DRIVER Technology Watch Report

This report is part of the Discovery Workpackage (WP4) and is the third report out of four deliverables. The objective of this report is to give an overview of the latest technical developments in the world of digital repositories, digital libraries and beyond, in order to serve as theoretical and practical input for the technical DRIVER developments, especially those focused on enhanced publications. This report consists of two main parts, one part focuses on interoperability standards for enhanced publications, the other part consists of three subchapters, which give a landscape picture of current and surfacing technologies and communities crucial to DRIVER. These three subchapters contain the GRID, CRIS and LTP communities and technologies. Every chapter contains a theoretical explanation, followed by case studies and the outcomes and opportunities for DRIVER in this field

On Involvement in Open Standards: How Do Organisations Contribute to W3C Standards Through Editorship?

Part 1: Full PapersInternational audienceOver the years, a number of open standards have been developed and implemented in software for addressing a number of challenges, such as lock-in, interoperability and longevity of software systems and associated digital artefacts. Understanding organisational involvement and collaboration in standardisation is important for informing any future policy and organisational decisions concerning involvement in standardisation. The overarching goal of the study is to establish how organisations contribute to open standards development through editorship. Specifically, the focus is on open standards development in W3C. Through an analysis of editorship for all W3C recommendations we contribute novel findings concerning organisational involvement and collaboration, and highlight contributions from different types of organisations and countries for headquarter of each organisation. We make three principal contributions. First, we establish an overall characterisation of organisational involvement in W3C standardisation. Second, we report on organisational involvement in W3C standardisation over time. Third, we establish organisational collaboration in W3C standardisation through social network analysis

On organisational involvement and collaboration in W3C standards through editorship

Abstract Over time, a number of open standards have been developed and implemented in software for addressing a number of challenges, such as lock-in, interoperability and longevity of software systems and associated digital artefacts. An understanding of organisational involvement and collaboration in standardisation is important for informing any future policy and organisational decisions concerning involvement in standardisation. The overarching goal of the study is to establish how organisations contribute to open standards development through editorship. Specifically, the focus is on open standards development in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Through an analysis of editorship for all W3C recommendations we contribute novel findings concerning organisational involvement and collaboration, and highlight contributions from different types of organisations and countries. We make five principal contributions. First, we establish an overall characterisation of organisational involvement in W3C standardisation. Second, we report on organisational involvement in W3C standardisation over time. Third, we establish how different organisations, organisation types, and countries are involved in W3C technologies. Fourth, we report on organisational involvement in relation to standard development time. Fifth, we establish how organisations collaborate in W3C standardisation through social network analysis

Frameworks and models to identify and increase the success potential of e-services

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A situational analysis of national information policy, with special reference to South Africa

This thesis reviews trends and developments concerning national information policy both internationally and nationally and inform the understanding of the situation in South Africa. Three research questions are investigated in this study, namely: (a) what are the main trends relevant to national information policy development worldwide, based on relevant literature, (b) what are the main trends and developments in other countries, and (c) what are the implications of the current global and national developments regarding national information policy for South Africa, based on the findings of the study? The methodology for this study involved a qualitative textual analysis, addressing these three research questions, and the selection of theoretical frameworks to define the scope of the research. The study discussed the main aspects of concern regarding the following information-related issues: access to information; access to government information; literacy levels; computer literacy levels; levels of education and skills; information society development; the North-South Divide (including the digital divide); information content and industrial competitiveness; other issues such as e-commerce; telecommunication issues; copyright issues; industrial property rights; freedom of speech; censorship; information ownership; library services and archives; the value of information and the flow of information in the public domain in South Africa. The multiplicity of issues reviewed demonstrated the complexity regarding access to information and related issues in the country. The study concludes with a situational analysis of developments relevant to national information policy for South Africa. The findings indicate that the South African government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. The Government needs to develop a national information policy to address and balance two realities, namely: (a) the technocratic and capitalist values of globalisation pushing global information policy development from outside the country, and (b) national economic, social and cultural developmental needs inside the country. Both these realities are relevant and need to be addressed in a national information policy, as the Government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science