AUTHORIS: a tool for authority control in the semantic web

Abstract

Structured abstract PurposeThe paper proposes a tool that generates authority files to be integrated with Linked Data by means of learning rules.AUTHORIS is software developed to enhance authority control and information exchange among bibliographic and non-bibliographic entities. Design/methodology/approachThe article analyzes different methods previously developed for authority control as well as IFLA and ALA standards for managing bibliographic records. Semantic Web technologies are also evaluated.AUTHORIS relies on Drupal and incorporates the protocols of Dublin Core, SIOC, SKOS and FOAF. The tool has also taken into account the obsolescence of MARC and its substitution by FRBR and RDA.Its effectiveness was evaluated applying a learning test proposed by RDA (2011). Over 80% of the actions were carried out correctly. FindingsThe use of learning rules and the facilities of Linked Data make it easier for information organizations to reutilize products for authority control and distribute them in a fair and efficient manner. Research limitations/implicationThe ISAD-G records were the ones presenting most errors. EAD was found to be second in the number of errors produced. The rest of the formats -MARC 21, Dublin Core, FRAD, RDF, OWL, XBRL and FOAF-showed fewer than 20 errors in total. Practical implicationsAUTHORIS offers institutions the means of sharing data with a high level of stability, helping to detect records that are duplicated and contributing to lexical disambiguation and data enrichment. Originality/valueThe software combines the facilities of Linked Data, the potency of the algorithms for converting bibliographic data, and the precision of learning rules.

Software Applications Ecosystem for Authority Control

“…The need to uniformly record information on each author included in a catalog is addressed in work and research stemming from several international organizations. Libraries and organizations of international prestige such as the United States Library of Congress (LOC), the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) acknowledge the fact that the information exchange protocols on the Web are insufficient means of controlling authority in the catalogs and systems of library management [16].…”

“…• The need for authority control is made explicit, and the Name Authority Cooperative (NACO) comes to light with the US Library of Congress [16]. In Asia, the Hong Kong Chinese Authority Name (HKCAN) is established.…”

“…In Asia, the Hong Kong Chinese Authority Name (HKCAN) is established. This meant recognition of the issue in just two organizations worldwidefar [16], however, from the syndetic goals set forth by Charles Cutter in the nineteenth century [6].…”

“…The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), IFLA and LOC have fueled initiatives for authority control by sharing the records of various cataloguing agencies [16]. Fruit of this work is the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), which has meant advances in the construction and generation of authority entries, though it has no reached all the major information institutions at the international level [3].…”

“…Authority Control is the most expensive part of the cataloging process [20,7,21], it is a global problem, affecting not only libraries but organizations of all kinds [16]. Authority Control is necessary for meeting the catalog's objectives of enabling users to find the works of an author and to collocate all works of a person or corporate body.…”