61,823 research outputs found
On Pattern-Directed Search of Archives and Collections
This article begins by presenting and discussing the distinction between record-oriented and pattern-oriented search. Examples of record-oriented (or item-oriented) questions include: âWhat (or how many, etc.) glass items made prior to 100 A.D. do we have in our collection?â and âHow many paintings featuring dogs do we have that were painted during the 19th century, and who painted them?â Standard database systems are well suited to answering such questions, based on the data in, for example, a collections management system. Examples of pattern-oriented questions include: âHow does the (apparent) production of glass objects vary over time between 400 B.C. and 100 A.D.?â and âWhat other animals are present in paintings with dogs (painted during the 19th century and in our collection)?â Standard database systems are not well suited to answering these sorts of questions (and pattern-oriented questions in general), even though the basic data is properly stored in them. To answer pattern-oriented questions it is the accepted solution to transform the underlying (relational) data to what is called the data cube or cross tabulation form (there are other forms as well). We discuss how this can be done for non-numeric data, such as are found widely in museum collections and archives. Further we discuss and demonstrate two distinct, but related, approaches to exploring for patterns in such cross tabulated museum data. The two approaches have been implemented as the prototype systems Homer and MOTC. We conclude by discussing initial experimental evidence indicating that these approaches are indeed effective in helping people find answers to their pattern-oriented questions of museum and archive collections
Investigating the Effects of Exploratory Semantic Search on the Use of a Museum Archive
Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in how new technologies can support the more effective use of online museum content. Two particularly relevant developments are exploratory search and semantic web technologies. Exploratory search tools support a more undirected and serendipitous interaction with the content. Semantic web technology, when applied in this context, allows the exploitation of metadata and ontologies to provide more intelligent support for user
interaction.
Bletchley Park Text is a museum web application supporting a semantic driven, exploratory approach to the search and navigation of digital museum resources. Bletchley Park Text uses semantics to organise selected content (i.e. stories) into a number of composite pages that illustrate conceptual patterns in the content, and from which the content itself can be accessed.
The use made of Bletchley Park Text over an eight month period was analysed in order to understand the kinds of trajectories across the available resources that users could make with such a system. The results identified two distinct strategies of exploratory search. A risky strategy was characterised as incorporating: conceptual jumps between successive queries, a larger number of shorter queries and the use of the stories themselves to acclimatise to a new set of search results. A cautious strategy was characterised as incorporating: small conceptual shifts between queries, a smaller number of longer queries and the use of composite pages to acclimatise to a set of new search results. These findings have implications for the intelligent scaffolding of exploratory search
Exploring the information behaviour of users of Welsh Newspapers Online through web log analysis
Purpose â Webometric techniques have been applied to many websites and online resources,
especially since the launch of Google Analytics (GA). To date, though, there has been little
consideration of information behaviour in relation to digitised newspaper collections. The purpose of
this paper is to address a perceived gap in the literature by providing an account of user behaviour in
the newly launched Welsh Newspapers Online (WNO).
Design/methodology/approach â The author collected webometric data for WNO using GA and
web server content logs. These were analysed to identify patterns of engagement and user behaviour,
which were then considered in relation to existing information behaviour.
Findings â Use of WNO, while reminiscent of archival information seeking, can be understood as
centring on the web interface rather than the digitised material. In comparison to general web browsing,
users are much more deeply engaged with the resource. This engagement incorporates reading online,
but usersâ information seeking utilises website search and browsing functionality rather than filtering in
newspaper material. Information seeking in digitised newspapers resembles the model of the âuserâ more
closely than that of the âreaderâ, a value-laden distinction which needs further unpacking.
Research limitations/implications â While the behaviour discussed in this paper is likely to be
more widely representative, a larger longitudinal data set would increase the studyâs significance.
Additionally, the methodology of this paper can only tell us what users are doing, and further research
is needed to identify the drivers for this behaviour.
