2nd OAF Workshop: 6./7. December 2002 Lisbon

Subject Interoperability

Breakout Session

Facilitator: Paul Child

7. December 2002

2nd OAF Workshop: 6./7. December 2002 Lisbon

Starting Questions

• Is it necessary to have interoperability between different subjects?

• Is it possible to have interoperability between different subjects?

• At what level?

• How much of it?

2nd OAF Workshop: 6./7. December 2002 Lisbon

Subject interoperability issues

• Granularity– between Data - Service Provider

(Enhancements?)• Language is a serious barrier to interoperability

– international classification schemas are more difficult for some disciplines than for others

• Disambiguation between subject areas• Metadata quality• Self archiving

(How to control self archivers

2nd OAF Workshop: 6./7. December 2002 Lisbon

Possible Elements of Solution

• Automatic, semi-automatic classification • Cross Walks, Mapping• Just as DC is the lowest common denominator

for metadata description, OAI needs a multilingual lowest common denominator for subjects– can this be used for harvesting sets?– the SP may then enhance the subject

description

2nd OAF Workshop: 6./7. December 2002 Lisbon

Discussion Points

• Need a community at a managable size either geographically or disciplinary in order to agree on a schemas

• A subject approach is necessary to reveal hidden resources

2nd OAF Workshop: 6./7. December 2002 Lisbon

Action Points

• OI! Plans to compile guidelines for best practise

• Discuss further in OAF info-Mailing list

• Collect examples and links at the OAF webpage