1. VIAF and ISNI Synchronisation
VIAF Global Council - Lyon, France 15 August 2014
VIAF and ISNI Synchronisation
Janifer Gatenby
EMEA Program Manager Metadata

2. bridging-domains cross-domain
Text Rights
Trade Sources
Music Rights
Archives and Museums
Encyclopaedias
Multiple domains. ISNI ingests data from these domain and makes links.
Libraries
Researchers & Professional
Granting organisations
Professional Societies
Article databases
Theses databases

3. ISNI Status at July 2014
8.01 million assigned ISNIs (was 1 million 2 years ago)
15.4 million links; ISNI as linked data
ORCID Registration process is accessing ISNI
New members: Harvard University, La Trobe University and COPYRUS (Russia)
Linked Content Coalition names ISNI as # 1 strategy
Databases
Assigned
Links
Research 12
836,142
1,845,165
Text rights 7
129,816
692,580
Music 5
315,918
450,717
Libraries & trade 4
6.8 million
12,356,010
Organisations 3
446, 237
109,204 ì
ORCID – is a self registering ID system for researchers. During the registration process researchers can access ISNI to import their ISNI and metadata.
Harvard University Library are providing services for publishers for creating authors profiles and are including ISNI in the services and software.
La Trobe University have uploaded data from its institution registry maintained by the library.
COPYRUS is the Russian rights management society, a member of IFRRO.
The Linked Content Coalition
LCC Forum Members
​Associated Newspapers​
Axel Springer​
Coordination of European Picture Agencies Stock​, Press and Heritage (CEPIC)
Common Rights
Copyright Clearance Centre
Copyright Licensing Agency
Criteria Media Exchange
Danish Producers Association
DDEX
Digimarc
EditEUR
MovieLabs
Microgen
EMI Music Publishing
Europa Distribution
European Magazine Media Association (EMMA)
European Newspaper Publishers Association (ENPA)
European Publishers Council (EPC)
European Visual Artists (EVA)​
European Writers Council (EWC)
​​Federation of European Publishers (FEP)
Organizações Globo​​
Gruppo Espresso
Hachette Livre
International DOI Foundation
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)
International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO)
International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC)
International Publishers Association (IPA)
IPR License
ITV
Journaux Francophones Belges
Laurence Kaye Solicitors
Microsoft
News International
Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA)
Pearson
PLS
Plus Coalition
Reed Elsevier
Rightscom
RTL group
International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM)
Universitat de Lleida
Unidad Editorial
Vivere  Consulting

4. Current ISNI Sources 30…and growing
GENERAL SOURCES
Bowker Books in Print
BOWKER
The European Library (48 national libraries)
TEL
Virtual International Authority File (33 libraries)
VIAF
MUSIC
American Musicological Society
AMS
British Library Sound Archive
BLSA
International Performers’ Database Association
IPDA
MusicBrainz
MUBZ
RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Access Copyright, Canada
ACCE
Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, UK
ALCS
Centrum Dienstverlening Auteurs- en aanverwante Rechten, Netherlands
CEDA
Centro Español de Derechos Reprográficos
CEDR
Irish Copyright Licensing Agency
ICLA
Prolitteris, Switzerland
PROL
VG WORT, Germany
VGWO
RESEARCHERS AND PROFESSIONALS
American Musicological Society
AMS
Authors Guild
AGLD
British Library Theses
BRTH
Digital Author identifier, Netherlands
DAI
Jisc Names Project, UK
JNAM
La Trobe University
AU:VLU
Modern Languages Association
MLA
OCLC Theses
OCLCT
ORCID and DataCite Interoperability Network
ODIN
AuthorClaim and RePec
OPENL
Proquest Theses
PROQ
Scholar Universe, Proquest
SCHU
Electronic tables of content
ZETO
These are the current ISNI sources with their codes that appear in the ISNI database.
ORGANISATIONS
American Chemical Society
ACS
Boekenbank, Belgium
BOEK
Bowker Publishers
BOWP
Publishers Licensing Society, UK
PLS
Ringgold
RING

5. VIAF and ISNI are Complementary
VIAF Scope
Persons
Organisations
Works / uniform titles
Expressions
Meetings
Geographic
All public data
ISNI Scope
Persons
+ musicians, researchers
Organisations
(excluding sparse)
(excluding undifferentiated)
Includes private data
ISNI’s scope overlaps but is not identical to VIAF’s scope. For persons, ISNI includes all VIAF (except sparse and undifferentiated records) plus includes many persons involved with music and research not present in VIAF.
Also, unlike VIAF, ISNI includes private data that may be used for matching but not displayed or diffused publically. Such data includes dates of birth (actors in particular do not like their dates of birth publicized because it limits the parts that they are offered). Rights management associations are also not permitted to reveal the relationships between real persons and pseudonyms. Witness the recent case of JK Rowling publishing crime novels under a pseudonym and being irked that her cover was revealed by her Lawyers.