Originality/value â This study provides important insights into the underinvestigated area of
digitised newspaper collections, and shows the importance of webometric methods in analysing online
user behaviour
An International Prospectus for Library & Information Professionals: Development, Leadership and Resources for Evolving Patron Needs
The roles of library and information professionals must change and evolve to: 1. accommodate needs of tech-savvy patrons; 2. thrive in the Commons & Library 2.0; 3. provide integrated, just-in-time services; 4. constantly update and enhance technology; 5. design appropriate library spaces for research and productivity; 6.adapt to new models of scholarly communication and publication, especially: the Open Archives Initiative and digital repositories; 7. remain abreast of national and interanational academic and legislative initiatives affecting the provision of information services and resources.
Professionals will need to collaborate in: 1. Formal & informal networks â regional, national, and international; and; 2. Library staff development initiatives â regional, national, international
Professionals will need to use libraries as laboratories for ongoing, lifelong training and education of patrons and of all library staff ( internal patrons ): the library is the framework in which Information Research Literacy is the curriculum . Professionals will need to remain aware of trends and challenges in their regions, the EU, the US and North America, of models which might provide inspiration and support: 1. Top Technology Trends; 2. New paradigms of professionalism; 3. Knowledge-creation and knowledge consumption; 4. The shifting balance of the physical library with the virtual-digital librar
Multimedia search without visual analysis: the value of linguistic and contextual information
This paper addresses the focus of this special issue by analyzing the potential contribution of linguistic content and other non-image aspects to the processing of audiovisual data. It summarizes the various ways in which linguistic content analysis contributes to enhancing the semantic annotation of multimedia content, and, as a consequence, to improving the effectiveness of conceptual media access tools. A number of techniques are presented, including the time-alignment of textual resources, audio and speech processing, content reduction and reasoning tools, and the exploitation of surface features
CHORUS Deliverable 2.1: State of the Art on Multimedia Search Engines
Based on the information provided by European projects and national initiatives related to multimedia search as well as domains experts that participated in the CHORUS Think-thanks and workshops, this document reports on the state of the art related to multimedia content search from, a technical, and socio-economic perspective.
The technical perspective includes an up to date view on content based indexing and retrieval technologies, multimedia search in the context of mobile devices and peer-to-peer networks, and an overview of current evaluation and benchmark inititiatives to measure the performance of multimedia search engines.
From a socio-economic perspective we inventorize the impact and legal consequences of these technical advances and point out future directions of research
Extending the 5S Framework of Digital Libraries to support Complex Objects, Superimposed Information, and Content-Based Image Retrieval Services
Advanced services in digital libraries (DLs) have been developed and widely used to address the required capabilities of an assortment of systems as DLs expand into diverse application domains. These systems may require support for images (e.g., Content-Based Image Retrieval), Complex (information) Objects, and use of content at fine grain (e.g., Superimposed Information). Due to the lack of consensus on precise theoretical definitions for those services, implementation efforts often involve ad hoc development, leading to duplication and interoperability problems. This article presents a methodology to address those problems by extending a precisely specified minimal digital library (in the 5S framework) with formal definitions of aforementioned services. The theoretical extensions of digital library functionality presented here are reinforced with practical case studies as well as scenarios for the individual and integrative use of services to balance theory and practice. This methodology has implications that other advanced
services can be continuously integrated into our current extended framework whenever they are identified. The theoretical definitions and case study we present may impact future development efforts and a wide range of digital library researchers, designers, and developers
The Origins and Early History of the Steamer Albatross, 1880â18
Spencer Fullerton Baird (Fig. 1), a noted systematic zoologist and builder of scientific institutions in 19th century America, persuaded the U.S. Congress to establish the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries1 in March 1871. At that time, Baird was Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Following the death of Joseph Henry in 1878, he became head of the institution, a position he held until his own demise in 1887. In addition to his many duties as a Smithsonian official, including his prominent role in developing the Smithsonianâs Federally funded National Museum as the repository for governmental scientific collections, Baird directed the Fish Commission from 1871 until 1887.
The Fish Commissionâs original mission was to determine the reasons and remedies for the apparent decline of American fisheries off southern New England as well as other parts of the United States. In 1872, Congress further directed the Commission to begin a large fish hatching program aimed at increasing the supply of American food
Introduction : user studies for digital library development
Introductory chapter to the edited collection on user studies in digital library development. Contains a general introduction to the topic and biographical sketches of the contributors.peer-reviewe
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