateway (such as setting up the system and implementing the user interface) but also covers issues that arise in the day-to-day running of an existing gateway (such as running a link checker).

Scope Statement

The handbook aims in particular, to support the development of large-scale gateways in Europe, which can support researchers looking for high quality research information on the Internet. By adopting standard practices, these gateways have the potential to form an international network of gateways that can be cross-searched by researchers across the continent.

The handbook details and demonstrates working examples of many of the leading technologies and research findings that were outcomes of DESIRE I. In addition the handbook also details many of the latest developments in the field of Information Gateways that are a direct result of DESIRE II activities. An updated version of the handbook (due spring 2000) will detail several important areas currently being researched within DESIRE II.

Information Gateways Handbook Contents

A full table of contents is available online at:

http://www.desire.org/html/subjectgateways/handbook/contents.html

    1. Section 1: Strategic Issues

      2. Information gateways overview

      Preliminary planning

      Staff and skills required overview

      System requirements overview

      Maintenance requirements

      Finances

    2. Section 2: Information Issues

      3. Gateway aims and objectives

      Quality selection

      Resource discovery

      Metadata formats

      Cataloguing

      Subject indexing and classification

      Collection management

      Working with information providers

      Publicity and promotion

      User interface design

      Integration of robot and manual indexes

      Distributed cataloguing

      Multi-lingual issues

      Co-operation between gateways

    3. Section 3: Technical Issues

      4. System requirements specifics, hardware and software

      User interface implementation

      Accessibility and usability

      Link checking

      Harvesting, indexing and automated metadata collection

      User profiles

      Interoperability

      Scalability

      Future proofing

    4. Appendixes:

Glossary

References