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Salvatore Vassallosalvatore_vassallo@tin.it

Navigating through archives, libraries and museums:

topic maps as a harmonizing instrument

University of Pavia

TMRA ’05 – Leipzig, 6-7 October 2005

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• Topic maps variant forms of names

3 topic maps based projects

• Topic maps cultural heritage

• Topic maps archives

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• Use users’ research to determine the variant forms

• Minimum rate to become a variant form

• The variant form will be included in topic definition

• Possibility to browse the right and wrong forms

Variant forms of names

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Variant forms of names: calculate minimum rate

xkP

log

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Minimum Rate

Parameters 2 > K < 3 to refine search

Questionnaire Number

Empirical formula to define mininum rate: the main idea is to found an equation that decrease lowly when the number of questionnaire increases. For i.e. if with 100 questionnaire we need 15-16% as minimum rate to become variant form, with 10000 2,5% (250 searches) could be enough.

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Example Shakespeare (I)

Minimum rate: 8%

Results:Shakespeare 82%Shakespear 13%Others forms 5%

xkP

log

1 600log5.2

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include it in the topic definition or just link to the correct form

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<topic id="shakespeare"><baseName>

<baseNameString>Shakespeare</baseNameString><variant>

<parameters><topicRef xlink:href="#apocope"/></parameters><variantName><resourceData>Shakespear</resourceData></

variantName> </variant> </baseName> </topic>

<topic id="apocope"> <baseName> <baseNameString>Apocope</baseNameString> </baseName>

<occurrence><instanceOf>

<topicRef xlink:href="#web"/></instanceOf><resourceRef xlink:href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocope"/>

</occurrence> </topic>

Example Shakespeare (II)

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Example Shakespeare (III)

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Example Shakespeare (IV)<topic id="shakespeare">

<baseName><baseNameString>Shakespeare</baseNameString>

</baseName> </topic><topic id="shakespear">

<baseName><baseNameString>Shakespear</baseNameString>

</baseName> </topic><association>

<instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href="#variant"/></instanceOf><scope><topicRef xlink:href="#apocope"></topicRef></scope><member><roleSpec><topicRef xlink:href="#right"/></roleSpec><topicRef xlink:href="#shakespeare"/></member><member><roleSpec><topicRef xlink:href="#wrong"/></roleSpec><topicRef xlink:href="#shakespear"/></member>

</association>

We could use also

a reification

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Example Shakespeare (V)

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<topic id="bocca"><baseName>

<baseNameString>Bocca</baseNameString><variant>

<parameters><topicRef xlink:href="#betacism"/></parameters><variantName><resourceData>Vocca</resourceData></variantName>

</variant> </baseName> </topic> <topic id="betacism"> <baseName> <baseNameString>Betacism</baseNameString> </baseName> <occurrence> <instanceOf> <topicRef xlink:href="#web"/> </instanceOf> <resourceRef xlink:href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiced_bilabial_plosive"/>

</occurrence> </topic>

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TM & Variant forms: conclusion

Features:

• Use users’ researches to define variant forms of names

• Manage variant forms with topic maps

• Enable browsing the correct and the wrong forms

• Incorporate in existing software

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Managing related terms in a cultural system

Interoperability:

• A standard to include other standards

• Problem: standards do not satisfy the requirements of all parties

• Solution: specific standards at a lower level with relations expressed in a topic map at a higher level – topic maps as a tool for harmonization

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Topic maps as a harmonizing instrument

The entity levelrecognize different forms, that would be described differently under one single ontology

The structure level

manage different models

The semantic level

Taxonomies, access point

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Entity levelExample:

Manage as a single ontology

Liliana Grassias creator

Liliana Grassias author

With a description for each different aspect

occurences scopes

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Navigate through an archive

Fonds description

Guides, finding aids Information systems

Bibliography

OPAC

Loan service, document delivery

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Topic Maps and FRBR(Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records)

EXPRESSION

MANIFESTATION

WORK TOPIC

OCCURRENCE

Case of the model described above:

manifestations are occurrences linked with an OPAC

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Topic Maps and FRBR

EXPRESSION

MANIFESTATION

WORK TOPIC

OCCURRENCE

ITEM

Case of a library: items are occurrences linked with loan service software

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MARCor

MODS

MARCor

MADS

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EACO

EAG

EADO

EAG

TEI

DALF

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Thanks to

Paul Gabriele Weston, Fabio Ciotti, Paola Ciandrini, Flavia Giudice, Laura Bernini, Federica Biava, Ester Bucchi de Giuli, Marina Chiogna, Elettra de Lorenzo, Elena Giavari,

Linda Giuzzi, Chiara Papalia, Roberta Pastorino

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Thank you for your attention

Questions?

Salvatore Vassallosalvatore.vassallo@chela.itsalvatore_vassallo@tin.it

Cultural Heritage E-Libraries and Archives – www.chela.it

University of Pavia

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References• DALF Digital Archives of Letter in Flanders - http://www.kantl.be/ctb/project/dalf/• Dublin Core - http://dublincore.org/• EAC Encoded Archival Context - http://www.iath.virginia.edu/eac/• EAD Encoded Archival Description - http://www.loc.gov/ead/• EAG Encoded Archival Guide -

http://aer.mcu.es/sgae/jsp/censo_guia/seg_nivel/set_presenta.html• FRAR Functional Requirements for Authority Records. 2005.

http://www.ifla.org/VII/d4/FRANAR-Conceptual-M-Draft-e.pdf • FRBR Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Record. 1998.

http://www.ifla.org/VII/s13/frbr/frbr.pdf • ISAAR (CPF) International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies,

Persons and Families. 2004. http://www.icacds.org.uk/eng/isaar2ndedn-e_3_1.pdf • ISAD (G) General International Standard Archival Description. 2000.

http://www.icacds.org.uk/eng/ISAD(G).pdf• MARC MAchine Readeable Record - http://www.loc.gov/marc• MADS Metadata Authority Description Schema - http://www.loc.gov/standards/mads/• Minerva Working Group 5: Handbook for quality in cultural web sites: improving quality

for citizens. 2003. http://www.minervaeurope.org/publications/qualitycriteria1_2draft/qualitypdf1103.pdf

• MODS Metadata Object Description Schema - http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/• TEI Text Encoded Initiative - http://www.tei-c.org/