ROADS Evaluation of Cataloguing with Connection to Interoperability (RECCI)

Michael Day, Ann Chapman, UKOLN, 12th February 1998.

A proposal to look at the usage of ROADS templates and interoperability.  

Version 2 of the ROADS software will implement tools which will enable cross-searching across different subject services.  For this reason, there needs to be an understanding that cross-searching depends upon a semantically consistent use of metadata, in this case ROADS templates.  It is for this reason that a ROADS Template Registry exists and why some generic cataloguing guidelines are being developed.  It also would be useful to identify areas where cat policies might be co-ordinated to optimise cross-searching..  For this reason, as part of Strand 2 it is being proposed we look at:

•	Current cataloguing policies and practice
•	Editorial policies
•	Impacts on cross-searching and interoperability

It is proposed that a small initial review of the eLib ROADS based services will be carried out by staff at UKOLN before a wider study is carried out.  Preliminary discussions have taken place with cataloguers at SOSIG who considered that a study of this type should be interesting and useful.

Research Proposal:

ROADS based services will be requested to  provide UKOLN with a number of templates which will then be assessed with regard to:

1. Cross-searching ability -

•	Highlighting inconsistencies between the practices of different services
•	Looking at formats used for dates, languages and names
•	Looking at subject terms and their use
•	Checking conformance with subject service cataloguing guidelines
•	Checking conformance with generic ROADS cataloguing guidelines

2. Quality -

•	Internal consistency
•	Typographic errors
•	Other errors

In conjunction with this, services will be asked about their own editorial policies:

•	What internal processes are currently carried out before a template is added to the database
•	What is the role of validation processes and regular error checking

Other information, including an up-to-date statistical analysis of ROADS services' use of templates would also be gathered.

The result of this work would be:

•	Initial study - report (due 30 April 1998)
•	Documentation of the cataloguing practices of the selected subject services and an analysis of the effect these have on cross-searching ability
•	Documentation of the editorial policies practised by individual subject services and possible proposals for the use of automatic validation and error checking mechanisms

The final study would also take the form of a report with recommendations (due 31 July 1998).