Subject retrieval issues in the Scottish Common Information Environment

1. Subject retrieval issues in the Scottish Common Information Environment Gordon Dunsire Presented at the Electric Connections 2006 seminar, Dundee g.dunsire@strath.ac.uk

2. Scottish Common Information Environment • Common Information Environment … • “… public sector stakeholders working together to deliver information, services, and empowerment across a range of sectors in order to meet the cross-domain real world needs of the citizens …” • … of Scotland • A geographical area with a well-established, well-defined cultural, legal and political identity

3. More about the concept • “The Common Information Environment: a newly emerged concept” • Presented at Archives, Libraries, Museums 9 (AKM9), Porec, Croatia, 2005 • Similar to Electric Connections • But 6 years older and taking place over 3 days (in an Istrian holiday resort) • Another small country with big ideas • http://cdlr.strath.ac.uk/pubs/dunsireg/akm2005cie.pdf

4. Real world needs Information wanted • For the widest range of purposes • By the widest range of citizens • And visitors to Scotland … • … especially those who intend to spend • With the widest range of tools, skills and abilities • From the widest range of sources • Archives, libraries, museums, etc. • On the widest range of topics

5. Topics of interest • Everything, really • But it’s probably safe to assume a focus on Scotland and Scottish affairs • Places • People • Citizenship • Current affairs • Scots, Scotch and Scottishness • Everything, really

6. Terminological inexactitudes • Same subject, different word(s) • The Bruce • Robert the Bruce • Robert I, King of Scotland • Mel Gibson? • Same word, different subject • Tarbert • Argyll and Bute, or Harris?

7. Between the terms • Intrinsic relationships • Kirkcaldy < Fife • Burrell < Glasgow Museums • Extrinsic relationships • Robert Burns < Scottish poets and poetry • Maes Howe (Maeshowe!) < Neolithic sites in Scotland

8. Global positioning • Context • Perth • Scotland or Australia? • Language • Other than English • Not forgetting American • Colour or color • Lift or elevator • Localisation • A haggis is: • Like a sausage • Like a pudding • Like a stomach stuffed with offal and oatmeal

9. Local positioning • Language • Local dialect • piece or butty or sandwich • “Scottish” languages • Gaelic, Doric, Lallans, etc. • Immigrant languages • To what extent? • Context • Local geography, history, infrastructure can all influence the focus and presentation of subjects

10. Improvement • Controlled vocabularies • Names of places, persons and organisations • Subject topics • Structured vocabularies • Relationships • Broader, Narrower, See also • Accommodation • Easy to fit in new topics • Outward-facing • See from user variants

11. Coordination required • Multiple controlled, structured vocabularies developing in intra-Scotland contexts • Different regions • Different audiences • Different stages of development • Coordination necessary for the inter-Scotland context • Scottish Common Information Environment

12. Coordination bases • People • Chorus or Cacophony? • Singing from the same sheet, using the same words? • Clamouring for attention, drowning each other out? • Computers • Interoperability • Between vocabulary content • Between subject interfaces and vocabulary structures

13. The Goldilocks question • Is Scotland too big? • Is Scotland too small? • Or is Scotland just the right size to • Use a common vocabulary for the names of its places • Use a common approach for the names of its people • Coordinate effectively on the names of all other things Scottish • Establish “Scotland+” as a global topic

14. Questions, Answers? • More questions than answers? • Tae see oorsels as ithers see us? • Tae describe oorsels as ithers ask us • The answers are out there • In here! • Thank you