Standards For JISC's Development Programmes

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Standards For JISC's Development Programmes
http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/meetings/j
isc-development-2006-04/
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• Brian Kelly
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath

Email B.Kelly_at_ukoln.ac.uk
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Contents

• Open standards are great but don't always work
• Addressing the tensions a contextual approach
• Using the model
• The JISC view AT
• Breakout groups
• Feedback from projects
• Developing implementing policies
• Extending the coverage
• (Community response to model)
• Report back general discussion

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Open Standards Are Great
Background

• JISC's development programmes
• Traditionally based on use of open standards to
• Support interoperability
• Maximise accessibility
• Avoid vendor lock-in
• Provide architectural integrity
• Help ensure long-term preservation
• History
• eLib Standards document (v1 1996, v2 1998)
• DNER Standards document (2001)
• which influenced
• NOF-digi Technical Standards
• ..

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But Don't Always Work
Background

• There's a need for flexibility
• Learning the lesson from OSI networking protocols
• Today
• Is the Web (for example) becoming over-complex
• "Web service considered harmful"
• The lowercase semantic web / Microformats
• Lighter-weight alternatives being developed
• Responses from the commercial world
• What is an open standard?

• RSS key standard for JISC development, but
• RSS 1.0 hasn't really taken off and author admits
  has flaws
• RSS 2.0 is simpler but does Podcasting
• Neither is a proper standard, but both provide
  very valuable services
• What should we do? (Atom's flaws may not yet be
  apparent)

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Compliance Issues
Background

• What does must mean?
• You must comply with HTML standards
• What if I don't?
• What if nobody does?
• What if I use PDF?
• You must clear rights on all resources you
  digitise
• You must provide properly audited accounts
• What if I don't?

5/99 programme 80 of project home page not
HTML compliant
There is a need to clarify the meaning of must
and for an understandable, realistic and
reasonable compliance regime
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The Context
Background

• There will be a context to use of standards
• The intended use
• Mainstream ? Innovative / research
• Key middleware component ? Small-scale
  deliverable
• Organisational culture
• HE vs FE ? Teaching vs Research
• Service vs Development ?
• Available Funding Resources
• Significant funding training to make use of
  important new standards
• Minimal funding - current skills should be used

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The Layered Standards Model
Owner
JISC
3rd Parties
Context Compliance
JISC / project
External
Self assessment
Learning
Penalties
JISC's layered standards model, developed by UKOLN
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Implementation

• How might this approach be used in practice?

Contextual Model
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The Standards Catalogue

• The information provided aims to be simple and
  succinct (but document will still be large when
  printed!)

• Standard Dublin Core
• About the Standard Dublin Core is a metadata
  standard made up
• Version New terms are regularly added to
• Maturity Dublin Core has its origins in
  workshops held
• Risk Assessment Dublin Core plays a key role .
  It is an important standard within the context of
  JISC development programmes.
• Further Information
• DCMI, lthttp//dublincore.org/gt
• Author Pete Johnston, UKOLN
• Contributor
• Date Created 04 Oct 2005
• Update History Initial version.

Example
Note that as the standards catalogue is intended
for wide use the contents will need to be fairly
general
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Standards Catalogue Process
Feedback

• There's a need for developing and enhancing the
  standards catalogue in order to
• Update with new standards
• Learn from feedback and experiences

Review
Standards
The Standards Catalogue can be integrated with
the E-Framework
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Accessing The Content
http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/repositories/digirep/index
/DigRepStandardsHome

• Content available via the Digital Repositories
  Wiki

Note we plan to move to a more general URL shortly
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Providing Feedback (1)

• Feedback from JISC Programme managers, funded
  projects, etc. is important
• The Discussion tab can be used by registered
  users to provide
• Specific feedback on the standards entries
• Suggestions for further information (e.g. case
  studies you've written)

More generic feedback on the model, its
applications, etc. may be provided using other
mechanisms Opportunity for discussion on best
options.
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Providing Feedback (2)
Feedback

• Issues
• Little, if any, feedback received for eLib DNER
  standards documents
• Feedback wanted on content and standards model
  not on implementation issues will be difficult
  to achieve
• Desirable (?) for feedback and general discussion
  to be focussed on a specific call
• Wiki can be useful for specific comments, but not
  for ongoing discussion

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Sustainability
Feedback

• How do we
• Sustain, maintain and grow the standards
  catalogue?
• Develop a sustainable support infrastructure?
• Ensure that JISC supports learning organisations
  (and that JISC is a learning organisation)
• Suggestions
• Build on QA Focus approach (briefing docs and
  case studies)
• Contractual requirement for projects to produce
  end-user deliverables and deliverables related to
  development process

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Questions

• Any questions?