RIFF Submission Service

There are a large number of ways in which content can be submitted to a digital repository: most repository applications come with their own submission workflows; there are standalone tools; and there are existing collections which need to be imported from older repositories. All of these have their own ways of working and their own software. To complicate matters, each repository tool has its own internal workings and requirements. However, there is a common point for all applications: the actual object, with its associated metadata -- mainly content and preservation metadata. The object might consist of one or many files, and it might consist of a still image, film, sound, text, tables of data. So there are lots of possible content types and file formats, as well as lots of possible metadata regimes. However, the basic model, that commonality of object-plus-metadata, remains the same. This is where the Submission Service comes in. If it were possible to export a standardised object and metadata package from all submission applications, and ingest it with all repository applications, this would simplify the problem enormously: anyone could use a given spreadsheet or database or specialised application, and then export their collections into any repository. The service describes a set of common, basic characteristics (using XMLnotation) to which the Submission Interface Packages (or SIPs) must conform. Additionally, it provides a lightweight application that can be incorporated into any workflow. The tool was written in Java and is invoked as an external service (a Java servlet), so it can be deployed on any platform

Report of the METS Profile Development Project

This document reports on the outcome of the APSR METS Profile Development Project. The APSR METS profile project aimed to develop: • an open, extensible and standard way of packaging metadata for digital objects which could be relevant to both Australian and broader contexts; and • a generic, repository independent metadata submission and exchange profile for use among APSR repositories. The basis for this project was the draft METS exchange profile developed by the NLA as part of the 2006 APSR-funded PRESTA project. The project undertook to test this profile against actual implementations and then to register it with the Library of Congress

The Australian METS Profile – A Journey about Metadata

In any journey, there's a destination but half the 'fun' is getting there. This article chronicles our journey towards a common way of packaging and exchanging digital content in a future Australian data commons – a national corpus of research resources that can be shared and re-used. Whatever packaging format is used, it has to handle complex content models and work across multiple submission and dissemination scenarios. It has to do this in a way that maintains a history of the chain of custody of objects over time. At the start of our journey we chose METS extended by PREMIS to do this. We learnt a lot during the first two stages that we want to share with those travelling to a similar destination

The Metadata Coalface for Digital Repositories

In this paper we examine a range of metadata-related issues facing the developers and maintainers of digital repositories in Australia. We discuss metadata developments in the areas of digital preservation, repository interoperability, and collection-level discovery services in the context of a range of innovative repository projects designed to improve metadata creation, management and sharing within the Australian higher education and research sector

Abundant Degenerate Miniature Inverted-Repeat Transposable Elements in Genomes of Epichloid Fungal Endophytes of Grasses

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are abundant repeat elements in plant and animal genomes; however, there are few analyses of these elements in fungal genomes. Analysis of the draft genome sequence of the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae revealed 13 MITE families that make up almost 1% of the E. festucae genome, and relics of putative autonomous parent elements were identified for three families. Sequence and DNA hybridization analyses suggest that at least some of the MITEs identified in the study were active early in the evolution of Epichloë but are not found in closely related genera. Analysis of MITE integration sites showed that these elements have a moderate integration site preference for 5′ genic regions of the E. festucae genome and are particularly enriched near genes for secondary metabolism. Copies of the EFT-3m/Toru element appear to have mediated recombination events that may have abolished synthesis of two fungal alkaloids in different epichloae. This work provides insight into the potential impact of MITEs on epichloae evolution and provides a foundation for analysis in other fungal genomes

Student consultancy projects playbook: learning outcomes and a framework for teaching practice in an international entrepreneurial context

Consultancy projects as an action learning method have become an integral part of management education at many business schools and universities. As an opportunity to apply management knowledge in practice, they have been proven to be a valuable experience when designed and executed adeptly by academics. Based on our activities and reflection as academics, and interviews with students and companies participating in five consultancy projects, this paper proposes a framework to execute student consultancy projects in the context of international entrepreneurship. Working with small, new, and innovative companies at a foreign location seeking to internationalise, the framework highlights the learning outcomes to be achieved by students along the consultancy process. Such outcomes may be cognitive including the integration of previous knowledge with practical insights, affective such as an appreciation of other’s views, and behavioural including the development of transferable communication and management skills. Additionally, the framework provides a guideline for the necessary teaching practice for managerial learning to take place. While the project’s team and client problem are critical, knowledgeable supervisors are needed especially at the beginning, while the level of intervention needs to be adjusted throughout the process