JISC

Pilot Engineering Repository Xsearch

Project Description

The project will develop a pilot service which provides subject resource discovery across a series of repositories of interest to the engineering learning and research communities.  This pilot will be used as a test-bed to explore the practical issues that would be encountered when considering the possibility of full scale subject resource discovery services.

Issues to be investigated include: the range and availability of actual and potential digital repository sources; exploration of cultural barriers to the use of repositories in the subject community, functionality of software tools; advocacy to encourage participation of repository providers; maintenance issues; interactions with infrastructural shared services; enhancing metadata quality; embedding and reuse of resource discovery services; improving search and browse results presentation; service profiling for particular audiences.