User conceptualizations of derivative relationships in the bibliographic universe

Abstract

Purpose Considerable effort is devoted to developing new models for organizing bibliographic metadata. However, such models have been repeatedly criticized for their lack of proper user testing. The purpose of this paper is to present a study on how non-experts in bibliographic systems map the bibliographic universe and, in particular, how they conceptualize relationships between independent but strongly related entities. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an open concept-mapping task performed to externalize the conceptualizations of 98 novice students. The conceptualizations of the resulting concept maps are identified and analyzed statistically. Findings The study shows that the participants’ conceptualizations have great variety, differing in detail and granularity. These conceptualizations can be categorized into two main groups according to derivative relationships: those that apply a single-entity model directly relating document entities and those (the majority) that apply a multi-entity model relating documents through a high-level collocating node. These high-level nodes seem to be most adequately interpreted either as superwork devices collocating documents belonging to the same bibliographic family or as devices collocating documents belonging to a shared fictional world. Originality/value The findings can guide the work to develop bibliographic standards. Based on the diversity of the conceptualizations, the findings also emphasize the need for more user testing of both conceptual models and the bibliographic end-user systems implementing those models.

The representation of a multimedia franchise as a single entity: contrasting existing bibliographic entities with web-based Superwork portrayals

“…An important piece of past research for this study was Tallerås, Dahl, and Pharo's (2018) study "User conceptualizations of derivative relationships in the bibliographic universe", which examined how users conceptualize and map relationships between related resources. Based on the title pages of play scripts, DVD covers of film adaptations, and CD covers of soundtracks of Peer Gynt and Romeo and Juliet, users were asked to map the relationships between these resources and apply attributes to each.…”

“…Though a Superwork can be connected to its parts using various descriptive properties, the core of the relationship between a franchise-level Superwork and its various connected creative works is a "has part" or "is part of" relationship. The FRBR work-to-work relationship types are given as successor, supplement, complement, summarization, adaptation, transformation, and imitation (IFLA, 2006, p. 63), with no explicit whole-part relationships given for non-aggregates or multi-part works, neither of which adequately represents relationships in a multimedia franchise; similar shortcomings were noted by Vukadin (2014) and Tallerås et al (2018). Thus, while the FRBR Work definition offers a level of ambiguity that allows one to argue it may represent a franchise, the intended use and practical relationships prescribed within FRBR indicate it is not the same type of entity.…”

“…For this study, the main point of interest is how FRBR OO attempts to define and clarify the work concept as defined in FRBR. Though (Lee et al, 2018;Vukadin, 2014;Tallerås et al, 2018;Kiryakos & Sugimoto, 2019) has suggested that the FRBR OO Complex Work may be suitable for representing a Superwork-like entity, a comparison between Complex Work and Superwork as we have defined it is worth carrying out.…”

“…Though Vukadin was more accepting of the use of Complex Work, she stopped short of saying it could be used as a franchise-level entity, instead stating that it provides support for the bibliographic modeling of transmedia relationships. Some support for Complex Work was also given by Tallerås et al (2018) who viewed it as capable of collocating relevant works, but for fictional world levels of abstraction, defined as stories that "unfold based on (or at least referencing) a set of given characters, places, and events" (p. 901), FRBR OO "does not provide any sophisticated semantics for expressing such relationships" (p. 912).…”

“…Much of the discussion on Superwork and related entities has been from researchers or other domain experts applying their knowledge to bibliographic organization, with few extant userbased research. In addressing this, Tallerås et al (2018) asked a group of users to conceptualize and map out relationships based on three related resources sourced from two different works. While the works in question (Peer Gynt and Romeo and Juliet) are smaller in scale than multimedia franchises like Star Wars or Gundam, their findings are applicable: the authors found that when given resources representing a book, movie, and movie soundtrack and asked to conceptualize and map the resources, the majority chose to create a new "central node" entity with which to connect the resources to (see Figure 7 and 8 in Tallerås et al, 2018, p. 906-907).…”