Beyond basic metadata in OAI-PMH

This experiment was run on 2009-05-06.

Introduction

The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) requires that all compliant servers provide metadata in at least oai_dc format (a version of Simple Dublin Core). It also allows the server to provide additional metadata in as many formats as it likes, opening up the possibility of sophisticated services built on more detailed metadata than oai_dc can provide.

This page seeks to answer the question: how many UK repositories providing an OAI-PMH interface support more than just the minimum oai_dc?

Methodology

A list of UK repositories was downloaded from the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR). Repositories with no OAI-PMH interface were removed, and the remaining list cleaned (duplicates removed, URLs updated, etc.).

A script was written to query each repository in turn and check which metadata formats it supports.

Results

The script outputs the following results:

1. Aberdeen University Research Archive: AURA: supports 1 format:
   oai_dc.
2. Access to Research Resources for Teachers Space: supports 2 formats:
   uketd_dc, oai_dc.
3. Applied Computing Sciences ePrints Service : supports 5 formats:
   oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
4. Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Journal): supports 1 format:
   oai_dc.
5. BioMed Central (Journals): supports 5 formats:
   pubmed, bmc_article, bmc_references, bmc_bibl, oai_dc.
6. Birkbeck ePrints: supports 5 formats:
   oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
7. Birmingham Eprints Service: supports 5 formats:
8. Bournemouth University | Publications: supports 5 formats:
   oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
9. Bradford Scholars: supports 1 format:
   oai_dc.
10. Bristol Repository of Scholarly Eprints (ROSE) : supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
11. British Library Research Archive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
12. Brunel University Research Archive (BURA): supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
13. CADAIR: Aberystwyth University repository: supports 4 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc, uketd_mets, mets.
14. Cambridge University Engineering Department Publications Database: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
15. Cardiff ePrints Caerdydd: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
16. CCLRC ePublication Archive: supports 2 formats:
    qdc, oai_dc.
17. ChesterRep: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
18. CogPrints Cognitive Sciences Eprint Archive: supports 6 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, oai_eap, didl, mets, context_object.
19. Cranfield CERES: supports 3 formats:
    uketd_dc, didl, oai_dc.
20. Cultivate Interactive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
21. De Montfort University Open Research Archive DORA: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
22. Depot, the: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
23. Digital Repository of the University of Wolverhampton: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
24. DSpace at Bromley College: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
25. DSpace at Bucks New University: supports 3 formats:
    mets, rdf, oai_dc.
26. DSpace at UWIC: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
27. Edinburgh Research Archive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
28. EdShare - University of Southampton: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
29. Electronic Resource Preservation and Access Network: ERPAePRINTS Service: supports 2 formats:
    oai_dc, dp.
30. ePrints at HR Wallingford - ePrints at HR Wallingford: supports 4 formats:
    oai_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
31. ERIC: The Exeter Research and Institutional Content archive : supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
32. ESRC Society Today: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
33. Glamorgan Online Research Repository: supports 4 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc, rdf, mets.
34. Glasgow DSpace Service: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
35. Glasgow ePrints Service: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
36. Goldsmiths University of London Eprints: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
37. Higher Education Empirical Research Database : supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
38. Imperial Eprints: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
39. International Journal of eLiteracy: supports 2 formats:
    oai_dc, dp.
40. Introduction to UK Data Archive: supports 3 formats:
    oai_dc, marc, ddi.
41. IoE Eprint: University of London, Institution of Education: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
42. IPv6 Eprints Archive : supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
43. JISC Information Environment Repository: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
44. Kingston University, London: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
45. Lancaster E-Prints : supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
46. Learning Exchange: supports 3 formats:
    oai_dc, imsmd, o-ex.
47. Leicester Research Archive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
48. Liverpool John Moores University Digital Repository: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
49. London School of Economics Library Projects Team (published documents): supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
50. Loughborough University Institutional Repository: supports 3 formats:
    oai_dc, rdf, mets.
51. LSE Research Online: supports 7 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, mods, didl, mets, neeo, context_object.
52. MAGiC NACA Mirror: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
53. Manchester Metropolitan University: e-space: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
54. Manchester MIMS EPrints : supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
55. Marine & Ocean Sciences ePrints @ Plymouth : supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
