Management of Metadata in Linguistic Fieldwork: Experience from the ACLA Project Baden Hughes 1 , David Penton 1 , Steven Bird 1 , Catherine Bow 1 , Gillian Wigglesworth 1 , Patrick McConvell 2 and Jane Simpson 3 1 University of Melbourne, 2 AIATSIS, 3 University of Sydney

Overview Introduction Requirements Data Model Implementation Data Entry Reports, Queries and Searches Exports Synchronisation Administration Conclusion

Introduction

Requirements

Data Model

Implementation

Data Entry

Reports, Queries and Searches

Exports

Synchronisation

Administration

Conclusion

Introduction A metadata creation and management tool for a multiple fieldworker, longitudinal, child language acquisition research project Addressing the need for principled metadata creation as well as best practice data creation Challenging deployment scenario which is typical of numerous field-oriented linguistic research and language data collection projects

A metadata creation and management tool for a multiple fieldworker, longitudinal, child language acquisition research project

Addressing the need for principled metadata creation as well as best practice data creation

Challenging deployment scenario which is typical of numerous field-oriented linguistic research and language data collection projects

Requirements Data Management Metadata for complex multimodal data Relational data for participants Delineation between participant roles Not just collection, but reports and queries Research Methodology Integration with tool of choice for analysis 2 stage enquiry process - metadata then data Extensible controlled vocabularies User defined fields (particularly lists) Technology Full support for data entry and enquiry in both online and offline modes Metadata collection with maximum utility to project without precluding other renderings eg as OLAC or IMDI catalogue Easy to install and use on multiple platforms

Data Management

Metadata for complex multimodal data

Relational data for participants

Delineation between participant roles

Not just collection, but reports and queries

Research Methodology

Integration with tool of choice for analysis

2 stage enquiry process - metadata then data

Extensible controlled vocabularies

User defined fields (particularly lists)

Technology

Full support for data entry and enquiry in both online and offline modes

Metadata collection with maximum utility to project without precluding other renderings eg as OLAC or IMDI catalogue

Easy to install and use on multiple platforms

Data Model Tools for modelling DBDesigner (open source, XML based, multi-platform) Challenges for modelling Multiple interlinked media, sessions, and transcripts Differentiating between participants and focus children in multiple contexts Incomplete personal data eg no DOB Non-linear progression through educational system Multiple types of anthropological relations Non-standardised linguistic classification and nomenclature

Tools for modelling

DBDesigner (open source, XML based, multi-platform)

Challenges for modelling

Multiple interlinked media, sessions, and transcripts

Differentiating between participants and focus children in multiple contexts

Incomplete personal data eg no DOB

Non-linear progression through educational system

Multiple types of anthropological relations

Non-standardised linguistic classification and nomenclature

Implementation Architecture (fully independent) networked client-server single line of code difference between client and server installation Underlying requirement to provide full functionality in both online or offline environments Technology Platform PHP, PEAR scripting language MySQL database engine Apache HTTP server fundamentally open source, cross-platform

Architecture

(fully independent) networked client-server

single line of code difference between client and server installation

Underlying requirement to provide full functionality in both online or offline environments

Technology Platform

PHP, PEAR scripting language

MySQL database engine

Apache HTTP server

fundamentally open source, cross-platform

Data Entry Forms based data entry Participant Form Session Form Feature of both these forms is the “build your own list” form interface which allows end user to construct a list of parameters and then apply instances of these parameters within the parent form educational progress session-media-transcript

Forms based data entry

Participant Form

Session Form

Feature of both these forms is the “build your own list” form interface which allows end user to construct a list of parameters and then apply instances of these parameters within the parent form

educational progress

session-media-transcript

Reports, Queries and Searches Simple Reports for frequently used 2 dimensional queries eg participants by fieldworker eg participants by gender Advanced Reports design your own query interface Full Text Query Boolean support full database index query

Simple Reports

for frequently used 2 dimensional queries

eg participants by fieldworker

eg participants by gender

Advanced Reports

design your own query interface

Full Text Query

Boolean support

full database index query

Exports Generate headers for CLAN eg @participants Generate Physical Media Labels Eg FM025.A.DV, FM025.A.MD Generate File Names for Transcriptions eg DEV00012004049.trn XML-based database dump

Generate headers for CLAN

eg @participants

Generate Physical Media Labels

Eg FM025.A.DV, FM025.A.MD

Generate File Names for Transcriptions

eg DEV00012004049.trn

XML-based database dump

Synchronisation Client -> Server SQL query identifies all changed data since last sync Export and serialize as XML Compress, checksum Transfer over HTTP Checksum, uncompress Serialise XML to SQL Import SQL into database Server -> Client is this process in reverse

Client -> Server

SQL query identifies all changed data since last sync

Export and serialize as XML

Compress, checksum

Transfer over HTTP

Checksum, uncompress

Serialise XML to SQL

Import SQL into database

Server -> Client is this process in reverse

Administration User facilitated editing of System data Synchronisation – server settings Extensible controlled vocabularies Languages – linked to Ethnologue and AIATSIS codes Locations – geographical metadata Activities/tasks – both locally and globally defined User administration Access (personal metadata) Roles (fieldworker, administrator …) Project administration Fieldworker activity

User facilitated editing of

System data

Synchronisation – server settings

Extensible controlled vocabularies

Languages – linked to Ethnologue and AIATSIS codes

Locations – geographical metadata

Activities/tasks – both locally and globally defined

User administration

Access (personal metadata)

Roles (fieldworker, administrator …)

Project administration

Fieldworker activity

Conclusion Feature of note is complete online and offline operation Research methodology is indicative of many field linguistics projects Available for other interested parties to build on and extend http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/research/lt/projects/acla-db

Feature of note is complete online and offline operation

Research methodology is indicative of many field linguistics projects

Available for other interested parties to build on and extend

http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/research/lt/projects/acla-db

Acknowledgements The research reported here is supported by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant DP0343189.

The research reported here is supported by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant DP0343189.