The present paper reports on a user-centred evaluation of a pilot terminology service developed as part of the High Level Thesaurus (HILT) project at the Centre for Digital Library Research (CDLR) in the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. The pilot terminology service was developed as an experimental platform to investigate issues relating to mapping between various subject schemes, namely Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), the Unesco thesaurus, and the MeSH thesaurus, in order to cater for crossbrowsing and cross-searching across distributed digital collections and services. The aim of the evaluation reported here was to investigate users' thought processes, perceptions, and attitudes towards the pilot terminology service and to identify user requirements for developing a full-blown pilot terminology service.
Effective information retrieval within digital libraries is limited by the lack of semantic interoperability between subject schemes used by online services and collections. The use of multiple terminologies and ad hoc modifications to standard schemes prevents users from cross searching multiple repositories, cross-sectoral resources and interdisciplinary material. In order to overcome this, improved compatibility between schemes is required. This paper considers potential solutions to the terminology problem, with a particular focus on the mapping approach. Key aspects of the mapping technique are discussed with reference to practical applications and initiatives. Introduction: Terminology problemAchieving semantic interoperability in the digital information environment is severely impeded by the adoption of different terminology sets and subject schemes within online services and collections. Variation in the way they are applied serves to compound the issue further. The result is that users are unable to cross search multiple sources, crossdisciplinary and cross-sectoral material simultaneously. In order to make life easier for users, therefore, and increase their ability to retrieve a greater proportion of information relevant to their needs with no additional effort, it is essential to encourage compatibility between terminologies. Significance of a solutionTo prevent the problems caused by the use of disparate terminologies escalating, it is essential to identify an effective solution. If the issue is neglected, resources will continue to be classified in non-standard ways increasing the extent of the problem. The longer the problem continues, the more expensive it will be to resolve. Legacy metadata will thrive and the cost of modifying this to fit an agreed solution will increase in direct proportion. A rapid and effective solution is therefore highly desirable. Proposed solutionsOver the last two decades, different approaches have been proposed to achieve subject interoperability and to provide more consistent access to information. The Open Archives Forum (2002) breakout session on subject interoperability suggested automatic, semiautomatic classification, crosswalks and mapping as potential solutions to the terminologies problem. In addition, cross-browsing, schema mapping, and coding vocabularies in an easily processable and machine-readable format such as RDF and XML have been suggested. Chan and Zeng (2002) identified a number of methods for achieving and improving interoperability. These include 1) derivation/modeling attained
This version is available at https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/2319/ Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Unless otherwise explicitly stated on the manuscript, Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Please check the manuscript for details of any other licences that may have been applied. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or private study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge.Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to the AbstractThe role of DDC in the ongoing HILT (High-level Thesaurus) project is discussed. A phased initiative, funded by JISC in the UK, HILT addresses an issue of likely interest to anyone serving users wishing to cross-search or cross-browse groups of networked information services, whether at regional, national or international level -the problem of subject-based retrieval from multiple sources using different subject schemes for resource description.Although all three phases of HILT to date are covered, the primary concern is with the subject interoperability solution piloted in phase II, and with the use of DDC as a spine in that approach.
This article discusses the problem of interoperability in subject searching and browsing in distributed digital libraries. The aim is to provide brief practical advice to those tackling the problem themselves. A general overview of problem areas is given and some current projects tackling key issues are described
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