DAI (Digital Author Identification) Project

Project name:

DAI (Digital Author Identification)

Objective:

The Digital Author Information (DAI) project is a national project that aims to allocate unique national numbers (DAI numbers) to each author with an appointment at or other relevant connection with a Dutch university or research institute. This system can function as a starting point for an improved method of searching for electronic publications. DAI numbers enable complete and accurate selection of an author’s publications. They also contribute to the integration of systems used by university libraries.

OCLC PICA has a personal name thesaurus which is maintained and added to by the libraries. All authors included in this thesaurus are automatically assigned a unique number (a so-called Pica Production Number or PPN). This number is used as the DAI number and included in the various research systems, including METIS. The personal name thesaurus is currently part of the GGC, the shared cataloguing system of OCLC PICA. The thesaurus is also made available as an independent module for this project. This means that libraries can continue entering data, but also that a separate search and input module will be developed that can be used to search the thesaurus from the various research systems. PPNs of authors who are already in the thesaurus are copied to the METIS file. Authors whose data cannot be found in the thesaurus can be entered directly via a web application. The institutes themselves determine the rights for their thesaurus (who is allowed to enter which kinds of data).

The data from the local systems, including METIS, are transferred to the central DAI thesaurus, where a DAI number is issued which is then sent back to the local system.

The tools necessary for this system will be developed and tested in this project. It will then be implemented as a pilot at the RUG, where the authors included in METIS will be assigned a DAI number. The knowledge, products and experience gained in this project can eventually be used to introduce a more efficient DAI system to all other universities.

Client

Participating institutes:

• University of Groningen, University Library (RUG)
• OCLC PICA (PICA)
• Radboud University Nijmegen, University Centre for Information Services (UCI)

Responsible institute: University of Groningen

Anneloes Degenaar – RUG, project manager

Daniël van Spanje – OCLC PICA, technical project leader (temporary)

Hans Schoonbrood – UCI, technical project leader

Planning:

(Start and end dates)

August 2005 – May 2006

· Phase 1

Determining and implementing the data model

Period: September 2005 – March 2006

· Phase 2

Removing duplicate data from METIS

Determining export format

Exporting data from METIS

Period: September 2005 – March 2006

· Phase 3

Initial filling of the DAI thesaurus for the RUG

Period: the time schedule will be co-ordinated with the time schedule from phases 1 and 2.

· Phase 4

Determining the interface specifications

Building the interface for searching and entering in DAI

Period: October 2005 – March 2006

· Phase 5

Implementation and pilot at RUG

Documentation

Period: November 2005 – May 2006

Final result:

• A tested and approved system for the allocation of unique national numbers (DAI) to authors and searching for authors by means of these numbers will be implemented at the RUG.
• All RUG authors who are included in METIS will be assigned a DAI number.
• The DAI number can be entered and searched from METIS.
• DAI numbers can also be entered and requested via a web interface.
• In addition, the information in the personal name thesaurus can be searched with a standard search protocol such as SRU.
• An application will be developed for transcribing information from METIS.
• The METIS information can be matched with the information from the GGC personal name thesaurus.
• Technical documentation about the system will be made available.
• Descriptions have been made about the RUG procedures for entering and searching DAI numbers.
• By the end of this project, other universities will understand how they can implement DAI in their work processes.
• A management organization will be established. The RUG University Library will be responsible for first-line support; second-line support will be in the hands of OCLC PICA.

Further information

http://dai.weblog.ub.rug.nl/