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Tags: athena salaba, bibliographic records, challenges, critical issues, decade, frbr, functional requirements, ifla, study group,Pages: 2
Language: english
Created: Sun Aug 12 16:43:35 2007
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Special Section
Critical Issues and Challenges
Facing FRBR Research
and Practice Functional
by Yin Zhang and Athena Salaba Requirements for
Bibliographic Records
unctional Requirements for Bibliographic Records Below are the top 10 most critical issues overall when
F (IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements
for Bibliographic Records, 1998) has been discussed
and explored for nearly a decade. In this article, the authors
comparing all issue ratings across all FRBR areas:
#1: Need to develop cataloging rules in line with FRBR.
#2: Need to address FRBR-based record structures,
highlight the major findings of a recent Delphi Study record encoding standards and frameworks for
(March to May 2007) that aims to identify critical issues FRBR implementations.
and challenges within FRBR research and development. #3: Need to develop and test tools/software that will
The selected experts in this study met at least one of the facilitate FRBRization processes.
following criteria: they had published on FRBR, served #4: Need to explore, develop and test various means
on FRBR review groups or were directly involved in for FRBR implementation.
FRBR system development. As of February 2007, 123
#5: Need to conduct user studies on FRBR-based
individuals met the selection criteria and were invited to
systems to ensure implementations benefit end
participate in the study; 33 of these accepted the invitation
users.
to form the FRBR panel for this study.
Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology August/September 2007
#6: Need to address the FRBRization of existing data
For the first round of the Delphi survey, the panelists
from a variety of differing standards and practices.
were asked to suggest up to three of the most critical issues
#7: Need to verify and validate the FRBR model
facing FRBR research and development today in each of
against real data and in different communities to
five major categories, based on the following themes
make sure the model is valid and applicable.
found in existing literature: (1) the FRBR model, (2)
FRBR-related standards, (3) FRBR applications, (4) FRBR #8: Need to develop FRBR-oriented authority work
system development and (5) FRBR research. In addition, standards for FRBR implementations.
the panelists were asked to provide a brief rationale #9: Need [for] guidelines and examples for FRBR
justifying the importance of each issue they raised. In applications.
Round 1, the panelists raised a total of 197 individual #10: Need to explore, design and develop effective
FRBR issue items with respective rationales. These items user interfaces in general, with result displays in
were condensed into 55 FRBR issues and presented to particular based on the FRBR model.
the panel in Round 2. Panelists were asked to rate each of Notably, three of the top 10 issues (#1, #2 and #8)
the 55 issues on a 10-point scale, where 1 indicated the address FRBR-related standards. The most critical issue is
least important and 10 the most important. Round 2 also developing cataloging rules in line with FRBR. More
provided participants an opportunity to suggest new specifically, it is deemed important to address FRBR-
issues/challenges that may have been missed in Round 1. based record structures and record encoding standards and
Round 3 followed a similar rating procedure to seek frameworks, which are considered essential steps for
group consensus regarding the most important issues. FRBR implementations. In addition, it is critical to
develop FRBR-oriented authority work standards that
Yin Zhang (yzhang4kent.edu) is an associate professor at the support effective navigation, display and collocating
School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University. functions, as well as standards that ensure interoperability
Athena Salaba (asalabakent.edu) is an assistant professor at for exchange and sharing of data with other communities.
the School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University, These top-rated issues also received a higher level of
and co-chair and secretary of the IFLA Working Group on the
consensus among panelists compared to issues in other
Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Records (FRSAR).
FRBR areas. >
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CONTENTS PREVIOUS VIEW < PA G E B A C K PA G E F O R WA R D >
Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records
Special Section
ZHANG AND SALABA, continued
FRBR system development is an area in which the using real data and in different communities, stands out as
panel raised a number of highly critical issues, and four of the most critical issue in this area (ranked #7 overall). As
the top 10 issues (#3, #4, #6 and #10) relate to this area. current applications have been limited, the panel suggested
The panel recognized the critical need to develop and test that such model verification and validation would help
tools and software to facilitate the FRBRization processes ensure the model's validity and applicability to
that convert existing data and systems so that they bibliographic information. Such work is needed for future
conform to FRBR requirements. Also, the panel agreed model refinement and extension, as well as application. A
that various means for FRBR implementation need to be critical issue closely related to FRBR user research is the
explored, developed and tested at this early stage of verification of the model through user studies.
FRBR system development, with particular emphasis on In the area of FRBR application, the panel recognized
user interfaces and result displays with users in mind. that FRBR applications lack guidelines and examples
Indeed, creating effective user interfaces is a key element demonstrating how FRBR as a conceptual model may be
in developing FRBR-based systems that effectively applied (ranked #9 overall). This type of information is
support user tasks. Since current library online catalogs particularly critical during this early stage of FRBR
and cataloging practice largely support manifestation- development. A better understanding of FRBR is also vital
level searches and displays, different search and display to its application. Some panel members observed that
options based on the FRBR model need to be explored. applications based on a different interpretation of FRBR
Also, for FRBR system development, the FRBRization can create problems regarding interoperability and that an
of existing data from a variety of differing standards and incorrect understanding of FRBR will result in applications
practices needs to be addressed from a practical that do not provide any information on the utility of FRBR.
standpoint. Particularly, FRBR implementations must Finally, other issues that did not fall within the categories
mentioned above were also raised and deliberated upon by
Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology August/September 2007
account for legacy data, such as MARC (MAchine
Readable Catalog) records upon which the majority of the panel. Although none of the issues in this miscellaneous
current library online catalogs are based. A number of category were in the top 10 most critical issue list, the issues
algorithms and tools have been developed for interpreting demonstrate some interesting aspects of FRBR
and processing MARC records and automatically development. These issues include working with vendors
extracting FRBR structure from them. The FRBRization for FRBR development, particularly with those vendors
of existing data created following other standards, such as who offer services in data enrichment that may help fill in
Dublin Core (DC), Metadata Object Description Schema missing data elements and those with services that assist
(MODS) and Metadata Authority Description Schema in the identification of entities needed to facilitate the
(MADS), causes similar concerns for digital collections. FRBRization process. Other issues include analyzing
FRBR research has currently been the least addressed semantic and syntactic relationships to support navigation,
facet of the FRBR development effort. To ensure that which is considered a key issue for FRBR as a whole;
deciding who is going to drive FRBR research and develop-
FRBR-based implementations benefit end users, the panel
ment; and solving practical concerns by providing service
identified the need to conduct user studies as the most
programs for FRBR implementation in many environments.
critical issue in the FRBR research category (ranked #5
overall). This need is supported by our own observation, Acknowledgement
based on a recent review and survey of current FRBR Yin Zhang and Athena Salaba are the recipients of an
projects, that very few of these projects have actually IMLS Leadership grant titled "Research and Development
conducted or reported user studies on their developed of FRBR-Based Systems to Effectively Support User Tasks
FRBR systems, although several have had plans to do so. and Facilitate Information Seeking." This article highlights
It remains to be determined how best to present FRBR to the major findings of a Delphi Study for Phase I of this grant.
end users to support search dialogs and the presentation of
entities and relationships. The panel also noted that the
Resource Mentioned
development of current systems needs to be justified and IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic
supported by user research. Records. (1998). Functional requirements for bibliographic records:
The panel raised the largest number of issues in the Final report. UBCIM Publications-New Series. Vol. 19, München: K.
FRBR model area. FRBR model verification and validation, G. Saur. Also available at www.ifla.org/VII/s13/frbr/frbr.htm
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