Appendix B. The survey instrument
Metadata Decisions for Digital Libraries
Dear Library and Information Professionals,
We are collecting your suggestions to be used in preparing a chapter on
metadata decisions for the Digital Library Guidelines, a task of the IFLA World
Digital Library Working Group on Digital Library Guidelines. The
Guidelines will be developed for use by libraries and other cultural institutions
around the world. The purpose of this survey is to investigate different
issues, levels, and concerns regarding metadata and controlled vocabularies
that need to be addressed in the Guidelines.
Please take 3 to 5 minutes to answer these questions on the survey
available at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=lRTMlZ 2bVEGf8
zmNCQPS3fg 3d 3d. Or, you can answer the same questions attached in this
email and send them back to us at mzeng@.kent.edu or jslee@mail.nl.go.kr.
If you would like to know more about this research project, please call
Marcia Zeng at (+1) 330.672.0009 or email her at mzeng@kent.edu. This
project has been approved by Kent State University. If you have questions
about Kent State University's rules for research, please call Dr. John L. West,
Vice President and Dean, Division of Research and Graduate Studies (Tel.
1-330.672.2704).
Thank you for your participation in this survey.
Sincerely,
Marcia Zeng, Kent State University
Jaesun Lee, The National Library of Korea
Allene Hayes, Library of Congress
1. Which of the following best describe your role in your digital
collection/digital library project(s)? (Please check all that apply):
coordinating digital collection/digital library projects
creating metadata records
supervising metadata and/or cataloging project(s)
creating and maintaining controlled vocabularies (lists of subject headings,
thesauri, taxonomies, etc.) and authority files
consulting on metadata issues
consulting on vocabulary control issues
providing technical support to the digital library projects
teaching and training information professionals
developing policies and best practices
Other (please specify):
2. What are the major concerns you have in your project(s) that relate to metadata?
2.1 For design and planning of digital projects (Please check all that apply to your major concerns).
to understand possible workflows
to consider reusing existing cataloging records by integrating them or
transforming them to other formats, e.g., MARC to DC, a local format
to EAD, etc., or any other variation in the new project
to understand the mechanisms of harvesting protocols
to explore how to include various types of resources (print, web pages,
images, etc.) in one project
to plan how search functions can be supported by metadata information
to decide upon levels of description (e.g., item level, collection level)
to see examples from similar projects
to plan how metadata records will be linked with authority records
to plan how the metadata describing a physical object will be associated
with the metadata for its digital version
to find if any metadata exist already in the objects themselves that could
be extracted automatically and what tools are available for this
to understand the value of controlled vocabularies
to understand and adopt an abstract model (e.g., Dublin Core Abstract
Model, FRBR conceptual model, CCO entity-relationship model)
to understand types of metadata (e.g., descriptive, administrative, structural,
preservation, rights metadata)
to learn how to measure and control metadata quality
Other (please specify):
2.2 For the decisions about element set standards (= data structure decisions).
Note: Examples of metadata standards include Dublin Core, MARC,
MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema), VRA (Visual Resources
Association) Core, EAD (Encoded Archival Description), CDWA Lite.
(Please check all that apply to your major concerns):
to find out what standards are available
to understand what factors influence the decision on which metadata
standard to use, e.g., what sort of material they are good for
to decide which metadata standard to use
to understand what sorts of adjustments might be made to a standard
metadata schema that could result in a separate schema and /or application
profile
to decide whether an application profile should be developed
to learn how to create crosswalks
to learn how to use different metadata schemes together in one project
Other (please specify)
2.3 For the decision about data contents in a record (data content decision)
(Please check all that apply to your major concerns)
to decide which core elements should be included in all records (e.g., is
RIGHTS information required), which elements are mandatory, and
which are repeatable
to decide which elements (e.g., SUBJECT, CREATOR) should use a
controlled vocabulary/authority file
to provide guides in order to ensure that metadata values will be entered
consistently (e.g., for DATE, FORMAT information)
to learn how to provide correct information in a record (e.g., where to
find TITLE information from a website, what are the IDENTIFIERs, how
many IDENTIFIERs should be included, etc.)
to find existing data content (i.e., cataloging) standards and best practice
guides (e.g., Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR), Cataloging
Culture Objects (CCO), Describing Archives: A Content Standard
(DACS), etc.)
Other (please specify):
2.4 For decisions about authority files and controlled vocabularies (data value decision)
(Please check all that apply to your major concerns)
to establish our own authority files for names
to decide whether to use existing controlled vocabularies or authority
files (e.g., LCSH, ULAN (The Union List of Artist Names), LC Authorities)
to develop controlled vocabularies (including controlled lists, taxonomies,
thesauri, etc.)
to maintain our own authority files and controlled vocabularies
Other (please specify):
2.5 For the decisions about metadata encoding (= data format/
technical interchange decisions)
Note: Metadata records can be represented in many syntax formats such
as XML, RDF, HTML/XHTM. (Please check all that apply):
to understand what are the universal or widely used encoding formats
to see examples of encoded records
to learn about available tools for encoding and converting records
Other (please specify):
2.6 General Comments
Which of your major concerns were not addressed in this questionnaire?
THANK YOU! Please send your completed survey back to mzeng@kent.edu
or jslee@mail.nl.go.kr.