Dublin Core Metadata Schema Registry at Tsukuba Shigeo Sugimoto, Mitsuharu Nagamori Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies University of Tsukuba Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan {sugimoto, slis.tsukuba.ac.jp

Agenda/Outline Demonstration History of DCMI Registry Development DCMI Registry at Tsukuba Experimental Studies at Tsukuba

DCMI Metadata Schema Registry Provides collection of DCMI terms –DCMI Terms: Demonstration –OCLC: –Tsukuba:

History Project started at AIT, Thailand under supervision of Thomas Baker in 1998 Mitsuharu Nagamori and Shigeo Sugimoto participated in the project from its early phase for the interface in multiple languages DCMI Registry WG since 1999 –WG home: –Current Version: –The DCMI registry provides definitions of DCMI Terms

Registry Chronology 1998 Xu Bo and Tom Baker (AIT, Thailand) “DC in Multiple Languages” Xu Bo and Tom Baker (AIT, Thailand) “DC in Multiple Languages” ～ st Registry Prototype was developed (August) Internationalization and Research Requirements 1 st DCMI Registry released (phase 1) 2004 Implemented Web Service Interface (phase 2) Registry WG established (December)

Some Basic Issues in the DCMI Registry - Multi-lingual Issues - Translation of the DCMI terms was recognized as an important issue for DCMI from very early stage of the development of DCMI terms. Translations of DCMI terms have been done by volunteers –A few national standards –A few official local affiliates Multi-linguality issues in the DCMI Registry –Browse –Search –Translation Support

Some Basic Issues in the DCMI Registry - Underlying Model - DCMI Schema Registry stores the DCMI terms –Elements –Refined Elements –Encoding Schemes –DCMI Type Vocabulary terms The data model for the terms is based on RDF Schema

Some Basic Issues in the DCMI Registry - Underlying Model - DCMI Abstract Model – –A Reference Model of DC Metadata –Independent of any particular encoding syntax Two parts of the abstract model –DCMI Resource Model –DCMI Description Model The abstract model helps users understand the underlying model for the DCMI terms

Some Statistics of the Registry DCMI Schemas –Dublin Core Element Set –Dublin Core Qualifiers –DCMI Type Vocabulary Translations –Over 25 languages Open Source Software

Some Statistics of the Registry Main Registry and Collaborating Registries –Main Registry at OCLC, Dublin, Ohio, USA –Collaborating Registries at Goettingen, Tsukuba Registries –OCLC: –Tsukuba: –Goettingen (Univ. Goettingen): goettingen.de/dcregistry/index.htmlhttp://dbclear.sub.uni- goettingen.de/dcregistry/index.html –Beijing (Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences):

Browse the Registry By Classification type Elements Element Refinements Controlled Vocabulary Terms Vocabulary and Encoding Schemes Summary of All Terms Elements Element Refinements Controlled Vocabulary Terms Vocabulary and Encoding Schemes Summary of All Terms

Detailed view of the term

Search the Registry for Terms

Multiple Languages

Resource Administration

Registry Model DCMI Registry Vocabulary Management Tool Web Services Applications Metadata Schema (RDF) DCMI Usage Board People seeking information about terms Feedback

Registry Functions Web interface –Multilingual search and navigate Application interface –Web service architecture –Registry contents provided via application API in all supported languages Administration Module –Import and manage metadata schemas and translations

I18N Issue: Early Efforts Many volunteers create translations, but... Difficulties with the range of file formats and character encodings Volunteers Translation HTML, Plain Text, MS Word, etc… Convert to UTF-8 Registry Format to RDF EUC-JP, TIS-630, GB2312, etc… Administrators

Translation Tool A simple support tool for volunteer translators Volunteers Registry Translation Tool Make translations through Web-based user interfaces. Translation DB (RDF) Administrators

List of Terms Target Language

Translation Tool

Metadata Schema Registry at Tsukuba Basic function + extended features Basic function: DCMI Terms –Basic functions Extension of Schema Collection to non-DC Schemas –metadata schemas collected on the Web and some other resources –Experiments for cross-schema applications Extension to Application Profiles

Extending Schema Collection Extended the Registry DB to non-DCMI terms collected on the Web and other resources Student Monitors for the Tsukuba registry Functional extensions –A list of schemas in the ‘Browse’ page, and –A list of defined elements and classes that relate to each schema.

