PIXUS - The JISC Image Portal Demonstrator

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PIXUS - The JISC Image Portal Demonstrator

• Portals Portlets 2003
• e-Science Institute
• Sandy Buchanan
• sandy_at_scran.ac.uk

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Project Aims

• We aim to build a fully operational, highly
  functional demonstrator image portal, providing a
  suitable platform and basis to examine the issues
  and validity of implementing a full service.
• The project also aims to show how a full service
  image portal can be used across further and
  higher education to enrich and develop the
  learning and research process.

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The People

• SCRAN
• SCRAN built and manages a database of over
  200,000 digital images.
• SCRAN has close ties with the world of education,
  and has developed user-centric products that
  enrich learners and teachers experiences.
• System Simulation Limited
• SSL has a great deal of technical expertise and
  delivers quality information management products
  to current image collection holders.
• The team will also collaborate with other
  projects and organisations working with digital
  images in a learning environment.

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Deliverables

• By 31 October 2003 the project will deliver
• A fully functional demonstrator. This will be
  underpinned by interoperable standards, enabling
  a range of searching/browsing and viewing
  functions across eight image collections.
• These collections include
• SCRAN 267k AMICO 98k
• VADS 30k HELIX 45k
• Bristol BioMed 8.5k Courtauld Institute 40k
• Wellcome Foundation 160k EDINA
• Approx 650,000 images in total
• A series of reports and specifications for a full
  service image portal

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Project Overview
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Progress to Date

• Project plan delivered
• Data on collections gathered, via questionnaire
  and face to face
• Baseline metadata standard developed, based on
  Dublin Core
• Initial user interface design created
• First 4 collections integrated
• Initial evaluation carried out

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Initial Evaluation Results
Pixus image portal Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Is easy to navigate 10 13 3 - -
Has a pleasant look feel 14 10 1 1 -
Helps me find relevant images for my purposes 3 14 8 1 -
Retrieves images quickly 5 8 5 8 -
Presents search results in a usable form 8 15 2 1 -
Shows where images come from 15 8 1 2 -
Explains what I can do with images once Ive found them 1 3 7 14 1
Provides help when I need it - 10 11 5 -
Inspires me to use images in my work 4 15 6 1 -
Will be a valuable resource for me 8 10 7 1 -
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Current Activities

• Evaluating phase one
• Reviewing Metadata standard
• Integrating Phase two collections

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Platform

• Index Bridge
• seamless searching across local and remote
  online collections
• automatic datamodel mapping
• extendable channel architecture
• current bridge channels are Z39.50, RPCXML,
  perl/shell scripting
• Index Aggregator
• OAIPMH harvesting
• harvesting scheduler
• automatic datamodel mapping
• Index for local data storage
• service profiles for targets
• harvested metadata
• other locally hosted surrogates
• Client building tools gateways for web, Z39.50,
  OAIPMH, etc

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Next Steps

• Analyse findings from phase one evaluation
• Adopt learnings from phase one into phase two
  work, as we.
• Continue lines of research
• Refine metadata schema / standards
• Evolve user interface design
• Integrate remaining collections

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Data Issues

• Data Diversity
• Metadata
• Mapping
• Vocabulary
• Data Handling
• Repository v Remote
• Varying image sizes
• Image cropping (unacceptable?)
• Harvesting thumbnails (unacceptable?)

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Usability Issues

• Functionality at Portal v Collection
• Thick / thin portal
• Additional functionality at collection server
• Learning / Teaching
• Diversity of use
• Variety of search methods
• Lack of awareness / experience of image use
• Domain specific cataloguing

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Rights Issues

• Controlling access
• Limitations on display
• Limitations on harvesting
• Branding
• Ethical concerns
• Watermarking

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Questions?

• We expect PIXUS to bring many benefits to users
  in the FE/HE community, including

• Single point of access to a huge number of images
• Potential for use of plug in services such as
  CBIR, RSS and collections level description
• Development of thematic narratives
• Inspiring the development of learning and
  teaching materials

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Collections
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Results
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