6. VIAF and ISNI are Complementary
VIAF Role
Ingest authority records from the world’s major national and research libraries
Make clusters
Expose and diffuse
ISNI Role
Create permanent IDs
By batch
On demand
Diffuse those IDs
Libraries, trade, rights management, professional societies, educational institutions
ISNI’s role is different from VIAF’s. ISNI creates a permanent ID and is required to keep the ID as stable as possible, and where it changes must diffuse corrections. ISNI diffuses cross domain – libraries, trade, rights management, professional societies, education.

7. VIAF and ISNI are Complementary
VIAF System
Harvester
Clustering mechanism (re-clustered monthly)
5 web interface languages
Download in multiple formats
Linked data & SRU
1 million personal visitors p.a.
ISNI System
Batch load
Online request API
Web site (English only)
Allows end user input
Member input and correction
16+ indexes
SRU; linked data
Quality Team monitoring & correcting
Diffusion, including corrections
ISNI includes and online request and maintenance capability
Improved data quality and confidence
Anomaly reports – 7,000 date anomalies (>50% represent real errors)
Merge, split and data error reports (c. 5,000)
Matching improvements
Dates, common surnames, longest name form, weightings, new elements
Detection of UNIMARC Conversion errors
parallel main names, name variant conversion, related names conversion, missed data
Pseudonyms
Feedback, record links (c. 70,000)
More widely diffused linked data
Proposal for inter-operation – joint notification, shared maintenance

8. Synchronisation ISNI to VIAF
2012
ISNI / VIAF identifiers
2013
Full records; ISNI a VIAF source
2014
ISNI records, verification mark
In 2012, ISNIs were sent to VIAF. In 2013, the decision was taken to includes ISNI as a source in VIAF so ISNI started sending full records to VIAF for all assigned records that contained a VIAF code, including all restricted data from nonVIAF sources. In 2014, as well as records containing a VIAF code, records containing an ISNI code are now being sent to VIAF, including those created by the pseudonym programs or created manually by the ISNI Quality Team. The VIAF records that have been edited manually by the ISNI quality team contain a verification mark so that it can be used in the VIAF clustering process.

9. VIAF ingest into ISNI VIAF provides full file each month
ISNI compares previous & current files & creates separate files for processing
Deletes (VIAF cluster ID in old but not new)
If assigned or has other sources, source becomes ISNI
Contents changed
Sources added or deleted
New (VIAF cluster ID in new but not old)
Re-matches VIAF deletes
VIAF cluster movement reports for BL and BnF
This slide outlines how ISNI processes its monthly files from VIAF.

10. VIAF Global Council - Lyon, France 15 August 2014
Maintaining Clusters

11. Mixed identities Cluster Error Source Error Source 1 Source 2 Source 1
There are two types of error in a mixed identity. The clustering software can make an error by erroneously clustering records from two sources each representing a different person (with the same name). Or a single source record may have mixed identities by listing titles of works that belong to more than one identity (with the same name)
Cluster Error
Source Error

12. End User Note
Dear Sir / Madam, The ISNI refers to "Marco Antonio
Casanova", Professor at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. I am not
the author of "Fragmentos póstumos. - Nietzsche uma introdução
filosófica" or "Segunda consideração intempestiva da utilidade e
desvantagem da história para a vida". The author of these works is "Marco
Antonio dos Santos Casa Nova". You may confirm this information by
consulting our CVs at the Brazilian Research Council: Marco Antonio
Casanova
(me): Marco Antonio dos Santos Casa Nova
(the other author):
This is a typical input from an end user of the ISNI database. The requests are coming in on average 2-3 a day. The requests are almost all very high quality as per above and most (to our surprise) include an so that we respond with the action taken. ISNI also engages to notify all sources in case of a fixed error.

