Underlying the North Plains "Telescope" Digital Asset Management System that comprises the UEN Digital Media Service is an Oracle Database. "Tables" within the database house and define the metadata elements, expressed as database fields. The database fields are often referred to as "Column Names in a Database Table."

There are rules for naming database fields, not only in terms of the characters that are allowed, but also in the type and length of data permitted in a field. The Oracle Database Column Names are often obtuse, but they have been built in order to organize related elements more effectively.

 

For those providing descriptions and entering that data into the Digital Asset Management system, a simpler, more straight forward set of names are applied to the underlying Oracle Database Column Names. These are called Common Names or Administrative Overrides, since the Common Name overrides the Oracle Database name when viewed by a cataloger or project manager.

 

Our end users have little tolerance for obtusely named metadata descriptions. Even though some granularity is sacrificed in providing a third and even simpler set of name overrides for end users, the final result offers pared down and relatively clean web pages for review and browsing. We refer to the metadata field names the end users see as Published Names, since these are the names revealed to the public. The Published Names are also referred to as overrides, since these names override both the Oracle Database Column Names and Common Names used by catalogers, thus the term "User Group Overrides."

 

Multiple "views" of the UMAP metadata fields have been provided because of different needs. Depending on what role you play as a database programmer or cataloger, one view may be of more interest and utility than another.

OPTION 1 organizes UMAP by the COMMON NAMES given the metadata elements. These are the names a cataloger sees when entering descriptions for a media item. The 115 elements are organized alphabetically by their Common Names. Cross references for Oracle Database Column Names and Published End User Names are also listed for each element.

OPTION 2 organizes UMAP by the ORACLE DATABASE COLUMN NAMES given the metadata elements. These are the names a database programmer or manager must recognize if any underlying database changes must take place. The 115 elements are organized alphabetically by their Oracle Database Column Names. Cross references for Common Names and Published End User Names are also listed for each element.

OPTION 3 gathers all the metadata elements back into their original underlying hierarchies that mark UMAP's roots in the IEEE 1484.12.1-2002, Learning Object Metadata Standard. There are 13 "CONTENT CLASSES" or main categories of metadata. The Content Classes are listed and explained on the main page of this User Guide, with links to the specific metadata elements grouped under each class.

OPTION 4 presents the 28 metadata fields that are published to our end users. From the 128 cataloging metadata elements, the descriptions are harvested and reduced into easily searched and viewed terms. The names assigned to each metadata element, "User Group Overrides," are uncomplicated and direct. The order in which the published metadata fields appear in this User Guide parallels the order employed in the North Plains Telescope interface as viewed by end users.

OPTION 5 presents 71 metadata fields that are actually used by catalogers providing descriptions for media items in the Digital Asset Management system. The names assigned to each metadata element, "Administrative Overrides," are less obscure than the Oracle Database Column Names, but still of high granularity. The order in which the cataloging metadata fields appear in this User Guide parallels the order employed in the North Plains Telescope interface as viewed by catalogers and administrators.

OPTION 6 presents 64 metadata fields that are actually used by adminstrators to enter rights management, use permissions, constraints, and obligations associated with a media item or group of related media items. A separate presentation of the rights management metadata relfects how that data is entered in a separate view when using Telescope. Catalogers should be focusing on describing the intellectual content of a media item. Administrators are better able to focus on the rights issues.

OPTION 7 presents the entire collection of UMAP metadata elements, their containers and their content classes in a diagram view.

Within the User Guides, you will encounter information buttons listed next to metadata field names. Clicking the information button links you to a specific web page outlining the definition and unique attributes for a particular metadata field. This is where you will find the rules for well-formed and consistent data entry for a metadata field.

There are standards used to define types of database fields, such as metadata elements. These same standards encourage the development and publishing of data entry guidelines, rules, punctuation, syntax, and standards-based methods for refining descriptive terms. For a more complete review of this topic, link to our Primer to Understanding Metadata and jump to the sections called "What is an Authority, Controlled Vocabulary & Structured Syntax?" and "What are Element Attributes?"

Whenever you click on an information button listed in the User Guides, you are linked to a specific web page outlining the unique attributes for a particular metadata element. The attributes are organized in a hierarchy...

METADATA FIELD NAME
DESCRIPTION...	Explains how the metadata field is intended to be used.
Definition	Brief, easily read, definition of the metadata field's purpose.
Comments	Additional narrative to clarify the meaning of the metadata field, particularly in relationship to other standards or elements in UMAP.
DATA ENTRY...	Provides specifics on how to enter descriptions and terms properly and consistently for a given metadata field.
Data Type	Itemizes if the database field is a short length character field (char), long length character field (longchar), date, or numeric field. This information is provided only for reference purposes and cannot be modified other than by a database programmer.
Data Length	Depending on the anticipated description to be entered in a particular metadata field, a database field length is specified. Limiting character string lengths improves database efficiencies. This information is provided only for reference purposes and cannot be modified other than by a database programmer.
Guidelines	More than any other information, the Guidelines section assists you in understanding the type and method of data entry for a particular metadata field. These are the rules of the road for consistent data entry. Consistent data entry improves the "findability" for media assets our end users are seeking.
Picklist of Values (Popup Menu)	Often, a pre-determined vocabulary list of terms is constructed to aid in data entry and consistency. Many such lists are standards-based from other metadata schemas and assist in mapping descriptions from one schema to another. If a Picklist of Values is defined, you must select from that list. Often, more than one term can be selected, creating a short string of descriptors for a media item.
Functional Rule	In a few cases, a metadata field has specialized functionality that is defined by a script of commands. If a metadata field in UMAP is marked with an FR designation, then the data entered in that field is auto-generated by the underlying scripting (often guided by the data you have entered in other fields). The specifications behind a Functional Rules are outlined by this attribute.
EXAMPLES...	Next to Guidelines for Data Entry, the Examples which are provided do much to clarify how data should be entered. Emulate the examples as much as possible.