ODIS 2 A database on intermediary structures in Europe, 19th & 20th centuries Joris Colla and Stephan Pauls Launch event ODIS 2 Brussels, Flemish Parliament, 29th November 2013
Contents 1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 2. The technical environment 3. The data model 4. Internationalisation 5. Interconnectivity 6. Flexibility 7. Conclusion
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 ODIS: Research Interface Centre and Database on Intermediary Structures 2000: came into existence, initial funding < FWO Vlaanderen Max Wildiersfonds (Flemish Fund for Scientific Research Max Wildiers Fund) 2006: non profit organisation under Belgian law (vzw) Bridge between academic and heritage communities
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 Collaborative initiative: Initiated by four main cultural archives: o ADVN Archival, Documentation and Research Centre o Amsab Institute for Social History o KADOC KU Leuven Documentation and Research Centre for Religion, Culture and Society o Liberal Archives Interuniversity cooperation: universities of Antwerp (UA), Brussels (VUB), Ghent (UGent) and Leuven (KU Leuven) Partners: o AMVB, Archives and Museum on Flemish Life in Brussels o CRKC, Centre for Religious Art and Culture o CVAa, Centre for Flemish Architectural Archives o Evadoc, Protestant Evangelical Archives and Documentation Centre o University Archives KU Leuven
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 At the core of the project is the ODIS database: Operational since 2002 2003 Contextual web database with four interconnected main entities records on: o Organisations o Persons (biographical records) o Publications (mainly periodicals) o Archives linked to Archie ank Vlaanderen (Archive Database Flanders) Broad scope: politics, social organisations, art and culture, church and religion, national movements, local civil society, Used in many research and heritage projects
ODIS 1
Entity relationship diagram of ODIS 1
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 Partners use ODIS for: (1) The storage and centralisation of data: o ODIS offers a safe environment for data series o Different ways of data input: Manual: some 150 data inputters, related to many institutions and projects Automatic: conversion of existing data series (biographical dic onaries, repertories of periodicals and archives, ) giving older and forgotten data series a new life o 1st November 2013: 187,384 records in the input environment (35,678 organisations, 107,087 persons, 35,277 publications, 9,342 archives)
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 Partners use ODIS for: (2) The validation and publication of data: o ODIS offers an environment to validate data series o Validated data can be published in the ODIS OPAC: Inputters / input groups decide which records are ready for publication in the OPAC (public catalogue) About 42% of the records is published o ODIS records can also be published in other environments, e.g. specific OPACs of partner institutions or projects (3) The analysis of data: o Analysis of data series which are balanced are more or less complete o Digital humanities research tool : prosopographical research, network analysis,
Evolution of the ODIS database, 2008 2013: key figures Year New records Total volume (31st December) OPAC volume (31st December) Visits Unique visitors Page views 2008 3,673 123,540 52,041 23,531 11,781 109,902 2009 3,814 127,354 53,117 36,284 22,067 203,323 2010 15,954 143,308 60,204 32,854 15,942 257,406 2011 11,639 154,947 64,213 48,856 29,188 324,331 2012 9,807 164,754 68,574 151,190 106,507 619,928 2013 (until 31st October) 22,630 187,384 69,468 144,372 103,958 570,720
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 ODIS is a multifunctional instrument: Encyclopaedia:storage and disclosure of basic and/or background information on organisations, persons, Heuristic tool: registration and disclosure of information on publications (mainly periodicals) and archives of those organisa ons, persons, joint gateway to source materials Authority database: o ODIS records can be linked to primary catalogues, digital repositories, of the partner institutions o ODIS offers background informa on and puts data in a broader context Analytical tool: ODIS offers tools to analyse the available data series
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 ODIS is a collaborative database: Jointly designed, used and managed by the partners Joint data series Central management offers support to the input groups: help desk, automatic data conversions, training sessions, Each year, an inputters day takes place but is also very flexible: Available via the Internet, 24/24 and 7/7 Different ways of data input and publication Large autonomy for the input groups, e.g. concerning the focus of their data input, the validation and publication of data, ODIS can be connected to other instruments of the partners
1. From ODIS 1 to ODIS 2 Hercules Project: Since 2008 2009, funding < Hercules Foundation = Flemish agency for investments in research infrastructure Interuniversity cooperation Leuven Antwerp Goal: The development of the contextual web database ODIS as an information node in a broad network of data collections, with more and user friendly research supporting functions and within a sustainable and modern technical environment A new ODIS database, ODIS 2, was built
2. The technical environment A sustainable and modern technical environment was set up Some technical data: Hardware: HP BL460c with Intel Xeon X5650 2 x 2.6 GHz Processor, 96 GB RAM, 300 GB hard drive Software: o Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit o Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.3.0 o Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBI EE) 11g
3. The data model ODIS 2 has 7 interconnected main entities: Organisations Persons Publications Archives Families Events Three new main entities Buildings There is also 1 additional entity for the registration of repositories (linked to Archiefbank Vlaanderen)
Entity relationship diagram of ODIS 2
3. The data model The data model is as much as possible based on international standards: ISAAR(CPF): organisations, persons, families ISBD: publications ISAD(G): archives Docomomo Guidelines: buildings ISDIAH: repositories
