[OAI-implementers] Sets and multiple formats

[Naomi Dushay]

Given that you must specify the metadata format for all harvesting, included
selective harvesting, it makes sense to have your sets group items without
regard to format.

That is:

setSpec:oceans

When a harvester makes a request:

ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&setSpec=oceans

ListRecords&metadataPrefix=anotherFormat&setSpec=oceans
---------
However, since you use "annotations" as your example second format, the
question may be whether your "annotations_for_oai_dc" is truly another
metadata format (a different view of the same item, to use OAI-PMH parlance),
or whether it's different content.

Also, records can belong to multiple sets:

setSpec:allDataAboutOceans
setSpec:annotationsAboutOceans

- Naomi

> -----Original Message-----
> From: oai-implementers-bounces at openarchives.org 
> [mailto:oai-implementers-bounces at openarchives.org] On Behalf 
> Of John Weatherley
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 4:14 PM
> To: oai-implementers at openarchives.org
> Subject: [OAI-implementers] Sets and multiple formats
> 
> 
> 
> We are reconsidering the way we define sets and the following 
> question 
> has come up: Does it make sense to define a set that includes records 
> from two fundamentally different metadata formats or is it better to 
> stick to one format per set?
> 
> For example, suppose a repository contains the following metadata 
> formats:
> 
> metadataPrefix=oai_dc
> metadataPrefix=annotations_for_oai_dc
> 
> Is it better to have a single set that includes records from both of 
> the above, such as:
> 
> setSpec=records_and_annotations_about_oceans
> 
> or better to split the sets by format:
> 
> setSpec=records_about_oceans
> setSpec=annotations_about_oceans
> 
> Or is either approach equally OK?
> 
> I'm curious what others have done in this regard and whether 
> there are 
> any conventions that have taken shape?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
>   -john
> 
> 
> PS:
> 
> The OAI protocol defines sets in the following way:
> 
> "The actual meaning of a set or of the arrangement of sets in 
> a repository is not defined in the protocol. It is expected 
> that individual communities may formulate well-defined set 
> configurations with perhaps a controlled vocabulary for 
> setNames and setSpec , and may even develop mechanisms for 
> exposing these to harvesters. For example, a group of 
> cooperating e-print archives in a specific discipline may 
> agree on sets that arrange metadata in their repositories 
> based on a controlled subject classification."
> 
> I do not see any discussion in the documentation about the 
> singularity or multiplicity of metadata formats in respect to sets.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> John Weatherley
> DLESE Program Center
> University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
> PO Box 3000
> Boulder, CO 80307-3000
> jweather at ucar.edu (e-mail)
> 
> (303) 497-2680 (tel)
> (303) 497-8336 (fax)
> 
http://www.dlese.org

_______________________________________________
OAI-implementers mailing list
List information, archives, preferences and to unsubscribe:
http://www.openarchives.org/mailman/listinfo/oai-implementers