Link Resolvers and the Serials Supply Chain

A UKSG-funded research project undertaken by Scholarly Information StrategiesPresented by: James Culling, Online Project Manager, Oxford University Press

Briefing Session at UKSG Annual Conference, Warwick 2007

Publicising the results of this study

UKSG conference briefing sessionsSummary article in Serials – July 2007Full report available from UKSG website following article publication

Agenda

Industry contextProject contextMethodologyResults

Description of the supply chainIssues and barriersRecommendationsA centralised alternative

Summary of findingsWhere next?

Industry context

A&I database Publisher site

Article/Chapter

Book or Journal Table of Contents

Book or Journal Title Homepage

Knowledge Base

OpenURL Link-to Syntax

Link Resolver Service Menu

Source Target

Industry context

Industry context

Project context

“…just because full-text finding tool vendors update their products regularly does not mean that the lists are actually up-to-date, because full-text finding tool vendors get updates from content providers who have various updating schedules and practices, and thus are of varying quality.”

Chen, X. “Assessment of Full-Text Sources Used by Serials Management Systems, OpenURL Link Resolvers, and Imported E-Journal MARC Records.” Online Information Review 28.6 (2004): 428-434. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14684520410570553>

Project context

Wakimoto, J.C, Walker, D.S, and Dabbour, K.S. “The Myths and Realities of SFX in Academic Libraries”. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32.2 (2006): 127-136. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2005.12.008>

“…the quality of the service could vary widely depending on the accuracy and completeness of the SFX KnowledgeBase. The library has a staff member who “knows better than the vendors do what is in their own databases”, noting that San Marcos reports roughly 30 errors per month back to Ex Libris. Therefore, it took more time to maintain the KnowledgeBase than initially thought.”

Project context

Study objectives:Understand present “distributed” supply chain• Expectations, roles, relationships

Establish what is not working wellConsider how to address issues• Practical steps, best practice, role of standards

in accelerating/automating data transfer

Consider alternative “centralised” model• Enthusiasm for it? Who might contribute?

Methodology

Stakeholder interviewsPublishers and other content hostsLink resolver vendorsLibrariansSubscription agentsOthers

List serv mailings (targeting librarians)Online survey of librarians

Description of the supply chain

Publishers/Content Hosts

Subscription Agents

Link Resolver Supplier*

Master KB

Supplier Hosted

Resolver

Library Hosted

Resolver

Library

Content packages

Pull

Push

Pull

Push Internal

Library Systems

Holdings / subs files

Requested by library

or

either

Requested by library

* There are a number of resolver suppliers building their own proprietary Knowledge Bases (KBs) for the market

Description of the supply chainStakeholder Knowledge Base Supply

Chain Role(s)Relationship With Stakeholder’s

Expectation of Relationship

Publisher / Content Host

To make collection data description available to Link Resolver Supplier.

Link Resolver Supplier

That Link Resolver Supplier will process/upload data in a timely fashion and distribute on to the Library.

  Where relevant, to make subscription files/holdings details available to Library for use in customising the Publisher/Content Host’s knowledge base target to reflect local conditions.

Library That library will request/download data as and when it needs it.

  To provide details of a suitable inbound linking syntax for delivering Library users to the content (Target).

Link Resolver Supplier

That Link Resolver Supplier will configure its system to utilise the linking syntax for users connecting to the Publisher/Content Host’s material.

  Where relevant, to provide details of OpenURL support (Source).

Link Resolver Supplier and Library

That Link Resolver Supplier will check its system integrates satisfactorily and that Library will enable OpenURL linking on the Publisher/Content Host’s web site for its users.

Stakeholder Knowledge Base Supply Chain Role(s)

Relationship With Stakeholder’s Expectation of Relationship

Description of the supply chain

Complexities…Publisher products not sold through agentsResolver suppliers outsourcing KB workInterplay of library systems – data staging postsConsortia KB and institution KBWho does the KB localisation?Can libraries create KB content themselves?Libraries as suppliers of KB data to resolvers

Interaction with CrossRefInteraction with Google Scholar

Issues and barriersLack of awarenessLack of co-operationInaccurate and incomplete dataContent package issuesJournal title changes and transfersResponsibility for data qualityLack of data standardsTiming issuesInbound linking issuesOpenURL issuesRole of the subscription agentBroadening of knowledge bases

Issues and barriers

Lack of awareness

Lack of co-operation

Issues and barriers

Inaccurate and incomplete data

Issues and barriers

Content package issues

Issues and barriers

Lack of data standards

Issues and barriers

Summary: OpenURL compliance is not knowledge base compliance

Recommendations

1. “COUNTER” for knowledge base and OpenURL compliance

Recommendations

Areas for a code of practice:Knowledge base compliance for publishers and content hostsKnowledge base compliance for subscription agentsKnowledge base compliance for link resolver suppliersOpenURL compliance for content providers

Recommendations

2. Accelerating and automating knowledge base data transfer

Recommendations

ONIX for Serials Online Holdings (SOH)Web services and ONIX SOH

SUSHI equivalent?

There is a need for experimentationContent providers Link resolversSubscription agents Link resolvers

A centralised alternative

Appeals to many content providers and librariansBut quality assurance task is a significant barrier to entryCosts are not insignificant – investment from where?And competing with existing players

= Does not seem viable

Summary of findings

Complex/dependent nature of present supply chainKey issues:

Lack of understanding and co-operationLack of clarity and transparency over requirements, including data formats/structuresKnowledge base compliance overlooked as an issue in the industry

A code of practice (similar to COUNTER) would help address problems in the short termExperimentation with XML feeds needed for accelerating and automating data exchanges

Where next?

What is UKSG doing with the research results?

Next steps will be finalised at UKSG board meeting in May

When and where will findings be published?

Summary article in July issue of SerialsFull report available on UKSG website thereafter

Thank you

James CullingOnline Project ManagerOxford University Press

Tel: 01865 354851Email: james.culling@oup.com