3. The data model The main entities have a parallel structure: Authority entries for identification data (names, titles, dates, ) and record management (authors, data control, ) Free text fields, with editing tools (layout options) Repeatable fields / field groups: input of specific data elements, based on standardised thesauri and vocabularies analy cal poten al Relational field groups: clear and univocal links between records pu ng data in a broader context, building information clusters, mapping networks and relations
Structure of an ODIS record: organisation
Structure of an ODIS record: person
3. The data model Flexible: Only some authority entries are mandatory Inputters choose which other fields they fill in and determine the focus, scope and profundity of their data input Each record has a free text field Working notes for provisional notes, sugges ons, inpu ers can work together on a record User friendly: Quick navigation Help pages Demonstration
4. Internationalisation ODIS 1: focus on Flanders / Belgium, ODIS 2: international dimension: Putting Flemish / Belgian data in an international perspective Storage and publication of data from other European contexts Storage and publication of data both in Dutch and in English Two pillars: multilingualism and multicontextuality
4. Internationalisation Multilingualism: ODIS 2 is both available in Dutch and in English Each record has a Dutch an and English version: o Partners / projects choose which language they want to use o The Dutch and the English version of a record can be developed independently, they only share some authority entries o The automatic exchange of more data between the language versions of a record is under examination In the future, more languages can be added
The relation between the language versions of an ODIS record
4. Internationalisation Multicontextuality: Thesauri with a Flemish / Belgian scope were broadened: o Organisations: legal forms o Persons: Decorations Levels of education (with implementation of ISCED 97 = International Standard Classification of Education) Political positions, political bodies, political competences At this moment: eight contexts BE, DE, ES, FR, GB, IT, LU, NL + some international thesauri (INT) In the future, additional terms and new contexts can be added (in close collaboration with the international partners / networks)
+ INT Contexts available in ODIS 2
4. Internationalisation Multicontextuality: Basic terms = terms in the original language, translations are shown in tooltips and are also searched Inputters can work in all contexts at the same time or choose a particular context Geographical thesaurus: o Geographical keywords for all European countries o Hierarchical, based on the administrative geography o Alternative terms, translations and historical terms can also be included o We will further extend and refine the thesaurus Demonstration
4. Internationalisation ODIS 2 will play a central role in several international heritage and research projects: NISE National movements & Intermediary Structures in Europe Encounters of European Elites in the 19th Century TIC Collaborative, A database of International Congresses and Organisations, 1840 1914 Civitas FARCD Forum of Archives and Research on Christian Democracy A ernoon session!
5. Interconnectivity ODIS 2 as an information node in a broad network of data collec ons importance of database linking: ODIS 1: one direction: o Links from other databases, catalogues, to ODIS ODIS 2: two directions: o Links from other databases, catalogues, to ODIS o Links from ODIS to other databases, catalogues,... ODIS 2 is OAI PMH compliant interoperability
5. Interconnectivity Links to ODIS: Connections to authority records on organisations, persons, publications, families, events, buildings ODIS records have persistent URLs it s easy to create sustainable links Many existing links from external databases, catalogues, to ODIS: o LIBISnet catalogue (Aleph / Alma) o Lias (scopearchiv, Rosetta) o Erfgoedplus.be o Royal Library of Belgium o...
Link to an ODIS authority record in Lias
Wikipedians developed a template to include links to ODIS in their articles
5. Interconnectivity Links from ODIS: ODIS 2 disposes of a database linking tool: o Records can be linked to descriptions of publications in external library catalogues; at this moment: Amsab ISG catalogue (Adlib), LIBISnet catalogue (Aleph / Alma) o Deep links make it possible to access the external catalogues o The extension of this tool to other catalogues (library catalogues, archive catalogues, ) is planned ODIS can easily be linked to trusted digital repositories Demonstration
The database linking tool in ODIS 2: types of relations with external library catalogues
6. Flexibility Goal = adapt ODIS as well as possible to the needs of its inputters and users Flexibility for inputters: Flexible data model My ODIS : o Inputters are able to choose which field groups they see ( ODIS light ) o Inputters will be able to define the order in which the field groups are shown o The system registers the preferences of the inputters (e.g. language environment)
6. Flexibility Flexibility for users different ways to access and consult the ODIS content: ODIS OPAC with HTML export formats Data input in ODIS XML tables HTML export formats in OPAC Specific OPACs of partner institutions or projects (e.g. www.cvaa.be, www.migrantenerfgoed.be, www.ppant.be) More export possibilities are under construction: o Export of data to Excel o Advanced reporting tools, via the implementation of Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBI EE) 11g software
6. Flexibility GIS tools: Most geographical keywords in ODIS 2 are linked to coordinates Possibility to visualise search results on a map and to make spatial analyses of the ODIS content Software: Oracle Fusion Middleware MapViewer Demonstration
7. Conclusion ODIS 2 is ready for use: All ODIS 1 data were moved to ODIS 2 inpu ers can continue their activities in the new environment New partners can start working on their data series in ODIS 2 The central management is available to facilitate the transition from ODIS 1 to ODIS 2: help desk, training sessions,...
7. Conclusion ODIS 2 = A reliable, flexible and user friendly technical environment with many new functionalities A collaborative work in progress A challenge for the future Ques ons, problems, remarks, sugges ons,? you can always contact us at info@odis.be