拡張機能１ スキーマ一覧表示の画面 Added a List of Schemas in the ‘Browse’ page

Added a List of Related Terms

Lessons Learned Need to add relationships between term and schema, or term and term –isDefinedBy, subPropertyOf, dc:type, etc… Improve user interfaces displaying terms –Graphical ？ Support various RDF formats –OWL, FOAF, SKOS, Application Profiles, etc… Vocabulary to specify types of schemas

Add Relationships Schema X Term ATerm B rdfs:isDefinedBy Date DC 1.1 rdfs:isDefinedBy rdfs:subPropertyOf

Improvement of User Interfaces Better UI for the schema collection –50+ schemas and terms –Difficulty to display all of the schemas and the terms in a table –Need Graphical UI (e.g., IsaViz) Need more feedback from users.

× Support various RDF formats Many schemas use OWL, FOAF, SKOS, etc… Tsukuba Registry Mitsuharu ○

Vocabulary to classify and describe schemas Need a good scheme to browse and search metadata schemas –Classification of schemas and terms A vocabulary to specify the types of schemas is required –e.g., “element set”, “subject classification vocabulary”, “type classification vocabulary”, “application profile”, etc.

Application Profiles An application profile is a schema defined for a specific application domain based on one or more element sets –DC Library Application Profile uses DCMI terms and MODS terms –Simple Dublin Core is an application profile

Application Profile termA: Mandatory termC: Optional Repeatable termX: Mandatory Repeatable termZ: Mandatory if applicable termX termY termZ Metadata Vocabulary 2 (Metadata Element Set) Metadata Vocabulary 1 (Metadata Element Set) term A termB termC A structural view of application profile

Abstract Syntax and Concrete Syntax termA: Mandatory termC: Optional Repeatable termX: Mandatory Repeatable termZ: Mandatory if applicable Application Profile: Terms used in an application and structural constraints termX termY termZ Metadata Vocabulary 2 (Metadata Element Set) Metadata Vocabulary 1 (Metadata Element Set) term A termB termC an example. bar Description in a syntax defined in an application Application Profile

A Layered Model split semantics and syntax into layers Layered Model of Metadata Schema Layer 1 Semantics Layer 2 Abstract Syntax Layer 3 Concrete Syntax DCMES (Elements and Qualifiers) IEEE-LOM ULIS element extension DCMI Library Application Profile Open Archives Initiative Schema IPL Asia Schema ULIS Core Schema XML implementation in an XML Schema An Oracle implementation RDF implementation

Layered Model and Metadata Schema Registry Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3 DCMI Registry DCMES Terms (Elements and Qualifiers) ULIS element extension ULIS-DL Subject Vocabulary Tsukuba Registry Application Profile AApplication Profile B

Layered Model and Metadata Schema Registry Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3 DCMI Registry DCMES Terms (Elements and Qualifiers) ULIS element extension ULIS-DL Subject Vocabulary Tsukuba Registry XML Schema for AXML Schema for B

Some Projects at Tsukuba: Registry-based Software Tools Metadata Schema Driven Software Tool Generator –A software generator which produces simple software tools, eg. editors, search interfaces. Metadata Schema Search – an Application Profile oriented tool –An on-going project based on the experimental extension of the DCMI registry –Help metadata schema designers find metadata schemas - element sets, terms and application profiles

Software Tool Generator Metadata Schema Registry Metadata Software for X: e.g. Editor Metadata Software for X: e.g. Editor Metadata Software for Y: e.g. Search Tool Metadata Software for Y: e.g. Search Tool Profile X Profile Y Each metadata software is derived from its application profile.

Software Tool Generator: An Implementation Metadata Driven Software Application Profile Software Tool Generator Metadata Schema Registry Metadata Database Primitive Functions User Interfaces (XML texts created from A/P)

Application Profile Description Example Title キーワード 概要 …(snip)…

Generated Metadata Software According to the specified Application Profile Customizable by XSLT + CSS

Conclusion Metadata schema registry is an important tool to enhance interoperability and re-usability of metadata schemas. –Canonical descriptions in human and machine understandable forms –Internationalization –Cross-domain applications “Terms” are the central component for the metadata schema registry. However, “Application Profiles” are also crucial to enhance interoperability and re-usability of metadata and metadata schemas.

Thank you!