Chinese e-resource metadata problems that cause access issues

1. Chinese e-resource metadata problems that cause access issues Connie Lam University of Hong Kong Libraries Workshop on Electronic Resources Standards and Best Practices CEAL annual meeting pre-conference workshop, 25 March 2014, Philadelphia

2. Outline • Issues with vendors • Problems of e-books • Issues with publishers • Issues with aggregators • Problems of e-journals • Issues with publishers • Issues with aggregators

3. Issues with vendors • Metadata • No title list and/or no marc records • Unable to provide regularly updates • No information on titles removed from the platform • Duplicated entries for the same title • For continuing resources, only provide complete title list, no information for title added, title deleted, title changes, coverage changes, etc.

4. Issues with vendors • Chinese classics databases • 四庫全書 (Sikuquanshu), 四部叢刊(Sibucongkan), 中國基本古籍庫 (Zhongguojibengujiku) • No direct url for individual title • Users have to install client software

5. Issues with vendors • URLs • Urls not supported by link resolvers. • Urls not persistent • Titles do not have consistent IDs in urls. • Some vendors provide different IDs for the same title to different customers.

6. Problems of e-books Issues with publishers

7. Problems of e-books 第1版 (di 1 ban) in1989 and 修訂本, 第1版(xiu ding ben, di 1 ban) in 2002 share ISBN 75004093968 • ISBN • Same ISBN for different editions

8. Problems of e-books • Same ISBN for books from the same publisher 渠道診所 and 農村城市化的理論與實踐 have ISBN 750170516X. Both by 中國經濟出版社.

9. Problems of e-books Problems with aggregators

10. Problems of e-books • Missing part title

11. Problems of e-books • Wrong part number This should be 第9編 (di 9 bian) instead of 第7編 (di 7 bian)

12. Problems of e-books – providers • Wrong publication year If this book was published by 上海書局 (Shanghai shuju), it is a reprint of 商務印書館 (Shang wu yin shu guan)’s 1934 edition and it should be published in 1985.

13. Problems of e-books • Wrong title information The book is 致知淺說 )Zhizhiqianshuo), instead of 致和淺說 (Zhi he qianshuo)

14. Problems of e-books • Mixed information for online publisher and original publisher

15. 博庫

16. The description of both entries is same from the provider. However, the first entry links to the book published by 博庫. The second entry links to the book published by 社會科學文獻出版社.

17. Problems of e-books • Inconsistent title information • For the same series, some titles have the series name before the title, some not.

18. 中國普及教育(Zhongguopujijiaoyu) does not have series information. 唐明律合編 (Tang ming lu he bian) put 5 volumes under one single entry. 古代法 (Gudaifa) have 4 volumes, each in individual entry. All of them are in the series 萬有文庫 (Wan you wenku)

19. Problems of e-books • Inconsistent title information • For items without collective titles, some of them have only 1 entry for the item, but some of them have separate entry for titles in a single item.

21. 盧照鄰集 (Lu Zhaolinji) and楊炯集 (Yang Jiongji) are from the same item. It does not have collective title. The provider put it into 2 different entries and from the entry of 楊炯集, its title page does not have indication to show that it is from an item without collective title. This creates a lot of difficulties for catalogers to locate the correct publication information.

22. Problems of e-books • Make separate volumes for an item

23. 中國醫院大全 (Zhongguoyiyuandaquan) did not publish, 雲南分冊 (Yunnan fen ce), 西藏分冊(Xizang fen ce) and 貴州分冊 (Guizhou) as individual volumes. They should be combined as 雲南, 貴州, 西藏分冊 (Yunnan, Guizhou, Xizang fen ce).

24. Problems of e-books • Articles of a proceeding be treated as individual book titles.

25. Articles from 中國近代軍事史學術討論會論文匯編 (Zhongguojindaijunshishixueshutaolunhuilunwenhuibian) got individual entries

26. Problems of e-books • Missing pages

27. This book should have 568 pages instead of 57 pages. The table of contents also shows that there are 564+ pages. Pages 58 to 568 are missing.

28. Problems of e-journals Issues with publishers

29. Problems of e-journals • Same ISSN even title changed • 交通醫學 (Jiao tong yixue) [v.1 (1987)-v.17 (2003)] ISSN 1006-2440 • 中國交通醫學雜誌 (Zhongguojiao tong yixuezazhi) [v.18 (2004)-v.20, no.2 (2006)] ISSN 1006-2440 • 交通醫學 (Jiao tong yixue) [v.20, no.3 (2006)-] ISSN 1006-2440

30. Problems of e-journals • Same ISSN used by different titles

31. 南昌高專學報 (Nanchang gaozhuanxuebao) and 地方文化研究 (Di fang wenhua yan jiu) have same ISSN: 1008-7354

32. Problems of e-journals • Frequent title changes. Title change back and forth • 交通醫學中國交通醫學雜誌交通醫學 • 吉林藝術學院學報藝圃吉林藝術學院學報 • 九江醫學九江學院學報. 自然科學版九江醫學 (2007)九江學院學報.自然科學版 (2010)

33. Problems of e-journals Issues with aggregators

34. Problems of e-journals • Lack of title history 現代臨床醫學 (Xian dailinchuangyixue) began with vol. 31, no. 2 (Apr. 2005), 成都醫藥(Chengdu yiyao) is its former title. But the information is not available in the journal home page, even though the issues of 成都医药 is available.

35. The information of成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao)not only not available in journal information page, it is also not mentioned in the journal’s introduction page.成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao)began in 1980. 1975 is the year for 成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao)’s preceeding title 成都醫藥通訊 (Chengdu yiyao tong xun)

36. Problems of e-journals • Unable to search by former titles Issues of 成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao) is available on the platform. However, when users search by成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao). There is no hits.

37. Another aggregator, it shows the former title 成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao), but no details (start and end date of the former title). Another former title成都醫藥通訊 (Chengdu yiyao tong xun) is not available

38. Can get result list when search by 成都醫藥 (Chengdu yiyao)

39. For title changes back and forth, there is no indication in the information page. There is no hint to indicate that 中國交通醫學雜誌 (Zhongguojiao tong yixuezazhi)’s former title is 交通醫學 (Jiao tong yixue)

40. Problems of e-journals • Numbering • Not using the original numbering of the journals, all issues renumbering as year + no. There are strange numbers, such as S1, Z1.

42. S is probably used for 增刊

43. Articles from both 2010S1 and 2010S2 called 第29卷增刊 [vol. 29, Suppl]. It is difficult to determine the exact numbering.

45. Z is probably used for combined issues, 1994 Z1 should be 1994 no.1/2 and 1994 Z2 should be 1994 no.3/4. But how can users know?

46. Problems of e-journals • Inconsistent numbering Some issues with issue no. only, some issues have vol. no. and issue no.

47. Problems of e-journals • Same title has two entries v.3, no.7 盤石雜誌 (Pan shizazhi) began in 1933. The information provided in both entries is incorrect. v.3, no.4

48. Problems of e-journals • Wrong information provided 1917 1918 Same article appeared in both 1917 no.1 and 1918 no.1. The 1918 no.1 is a duplicated issue of 1917 no.1 and its numbering is incorrect.

49. Problems of e-journals • Mix reprint editions with original journals

50. Concluding remarks • Yes, there are a lot of problems and issues • We understand that: • Vendors and publishers have made a lot of effort in improving the quality of metadata • Vendors and publishers are willing to help librarians and library users to have better access to the resources