UKOLN is supported by: IWMW 2009 Hands-on prototyping for (meta)data structures Emma Tonkin Talat Chaudhri Alexey Strelnikov

Introduction: metadata What is it, why, and who cares? Actually covers quite a lot of things: Terminologies (taxonomies, controlled vocabularies) Vocabularies Data structures/models (entity-relationship models, conceptual models)

What is it, why, and who cares?

Actually covers quite a lot of things:

Terminologies (taxonomies, controlled vocabularies)

Vocabularies

Data structures/models (entity-relationship models, conceptual models)

Example For example: 'Event Metadata' excerpt Event Type: Workshop Workshop Location Workshop Type Workshop Date (ISO 8601/W3CDTF) Opinion of Workshop {Boring, Interesting...}

For example:

'Event Metadata' excerpt

Event Type: Workshop

Workshop Location

Workshop Type

Workshop Date (ISO 8601/W3CDTF)

Opinion of Workshop {Boring, Interesting...}

Eliciting information from users People have many different opinions, and are capable of believing a lot of mutually contradictory ideas! :-) Classification systems or data structures (hopefully) represent a consensus or at least a compromise They therefore improve as we learn more about opinion They also exist (and are useful) within a given context of use – for a given purpose

People have many different opinions, and are capable of believing a lot of mutually contradictory ideas! :-)

Classification systems or data structures (hopefully) represent a consensus or at least a compromise

They therefore improve as we learn more about opinion

They also exist (and are useful) within a given context of use – for a given purpose

Organisation... Needs context! And exists for a purpose! Clean sock drawers are very nice, but don't necessarily achieve anything for those who don’t wear socks :)

Needs context!

And exists for a purpose!

Clean sock drawers are very nice, but don't necessarily achieve anything for those who don’t wear socks :)

Prototyping techniques Scope what we're trying to achieve! Learning about data structures Building quick easy models Finding easy ways to test them

Scope what we're trying to achieve!

Learning about data structures

Building quick easy models

Finding easy ways to test them

Free-listing 'Name all the x's you know' eg. What types of image can you think of? Or - What types of book are there? Or - What features might you use to describe a book? Or – What sort of resources do researchers create and publish? You might have your own use cases to look at!

'Name all the x's you know'

eg. What types of image can you think of?

Or - What types of book are there?

Or - What features might you use to describe a book?

Or – What sort of resources do researchers create and publish?

You might have your own use cases to look at!

Free-listing on “workshop metadata” Peer review status Date Times Duration Event in which it occurs Venue Attendee list Major trends, topics Organiser(s) Remote attendees? Streamed? Outputs? Feedback Presentations Papers Slides Tutorials Related articles, links, people Coffee Breaks Networking (who met who) Networking (wifi!!) Pitches Endorsements (SIG, etc) Other events on similar topic Other events run by same people... Research area and findings Related research activities

Peer review status

Date

Times

Duration

Event in which it occurs

Venue

Attendee list

Major trends, topics

Organiser(s)

Remote attendees?

Streamed?

Outputs?

Feedback

Presentations

Papers

Slides

Tutorials

Related articles, links, people

Coffee

Breaks

Networking (who met who)

Networking (wifi!!)

Pitches

Endorsements (SIG, etc)

Other events on similar topic

Other events run by same people...

Research area and findings

Related research activities

Consistency Build a table: (Note: This is a lot like social tagging!) Compare and contrast your results. Word Appearances Venue 5 Related research areas 2 Breaktime beverage 1

Build a table:

(Note: This is a lot like social tagging!)

Compare and contrast your results.

Card sorting Once you have some terms, then it's time to figure out how they fit together This is especially easy to do with taxonomies supports interface design by grouping functions/menus/etc, Supports development of conceptual models

Once you have some terms, then it's time to figure out how they fit together

This is especially easy to do with taxonomies

supports interface design by grouping functions/menus/etc,

Supports development of conceptual models

Card Sorting: Method Make sure you have something to sort (using for example the approach described earlier) Bribe/trap some 'users' into agreeing to take part (note 'user' means 'the sort of person you are trying to write a system for') After explaining the rules ('we're not testing you... just learning about the area') ask them to sort the cards into logical groupings May be 'open' (users can create novel groupings or categories) or 'closed' (users must use predefined groupings)

Make sure you have something to sort (using for example the approach described earlier)

Bribe/trap some 'users' into agreeing to take part (note 'user' means 'the sort of person you are trying to write a system for')

After explaining the rules ('we're not testing you... just learning about the area') ask them to sort the cards into logical groupings

May be 'open' (users can create novel groupings or categories) or 'closed' (users must use predefined groupings)

Using the results! Another table can be built from these results: Which categories were created? How frequently were they used (how many users applied them?) Term/ Category Bird Nature Manmade Food Buildings Seagull 1 2 Lighthouse 1 1 Fish & Chips 2

Another table can be built from these results:

Which categories were created?

How frequently were they used (how many users applied them?)

Evaluating an information structure Scenario-based evaluation: Get existing classification Develop some scenarios for which it can be used See if it is possible to step through the data structure in order to successfully complete a scenario Example: Card sorting

Scenario-based evaluation:

Get existing classification

Develop some scenarios for which it can be used

See if it is possible to step through the data structure in order to successfully complete a scenario

Example: Card sorting

Final comments A user level view of things is probably simplified (and so it should be!) What the user sees does not have to be what you store... What the developer sees probably does – good documentation helps to encourage uptake of data structures/metadata. Test early, test often. Card is cheaper than code!

A user level view of things is probably simplified (and so it should be!)

What the user sees does not have to be what you store...

What the developer sees probably does – good documentation helps to encourage uptake of data structures/metadata.

Test early, test often. Card is cheaper than code!