Transcript 2. The ODIS-2 database

The ODIS database
An instrument for contextual data collection
and analysis on intermediary structures
NISE Seminar
17th November 2011
Antwerp
Content
 1.
Introduction to ODIS
 2. The ODIS-2 database
 3. Test session
1.
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ODIS:
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Research Interface Centre and Database for the Study of 19th and 20th
Century Intermediary Structures
http://www.odis.be
Collaborative initiative in Flanders:
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Introduction to ODIS
° 2000, initial funding from Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO)
Different universities (K.U.Leuven, UA, UGent, VUB)
Main private heritage institutions with archival holdings (ADVN, AmsabISG, KADOC-K.U.Leuven, Liberal Archives)
New partners since 2003: Archives and Museum on Flemish Life in
Brussels (AMVB), Centre for Flemish Architectural Archives (CVAa),
Centre for Religious Art and Culture (CRKC), Evangelical Archives
(EVADOC), University Archives K.U.Leuven
Legal form:
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Non-profit organization under Belgian law (vzw) (Belgian Official Journal,
13/11/2006, nr. 884.703.544)
Hosting by KADOC-K.U.Leuven, president = professor Jan De Maeyer
1.
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Introduction to ODIS
Two major goals:
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Research interface centre:
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Fostering interuniversity cooperation
Building joint research projects on the subject
General heuristic information for students and researchers,
orientation and in-depth information for foreign researchers
Management of research-oriented instruments:
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Jointly designed and used by the partners
Broad services towards all interested research groups (history,
art and architectural history, social and political sciences, …)
Building bridges between different communities: academic,
heritage, archives, libraries, museums, …
1.

Introduction to ODIS
At the core of the project is the ODIS database:
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Operational since 2002-2003
Contextual database
Open and flexible data model, with four main entities:
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Organizations
Persons
Publications
Archival units
Partners use the joint instrument for:
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Data storage and input
Data publishing (OPAC)
Data analysis
1.
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Introduction to ODIS
Collaborative:
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Joint data series and clusters offer possibilities to all
Collective and central management, offering services to
partners:
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Input and conversion of older data series
Specialized queries
One online manual with instructions and suggestions, one
central help desk ([email protected])
Joint training of users (researchers, librarians, archivists,
volunteers, local historians, …)
User group meetings offering feedback
Joint hosting, maintenance and technical development
1.
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Introduction to ODIS
Yet flexible:
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Easy access (pc with internet access is sufficient) and userfriendly for different categories of users
Functionalities and support offered in accordance with their
needs, expertise and collections
24/24 available (5 % maintenance time)
Partners choose focus, scope, profundity of data entry
Flexible data model, specific export and import facilities
Individual policies regarding disclosure of data series
Interconnectivity to the instruments of the partners
Distributed data validation within specific user groups
Author responsibility: individual or collective
1.
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Introduction to ODIS
Complementary use:
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Encyclopedia: basic and / or background information on
organizations and persons
Heuristic tool: a joint gateway to the collections on these
organizations or persons, thus guiding researchers to the
relevant source materials
Authority system: information can be linked to main archival
and library catalogues and digital repositories of partners (e.g.
Adlib, Aleph, DigiTool, scopeArchiv, …)
Analytic potential: analytical queries can be launched on
collected data series, if they are balanced and more or less
complete
1.
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Introduction to ODIS
Present status:
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9 partner institutions, 18 user groups
15 research and heritage projects supported
154 users (individuals with user id)
Volume of 143.308 records (1/1/2011):
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27.650 organizations
85.102 persons
21.956 publications
8.600 archival units
1.
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Introduction to ODIS
Resonance (during 2010):
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32.853 visits:
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8.968 (27,3 %) via direct traffic
17.261 (52,5 %) via search engines (Google)
6.624 (20,2 %) via referring sites
15.943 unique visitors
29.156 queries in OPAC
257.406 records consulted
1.
Introduction to ODIS
Questions?
Content
 1.
Introduction to ODIS
 2. The ODIS-2 database
 3. Test session
2.
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Hercules Project:
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The ODIS-2 database
° 2009, funded by the Hercules Foundation (Flemish
agency for research infrastructure)
Interuniversity cooperation Leuven-Antwerp
Goal: “The development of the contextual web database
ODIS as an information node in a broad network of data
collections, with more and user-friendly researchsupporting functions and within a sustainable and modern
technical environment”
A new ODIS database is currently being developed
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The ODIS-2 database will contain seven
interconnected entities:
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The ODIS-2 database
Organizations
Persons
Publications
Archival units
Objects (immovable heritage)
Families
Events
An auxiliary module for the description of repositories
will also be available
ODIS-2 entity-relationship diagram
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The data models are based on international standards:
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The ODIS-2 database
ISAAR(CPF): organizations, persons, families
ISBD: publications
ISAD(G): archival units
Docomomo: objects
ISDIAH: repositories
Structure of the entities:
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Clear authority entries: identification (names, titles, dating,
types)
Free text fields according to the nature of the entity
Repeatable fields and field groups for specific data elements
with analytical potential, often using standardized vocabularies
and thesauri
Relational fields: clear and univocal links between entities,
permitting the creation of information clusters
2.

