Link Resolvers and Knowledge Bases – Why are they so important?

1. Link Resolvers and Knowledge Bases – Why are they so important? Sarah Pearson University of Birmingham Co-Chair KBART Working Group

2. Agenda • What is OpenURL technology? • Why are knowledge bases important? • Problems with knowledge base metadata • How to make content more visible to users • The role of KBART • Feedback from you!

3. printcollections gateways metadata string article title = … first author = … journal name = …   database article citation  publisher/providerholdings data publisherwebsite OpenURL query (base URL+ metadata string)  link resolver’sknowledge base repository base URL oflink resolver resolver.institution.edu predictable link libraryholdings data institution content licence target (cited)article 

4. Make their content OpenURL compliant by: Creating outbound OpenURL links Make their content “KB compliant” by: Telling the knowledge base what content they have and how to link to it Which bits do publishers do? OpenURL query (base URL+ metadata string) link resolver’sknowledge base publisher/providerholdings data • Together: “link-resolver compliance”

5. What does the link resolver do? Takes an OpenURL and extracts the article metadata http://baseurl.institution.edu/content?genre=article&issn= 1234-5679&volume=53&issue=3&page=14 Compares article metadata to knowledge base where is the article available? which version is preferred by the library? Puts together a predictable link to this version predictable link target (cited)article • http://baseurl.institution.edu/content?genre=article&issn= • 1234-5679&volume=53&issue=3&page=14

6. What bits do libraries do? Have a link resolver! And register it with providers Customise its knowledge base with their own holdings data link resolver’sknowledge base base URL oflink resolver resolver.institution.edu libraryholdings data institution

7. Link Resolver Services Link resolver services

8. 2 full text targets

9. Full text article

10. What is a knowledge base? • A database • Contains information about web resources • e.g. what journal holdings are available in JSTOR • and how you link to articles in them • Contains information about the resources a library has licensed/owns • May contain electronic and print holdings (in addition to a number of other services)

11. So why is it so important? • It knows where all the content is • It knows which versions the library is able to access • So – it’s the only place that can get a user to an “appropriate copy”

12. And that means?...... • More content visible to end users • Content linking is more accurate for end users • Increase in content usage • Maximum reach for authors and editors • Better return on investment for library • Favourable renewal decision • Protection of revenue for content providers

13. Knowledge Bases – Measure of Success • Better access for users • Fewer false positives: saying it’s available when its not • Fewer false negatives: saying it’s not available when it is • Best-case scenario: • IF a user is seeking an item, and the library offers access to it through exactly 3 online resources, • THEN the OpenURL resolver returns exactly 3 accurate links to the full text • AND the ‘best’ resources appear first

14. Problems in the supply chain Wrong data Content provider gives wrong metadata for title to knowledge base Link resolver uses bad metadata to make link Link does not resolve to correct target Dead end 

15. Outdated data Provider tells knowledge base it has a particular issue Link resolver links to an article from it Issue has been removed Dead end  Or, provider doesn’t notify that issue is now live So no traffic from link resolvers to that issue! Problems in the supply chain That’s not good!

16. Problems in the supply chain • Lack of knowledge of its importance means: • some content providers aren’t using it • many others aren’t investing in more accurate & timely metadata transfer

17. And when the supply chain breaks … Researchers will go to …

18. Knowledge Bases And Related Tools UKSG and NISO collaborative project UKSG 2007 research report,“Link Resolvers and the Serials Supply Chain” To improve navigation of the e-resource supply chain by Ensuring timely transfer of accurate data to knowledge bases, ERMs etc. Right. So. What is KBart?

19. Guidelines Education Information hub What is KBart’s mission?

20. Definition of the problems • Lack of uptake of OpenURL technology • Poor metadata held in knowledge bases • Inaccurate implementation of OpenURL syntax by OpenURL sources • Poor inbound URL syntax management by OpenURL targets

21. Areas which KBART is addressing • Identifier inconsistencies • Title inconsistencies • Incorrect date coverage • Inconsistent date formatting • Inconsistencies in content coverage description • Embargo inconsistencies • Data format and exchange • Outdated holdings data • Lack of customisation

22. Recommendations Phase I – encompasses the more fundamental recommendations from original research: File format Mandatory and optional fields Common approaches for presenting data within fields Handling of packages Frequency of data update Collection mechanism

23. Mandatory and optional fields • Publication title • Print-format identifier (ie, ISSN, ISBN, etc.) • Online-format identifier (ie, eISSN, eISBN, etc.) • Date of first issue available online • Number of first volume available online • Number of first issue available online • Date of last issue available online (or blank, if coverage is to present) • Number of last volume available online (or blank, if coverage is to present) • Number of last issue available online (or blank, if coverage is to present) • Title-level URL • First author (for monographs) • Title ID • Embargo • Coverage type (abstracts/fulltext) • Coverage notes • Publisher name (if not given in the file’s title)

24. Going public Final Phase I KBart report now released! www.uksg.org/kbart http://www.niso.org/workrooms/kbart Feedback and suggestions welcomed! Phase II started in March

25. Phase II / Next Steps Change of leadership and team members Endorsement / Compliance / Engagement Definitions for global vs local updates Consortia-specific metadata transfer Institution-specific metadata transfer Review of metadata transfer for e-books Open access material

26. Phase II Working Group • Jason Price Claremont Colleges / California Digital Library • Elizabeth Stevenson Edinburgh University • Chad Hutchens University of Wyoming • Sarah Pearson University of Birmingham • Paul Moss OCLC • Sheri Meares EBSCO • Christine Stohn Ex Libris • Sherrard Ewing Serials Solutions • Matthew Llewellin Royal Society • Andreas Biedenbach Springer • Marieke Heins Swets • Ruth Wells Taylor & Francis • Rose Robinson Publishing Technology

27. Let’s look at those benefits again…… • More content visible to end users • Content linking is more accurate for end users • Increase in content usage • Maximum reach for authors and editors • Better return on investment for library • Favourable renewal decision • Protection of revenue for content providers

28. Learn more www.uksg.org/kbart http://www.niso.org/workrooms/kbart Sarah Pearson – KBart co-chair s.pearson.1@bham.ac.uk KBart interest group http://www.niso.org/lists/kbart_interest/

29. Your Turn! • Comments on knowledge base engagement • Feedback on KBART recommendations to date • Suggestions for future work • Endorsement / take-up • Supply chain involvement