1 / 13

Research-Based Metadata Requirements for a BLS Reports Archive

Research-Based Metadata Requirements for a BLS Reports Archive. Scott Berridge John Bosley Daniel W. Gillman US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Historical Archive Situation. Publications date to 1886 For many publications – 1 copy exists Many publications irreplaceable

dominic-poole
Download Presentation

Research-Based Metadata Requirements for a BLS Reports Archive

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Research-Based Metadata Requirements for a BLS Reports Archive Scott Berridge John Bosley Daniel W. Gillman US Bureau of Labor Statistics

  2. Current HistoricalArchive Situation • Publications date to 1886 • For many publications – 1 copy exists • Many publications irreplaceable – no disaster recovery

  3. Relevance to BLS • Unique historical archives • 120 years of publications • 10 years systematically available online • User expectations are rising • Standards are evolving • Mandates are under discussion

  4. Meeting Emerging Standards • File Format • Adobe Acrobat PDF/A • Labeling • Adobe’s Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) • Metadata Schema • Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)

  5. Archive on Bureau’s Website • www.bls.gov • Servers inside and outside firewall • Public domain • Accessible thru BLS Home Page

  6. Choosing Metadata Elements • Schema Choice • DDI Subset • Schema Useful? • Dissemination and Preservation • Perform user studies – 2 phases • Phase 1 -- Initial studies (3) • What users want / need • Relatively open-ended, exploratory • Phase 2 -- Focused studies (2) • Expose users to DDI subset • Obtain feedback

  7. Reasons for DDI • Want success @ BLS • Minimize capture burden • Unknowable metadata • Old documents (back to 1886) • DDI allows level of granularity • Conformance • Easy with DDI

  8. Potential Problem • Dissemination and Preservation? • Is DDI suitable for preservation? • Preservation elements • Looking at other standards

  9. User Studies--Overview • Adopt techniques of • focus groups • group interviews • Recruited members of general public • Screened for familiarity w/ Gov’t Stats • Five groups, 2-6 members per group • 3 groups -- initial, exploratory • 2 groups – review DDI elements

  10. User Studies Results • Initial exploratory groups (3) • Descriptors consistently identified • title, date, and geographic coverage • Descriptors essential and informative • Members – generalize in abstract - hard • Difficulty imagining other descriptors • If personal need does not exist a priori, then • “What can I do with this information?” • “How is it useful to me?”

  11. User Studies Results • DDI-focused groups (2) • Descriptors verified • Keywords also very important • However, very large sets of keywords • Counterproductive or Confusing • “TMI” – information overload

  12. User Studies Results • DDI-focused groups (2) • Some want title or subtitle to answer • “How is this report useful to me?” • “How can I put it to use?” • Example – Title includes “A guide” • More useful than the formal title/name • Criterion for acquiring a document • Action, use of information • Not subject matter

  13. Conclusion • Questions • Contact • Scott Berridge • Berridge.Scott@BLS.Gov • John Bosley • Bosley.John@BLS.Gov • Dan Gillman • Gillman.Daniel@BLS.Gov

More Related