56. Middlesex University Digital Repository : supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
57. Nano Repository: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
58. NECTAR: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
59. NERC Open Research Archive: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
60. Newcastle University E-Prints: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
61. NEWI Research Online: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
62. Nottingham eDissertations - Nottingham eDissertations - IS - The University of Nottingham: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
63. Nottingham ePrints: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
64. Nottingham eTheses: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
65. Nottingham Modern Languages Publications Archive: supports 2 formats:
    oai_dc, dp.
66. Open Access Repository of Association for Learning Technology (ALT): supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
67. Open Research Online: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
68. Openair @ RGU: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
69. Oxford Eprints: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
70. Oxford Research Archive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
71. PASCAL EPrints: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
72. Pharmacy Eprints: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
73. Repository@Napier: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
74. Roehampton Research Papers: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
75. Royal Holloway Research Online: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
76. SAS Space E-Repository: Home: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
77. School of Oriental and African Studies Eprints Repository: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
78. SERPENT Image and Video Archive: supports 2 formats:
    oai_dc, serpent.
79. Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
80. Southampton Crystal Structure Report Archive: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
81. Stirling Online Research Repository (STORRE): supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
82. Surrey Scholarship OnLine: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
83. Teaching and Learning Research Programme TLRP Publications: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
84. Ted Nelson: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
85. The Learning Exchange: supports 3 formats:
    oai_dc, imsmd, o-ex.
86. The Linnean Collections: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
87. UBIR: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
88. UHI Research Repository: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
89. University College London Eprints: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
90. University College London, Adastral Park Repository: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
91. University of Bath Online Publications Store - OPuS: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
92. University of Birmingham: ePapers: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
93. University of Birmingham: eTheses: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
94. University of Brighton research Repository: supports 2 formats:
    uketd_dc, oai_dc.
95. University of Durham e-Prints: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
96. University of East Anglia digital repository: supports 3 formats:
    primo_dc, oai_dc, de2aleph.
97. University of Hertfordshire Research Archive: supports 1 format:
    oai_dc.
98. University of Huddersfield Repository: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
99. University of Oxford Mathematical Institute Eprints Archive: supports 5 formats:
    oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
100. University of Portsmouth Eprints Archive: supports 1 format:
     oai_dc.
101. University of Salford Institutional Repository: supports 5 formats:
     oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
102. University of Southampton: Department of Electronics and Computer Science: supports 5 formats:
     oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
103. University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton: supports 2 formats:
     uketd_dc, oai_dc.
104. University of St Andrews Digital Research Repository: supports 1 format:
     oai_dc.
105. University of Strathclyde: supports 5 formats:
     oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
106. University of Sussex: supports 1 format:
     oai_dc.
107. University of Warwick Centre for Scientific Computing: supports 1 format:
     oai_dc.
108. Welcome to eResearch - eResearch: supports 5 formats:
     oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
109. WestminsterResearch: supports 5 formats:
     oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
110. White Rose Research Online: supports 5 formats:
     oai_dc, uketd_dc, didl, mets, context_object.
111. WRAP repository: supports 1 format:
     oai_dc.
112. York St John University Institutional Repository and Digital Archive: supports 3 formats:
     oai_dc, qdc, oai_marc.

That makes 76 out of 112 using more than just the standard oai_dc metadata. There were 0 errors.

In addition, the Advanced Knowledge Technologies (AKT) EPrints Archive and the Cambridge University Computer Science Technical Reports collection provide an OAI-PMH XML file rather than the full interface, and both only use oai_dc. So in total, that makes 76 repositories using more than just oai_dc, and 38 only using oai_dc.

Conclusions

About two thirds of UK repositories are capable of supplying more than just the basic OAI-PMH metadata. In some cases, this is because the extra formats come 'free' with the software, and in other cases these have been explicitly added by repository managers. This should offer encouragement that any sufficiently important metadata standard should be able to enjoy wide support, provided a convincing case can be put to repository software developers.