13. Correction – Source Error
Reply to End User
Thank you for using the ISNI database and suggesting improvements to your record. There is now another ISNI record for Marco Antonio dos Santos Casa Nova (ISNI ). I have corrected your record, removed the erroneous titles and added a link to your online CV (Lattes database).
If you have any further queries, please let me know.
to Source
I am part of the the ISNI Quality Team (experts from the British Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France in charge of the quality of the ISNI database). We perform manual checking and corrections in the ISNI database such as splits, merges/deduplications and data corrections. ISNI Quality team received a request from an enduser about ISNI records and   , VIAF and their related
Authority record  XXX mixes 2 identities (see the snapshot below) :
1/ Marco Antonio Casanova (ISNI )
2/ Nova, Marco Antonio dos Santos Casa (ISNI   )
Philosoph, and author of "Segunda consideração intempestiva da utilidade e desvantagem da história para a vida"
I hope this information will be useful.
End user requests are stored in non-displayable fields in the ISNI record. Each evening new fields generate alerts to the ISNI Quality Team. The QT then decides appropriate action, i.e. making links viewable, merging records, splitting records and generating notifications to all sources involved. In this slide, the QT has determined that a single VIAF source is causing a mixed identity and notifies the source by . The resulting split records are marked as having been verified manually. This becomes a signal to VIAF that they should be treated as special status records by the VIAF clustering program. = I
Source 1
Source ISNI
Source ISNI

14. Correction – Cluster Error
Source ISNI
Source ISNI
In the case above, the QT has determined that a split identity has been caused by a VIAF (or ISNI) cluster error. Two separate records are made with a verification mark. Sources are notified of the cluster change as appropriate.
ISNI marks its two records as verified & sends to VIAF
These records are given the same status as XA records in VIAF clustering.
No two XA records may occur in the same cluster

15. End User Note
It seems 2 ISNIs has been assigned to the French singer Laïka Fatien (born 1968 in Paris): ISNI and ISNI X. I think the last one can be deleted.

16. Correction – Merged duplicate
Reply to End User
Thank you for using the ISNI database and providing us with information about the duplicate records for Laïka Fatien.
There is now just one record on the ISNI database for this identity – ISNI:
If you have any further queries, please let me know.
Notification to VIAF via ISNI record
ISNI record contains verification note (i.e. treat as XA)
ISNI record contains 2 VIAF cluster identifiers =
VIAF A
VIAF B
ISNI
VIAF A
VIAF B

17. ISNI Quality Team Samples data regularly
c. 2% VIAF clusters have mixed identities
Duplicate clusters are higher, nearer 5%
Makes corrections at cluster level
Merges, splits, error notifications
Access to cataloguing client / macros
Makes system recommendations
Gives approval for single source assignment
Responds to End User input
Sends s to sources for error correction (12 VIAF sources currently participating)
The ISNI Quality Team plays an essential role in the life of the ISNI database. Not only does it respond to End User input, it proactively tests the database, looking for sets of records to re-process, making recommendations to improvements to the algorithms. So far the QT has been able to keep up with the input from End Users.

18. ISNI System Notification (Push process)
Someone else has matched & details
When events occur on records in the ISNI database, all sources concerned are notified. The notification is in the form of a regular monthly XML report. Notification fields for matches (tells you someone else has matched your data)
Recipient source code (028C $2)
Source of incoming record
Date/time of match
Matching data string
Matching data type (name and dates, name and title, partial name, date, title)
Matching score
Total evaluation score
Date/time stamp of notification
Notification fields for errors (you need to take action)
Type of error: merge, duplicate, dataError or split
Recipient source code
Recipient local identifier
Date/time stamp of field creation
Data field contents
Data field identifier, (e.g 021A = title)
Should be
Correct ISNI
ExplanatoryText
You probably need to take action

19. ISNI Assignment Agency
Matching, merging and splitting infrastructure
Correction of errors
Sampling and anomaly checks,
e.g. date anomalies, unlikely mixture of sources
Pseudonym splitting
Re-importing and re-matching
Diagnostic indexes and reports
Enrichment
e.g. Wikipedia, Dewey
Notification system
The ISNI assignment system also plays a vital role in maintaining the quality of the ISNI database. When errors are found if they can be fixed by program, they are. For example we found that one source was always giving a full date when only the year or month and year were known, such that there was an unusual peak in the index for e.g and etc. The matching algorithm was adjusted to mistrust such dates, the records were found and re-matched with the new algorithm. The matching algorithm is continually being refined.