The ODIS-2 database
‘My ODIS’: users or user groups will be able to
‘customize’ the database to their own needs and
preferences:
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They can choose which fields of the input environment they
want to see and in which order (only a few authority fields
are compulsory!)
They can define own fields or field groups
They can add new terms to the vocabularies / thesauri
‘Customized’ export possibilities will also be available
The central management will provide assistance and will
develop help pages for the different user groups
‘My ODIS’: users will be able to define which input fields they want to use
Users select
the fields they
want to use
End users
Partner institutions
and researchers
Input in the
standardized ODISframe
Access via general ODISOPAC
www.odis.be
Basic data
Partner institution A
www.odis.be
Partner B
Extensive export
possibilities (xml,
csv, xls)
Researcher C
Tools of analysis of
institution or
individual researcher
Access via specific
OPAC
Specific data
research unit B
Input in the
standardized ODISframe + userdefined fields
Specific data
researcher C
No web access
2.
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The ODIS-2 database
Internationalization (1): MULTILINGUALISM:
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The new database is available in English and in Dutch
A Dutch and an English record about a same entity can be
developed independently; they only share some authority
data (reference name, dating, …)
It is possible to add more languages in the future
RECORD
Column 1
(authority data)
RECORD ENGLISH
RECORD DUTCH
Column 2
Column 3
…
Column 2
Column 3
…
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The ODIS-2 database
Internationalization (2): MULTICONTEXTUALITY:
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Some vocabularies / thesauri in the current database are
oriented to the Belgian / Flemish context
To facilitate data input about other contexts, new
vocabularies are being developed:
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Organizations: legal forms
Persons:
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Decorations
Levels of education (ISCED-97)
Political positions
Political bodies
Political competences
At this moment: focus on European countries and
international context
Users will be able to add additional terms themselves
Completed
Under construction
+ International context
2.
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The ODIS-2 database
Geographical thesaurus:
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The current ODIS database contains a hierarchical
geographical thesaurus of Belgian and Dutch place-names
The thesaurus departs from actual territorial and
administrative entities, but historical reference terms are
also included
The internationalization of the thesaurus is being prepared
2.
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The ODIS-2 database
Other important features of the Hercules Project:
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Development of advanced import and export
possibilities
E.g.: the implementation of GIS software in the new database will
facilitate spatial analyses and representations of the ODIS
content
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Implementation of OAI-PMH:
 Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata
Harvesting
 Interoperability and database linking
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Implementation of editing tools:
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The ODIS-2 database
Layout options
Spelling check
Creation of a central repository for statistical and other
related data series (e.g. membership lists of
organizations, …)
2.
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The ODIS-2 database
Technical environment:
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Hardware updates: new server (HP Intel Xeon X5450 3.0
GHz Quad Core, 4 GB RAM, 146 GB hard disk)
Software updates:
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Windows Server 2008
Oracle 11g R2 (11.2.0.1) Enterprise Edition
Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBI EE) 11g,
Oracle Fusion Middleware MapViewer
2.
The ODIS-2 database
Questions?
You can always contact us:
[email protected]
or
[email protected]
[email protected]
Content
 1.
Introduction to ODIS
 2. The ODIS-2 database
 3. Test session