Penny Ross

Linked Data for libraries Benefits of a conceptual shift from library-specific record structures to RDF-based data models

Contemporary metadata principles and standards tended to result in document-centric rather than data-centric; human-readable rather than machine-processable metadata. In order for libraries to create and harness shareable, mashable and re-usable metadata, a conceptual shift can be achieved by adjusting current library models such as Resource Description and Access (RDA) and Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) to models based on Linked Data principles. In relation to technical formats, libraries can leapfrog to Linked Data technical formats such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF), without disrupting current library metadata operations. This paper provides six key recommendations for libraries and standards agencies. These include rising to the challenges and embracing the opportunities presented by current technological trends, adopting minimal requirements of Linked Data principles, developing ontologies, deciding on what needs to be retained from current library models, becoming part of the Linked Data cloud, and developing mixed-metadata (standards-based and socially-constructed) approaches. Finally, the paper concludes by identifying and discussing five major benefits of such metadata re-conceptualisation. The benefits include metadata openness and sharing, serendipitous discovery of information resources, identification of zeitgeist and emergent metadata, facet-based navigation and metadata enriched with links.

Towards a conceptual framework for user‐driven semantic metadata interoperability in digital libraries: A social constructivist approach

Purpose – With the aim of developing a conceptual framework which aims to facilitate semantic metadata interoperability, this paper explores overarching conceptual issues on how traditional library information organisation schemes such as online public access catalogues (OPACs), taxonomies, thesauri, and ontologies on the one hand versus Web 2.0 technologies such as social tagging (folksonomies) can be harnessed to provide users with satisfying experiences.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews works in relation to current metadata creation, utilisation and interoperability approaches, focusing on how a social constructivist philosophical perspective can be employed to underpin metadata decisions in digital libraries. Articles are retrieved from databases such as EBSCO host and Emerald and online magazines such as D‐Lib and Ariadne. Books, news articles and blog posts that are deemed relevant are also used to support the arguments put forward in this paper.Findings – Current metadata approaches ...

Evidence‐based inpatient handovers: a literature review and research agenda

Purpose – The objective of this review is to address two research questions: What is evidence‐based best practice for intra‐hospital inpatient handovers? What areas need further research? The paper aims to take a particular interest in the interpersonal skills involved in successful handover, theoretically‐based approaches to implementing improvements in handovers, and whether there is sufficient data to construct an evaluation methodology.Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a narrative synthesis based on search of PubMed, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library.Findings – A total of 82 papers, comprising 29 implementation studies, 13 conceptual models or improvement methods, five subject reviews and 35 background papers were identified. None of the studies met the normal parameters of evidence‐based medicine, but this is unsurprising for a complex healthcare service intervention.Research limitations/implications – Those papers published in English between 2000 and July 2010 that were indexe...

The Social Space of Metadata: Perspectives of LIS Academics and Postgraduates on Standards-Based and Socially Constructed Metadata Approaches

This article aims to contribute to the discussion on user-generated metadata. It presents the perspectives of eleven purposefully selected library and information science (LIS) academics and postgraduates on optimality of standards-based versus socially constructed metadata approaches and develops conceptual themes that emerged, which include the obsolescence of the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) in relation to web search engines, the preference of users for searching versus browsing, and the proliferation of extant metadata standards resulting in interoperability challenges. This study also reveals the role ascribed to Web 2.0 and to semantic web technologies in libraries and the importance of enriching information objects with metadata that better conveys the various perspectives of users. Finally, the importance of underpinning metadata decisions with sound theoretical foundations is identified.

Toward an Emerging Principle of Linking Socially-Constructed Metadata

Current discussions on the use of Linked Data for digital libraries favor standards-based (expert-created) metadata approaches. The inclusion of socially-constructed (user-created) metadata such as tagging, ratings, reviews, and recommendations is scant or absent. While efforts by the worlds major national and academic libraries to release their bibliographic data (metadata) are an important step toward the adoption of Linked Data principles, as this article argues, without the metadata richness that would be obtained by including socially-constructed metadata (Web 2.0), the current efforts may result in sub-optimal utilization of the potential of Linked Data. With the aim of exploring and investigating the potential roles of metadata linking, this article presents the results of 21 in-depth interviews conducted with Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals. A constructivist grounded theory analysis of the interview data resulted in the emergence of four metadata principles—namely, the principles of metadata enriching, metadata linking, metadata openness, and metadata filtering. Considering the evidence from data analysis, it was found to be essential that a mixed-metadata approach should be considered, so that socially-constructed metadata approaches augment and enhance standards-based ones through proactive user engagement and a platform of collaboration afforded through the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies. After highlighting each of these principles, this article focuses on discussions of the principle of metadata linking.

The Perception of the Benefits and Drawbacks of Internet Usage by the Elderly People

This project looks into the perception of the benefits and drawbacks of Internet usage by elderly people, born from the mid 1920s to the early 1940s, also known as the ‘silent generation’ (Lustria et al. in Health Informatics Journal 17(3):224–243, [1]). As governmental services are gradually becoming online, elderly people are required to use the Internet in order to complete the compulsory task(s). The Internet can be a challenging technology for the silent generation due to their experience and knowledge in using the computer and Internet. At the same time elderly people are anxious about Internet security, as they believe they can be victimised, hence the reason why the generation avoids the technology as much as possible. Participants also believed there was no need to use the Internet, as they have managed without the technology throughout their career. The paper also discusses the key elements by outlining the benefits and drawbacks relating to age-related disabilities, affordability, and privacy/security issues. In addition accessibility, usability and design issues are discussed and how that benefits and affects interaction with the Internet from a socio-technical perspective. During the observations participants were observed on how they interact with the Internet. The research suggests participants’ experienced accessibility, usability and design issues (i.e. using the mouse, keyboard, font-size, and logging-in).

Intelligent systems in health care: A socio-technical view

This chapter reflects on the relationship between various stakeholders in the health-care industry and intelligent medical systems. It takes into consideration the potential impact that intelligent systems have on health care. The aim of the chapter is to emphasise a set of decisive factors for the successful deployment of intelligent systems in health care including the individual needs of patients and medical staff. The motivation for this study was the publicity and investment that intelligent agents like Watson have benefitted from since the outset of their trial deployments in health-care organisations, which have preceded doctors’ feedback. In this chapter, we discuss some incentives to use intelligent medical systems and the ethical considerations. Potential roles of intelligent systems in health care are explored from a socio-technical perspective. Additionally, potential decision-makers and their responsibilities in assessing the medical personnel’s attitude towards the intelligent systems before their final deployment are discussed. The conclusion outlines limitations of both human clinicians and intelligent agents and how they can work together to overcome them.