JISC

Overview

Continuing from the work of the VERSIONS project the project will provide a common infrastructure for the naming and understanding of issues relating to versions of scholarly works.

The results of an online survey of repository users about current use of digital objects and about the versioning questions that arise will be used to inform a draft framework, to be developed through an expert working group comprising of members from the project partners and other key stakeholders.

The Version Identification Framework will be recommended to the JISC and digital repository communities through a community acceptance plan and a dissemination campaign.

Aims and Objectives

Aims

• To provide a framework for the identification of versions of digital objects in digital repositories
• To inform and support the work of other JISC projects and services in this area
• To disseminate the framework widely in order to achieve community acceptance

Specific objectives will include:

• Discovering how researchers, teachers, learners and others are using digital objects and managing their personal digital resources
• Gaining community acceptance by convening a working review group
• Discovering the range of digital objects being used and the creation, revision, dissemination and storage processes that content creators go through to share and re-use of digital content

Project Methodology

London School of Economics will manage the project and will lead on the drafting of the Version Identification Framework and will collaborate with STFC on dissemination activities.

Science and Technologies and Facilities Council will lead on the community acceptance work and will work with LSE on dissemination activities.

University of Leeds will lead the Requirements exercise using an online survey and will provide expertise in teaching and learning and digital images.

Erasmus University Rotterdam will contribute expertise from the DARE community and of content versioning systems. EUR will contribute as a member of the Steering Committee and of the expert VIF Working Group.

Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

Tangible:

• A Version Identification Framework for librarians, repository managers and other key stakeholders, describing how different digital objects should be identified within repositories
• Guidance on how best to identify versions of digital objects so that the identification remains clear when resources surface through other resource discovery channels

Intangible:

• Sharing of experience with the JISC community and internationally through contacts with DARE and ARROW
• Increased understanding of the requirements of all stakeholders for clear identification of versions of digital objects
• Coordination with other JISC-funded projects
• Contribution to the development of standards on versions

Lead Institution

London School of Economics and Political Science,

www.lse.ac.uk

Project Partners

Science and Technologies Facilities Council,

www.scitech.ac.uk

University of Leeds,

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/

Erasmus University Rotterdam,

http://www.eur.nl/ub/english/