20. VIAF ISNI Interoperability Task Force
Met in Paris April 2014
Representatives from
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Biblioteca Nacional de España
British Library
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Sudoc
OCLC (VIAF system)
OCLC Leiden (ISNI Assignment Agency)

21. Recommendations to VIAF at OCLC
Use profession and other disambiguating data
Investigate making an anomaly report
Investigate changing the clustering rules to flag and prevent a record with a mixed identity from entering the clusters where 2 or more sources have established separate identity
Investigate changing the clustering rules to prevent duplicate clusters.
Provide deprecated VIAF Ids in the distributed data
Treat records from ISNI that are flagged as manual as XA records
Include ISNI in RDF
Remove test from ISNI icon
Only show one name form for ISNI in the wheel
Investigate why SUDOC titles are not appearing
Action has been taken on most of these recommendations

22. Recommendations to ISNI at OCLC
Flag manual merges and splits (joint specification to be made)
Indicate to VIAF that a VIAF source needs to be split from a VIAF cluster (joint specification to be made)
Keep up to date with VIAF
Produce anomaly reports
Produce notifications to VIAF sources
[Provide only one ISNI record per VIAF cluster ID; make split off records ISNI source]
[Provide records with ISNI source to VIAF]
Action has been taken on most of these recommendations

23. Recommendations to VIAF Council
Mark undifferentiated authorities or consider not supplying them to VIAF
Include nationality, particularly for own national identities
Use VIAF in authority control and select VIAF cluster ID
Also use ISNI
If a mixed identity is found in VIAF or ISNI, use either the public interface or [preferably] the member interface of ISNI to request resolution by the ISNI Quality Team. All manual corrections made in ISNI will come to VIAF as records with XA status to ensure merges or splits.

24. Become Involved Jointly let’s maintain clusters
VIAF Global Council - Lyon, France 15 August 2014
Become Involved
Jointly let’s maintain clusters
It is important to fixed mixed identities and duplicates at the cluster level. A record containing a mxed identity can match into a good cluster and pollute that cluster, resulting in incorrect diffusion, especially of linked data. A mixed identity record in isolation potentially causes duplicate clusters. Duplicates in a source file threaten to create duplicate clusters in VIAF.

25. The ISNI Quality Team
Board members are British Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France (Representing CENL)
Seeking Associate Members
KB, Netherlands in process
Control own identities
Access to client maintenance software
Access to restricted data
Provide back-up for end user responses
The ISNI Quality Team currently receives alerts at the rate of 2 to 3 per day. End user alerts are stored in hidden fields from which the system generates an alert. The number is currently manageable but the QT wants to be ready to be able to scale up because the volume has been steadily increasing. Associate QT members would be primarily responsible for controlling the identities in their own sphere but on standby for peaks in end user requests generally.

26. ISNI Members View whole database (but not restricted fields)
Access to compare screen; can merge
Reports on request
ISNIs – simple report or enhanced
Cluster movement report
Diagnostic reports
Statistics and links
ISNI members have privileged access to the database but without the obligations of Associate QT member.

27. ISNI Database: Member view
Public view
ISNI members have access to detailed indexes, both via the web interface and via the SRU API.
Member view

28. Public view – only see assigned

29. Member view – list of additional data displayed (if not private)
Related identities
Related persons
Related organisations
Nationality
Gender
Keyword or key phrase
Dewey classification
Publisher
Dates active
Associated countries
Provisional records
Including links to possible matches, if applicable

30. Private data Dates Personal Affiliations Titles of works
These can be masked from the public and from member view. However most sources allow titles to be seen by other members to facilitate merging.

31. Do not merge Anything that looks suspicious :
Report it in a general note and the QT will review
This is not the same person
This title belongs to
Slide by Pauline Chougnet, BnF. This slide shows the compare screen available to ISNI members. Members are able to compare records to make merge decisions. A slide set has been made by the ISNI Quality Team giving merge guidelines.

32. ISNI Statistics Basic statistics Cross matches VIAF matches
Basic statistics: Provisional = records that have been loaded by batch and did not match where the name is also not unique. Members can enrich provisional record manually via the web interface to make them assigned. Suspect records are those that have been marked either manually or by anomaly detection as possibly having mixed identities. “Unique” records are assigned records with a single source; the name is unique to the database in its full and abbreviated forms. “Possible” are provisional records that the programs have marked as matching with another but with a score below the acceptable merge threshold. Members are able to use the compare screen and make manual merges.
Cross matches indicate the numbers of records where your source and another source co-occur. Curious cases could point to mixed identities.

33. La Trobe University: 1,864 VIAF Links
This slide is just an example of the links generated by the load of La Trobe University to ISNI. This gives a new idea to the university of the impact of its researchers.
Linked Data: isni.org/isni/

34. Janifer Gatenby
EMEA Program Manager Metadata