JISC

Federating the next generation

Abstract

The JISC Publisher Interface Study has set out to to provide recommendations on the best terminology, best graphics and best discovery processes for publishers to use to support federated access on their websites, particularly for users entering through the publisher 'front door'. A main aim is to foster an improved experience for end-users of federated access in different countries and improved take-up of resource usage to suit the needs of both publishers and librarians. The report takes into account that Interface design is also a very complicated process for publishers serving multiple markets in different countries who need to meet the needs of different languages, different sectors and different end-users to provide a seamless experience. This presentation will set out the findings of this study and the ongoing strategy to influence publishers to improve the 'discoverability' of resources using federated access. Participants will be invited to comment on the findings and contribute to the current plans for effecting the changes recommended by the report.

Presenter

Rhys Smith

Rhys Smith is an expert in identity and access management at Cardiff University, with a background in computer security and privacy. Rhys is a part of the Identity Management team within Cardiff University, assisting with its technical development, and manages the institution's federated access technologies. He has been a part of various Identity Management projects such as the JISC funded Identity Project, which looked at the current state of Identity Management within academic institutions in the UK, and is currently a part of the JISC funded Identity Toolkit project, which is building a toolkit designed to help institution improve their Identity Management practises. He has also been a part of various projects and initiatives related to federated access, including those which installed federated technology in around 35 further education colleges and 10 publishers; more recently he recently completed the JISC funded Service Provider Interface Study, which looked at the practical issues faced by users when attempting to use federated technologies.