[SPTUsers] Does SPT 1.2.2 OAI interface support "set"?

[will.sexton at duke.edu]

I agree that an implementation of OAI sets in SPT would valuable.  IMO,
sets ought to derive from classifications, rather than the subject field.
For one thing, I noticed that an item's classifications are not
represented in SPT's OAI output, and deriving set definitions from them
makes more sense than, say, mapping them into the DC subject field.
Also, the classifications in SPT resemble OAI's minimal definiton of sets
somewhat:  they're hierarchical, and can have many-to-many relationship
with items.  Finally, OAI isn't really designed for the provider to slice
datasets according the values of individual DC fields, ie, on a
subject=foo query.  At least in theory, that functionality is left up to
the application that harvests the data.

Just .02 on a Friday afternoon; I'll read it again on Monday morning to
see if I still believe it :-)

Will


On Fri, 12 Mar 2004, Jim Coble wrote:

> As I said, I've just begun experimenting with OAI and SPT so there may be
> far better ways to accomplish what I have in mind but here it is ...
>
> Our SPT database contains records of instructional technology resources of
> interest to a variety of disciplines.  What I was hoping to be able to do
> was a "ListRecords" request that could limit the harvested metadata to
> those records with a particular value in the "subject" field; something
> like this "...&set=subject:Chemistry" (that may not be the right syntax
> ... I'm doing it from memory but I think it's something like that).
>
> Does this make sense?  Is there a better way to do this?
>
> Thanks.
> --Jim
>
> ==================================
> Jim Coble
> Senior Technology Specialist
> Center for Instructional Technology
> Email: jim.coble at duke.edu
> Voice: 919-660-5974  Fax: 919-660-5923
> Box 90198, Duke University
> Durham, NC 27708-0198
> ==================================
>
>
>
>
>
> Edward Almasy <ealmasy at scout.wisc.edu>
> 03/12/2004 04:22 PM
>
>
>         To:     Jim Coble <Jim.Coble at duke.edu>
>         cc:     sptusers at scout.wisc.edu
>         Subject:        Re: [SPTUsers] Does SPT 1.2.2 OAI interface support "set"?
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 12, at 02:52:43PM, Jim Coble wrote:
> > We are currently running SPT 1.1.2.  I've just begun experimenting with
> > the OAI interface and got far enough to learn that, in SPT 1.1.2 anyway,
>
> > the OAI does not support the "set" attribute for the ListRecords
> > operation.  Does anyone know if it does in SPT 1.2.2?  If so, it'll be
> > good motivation to finally upgrade ;-)
>
>    The current version of SPT does not support sets for OAI, in part
>    because there didn't seem to be any interest in that functionality when
>    we initially asked people what they wanted from OAI support a couple of
>    years ago.  What or how were you thinking of using sets?
>
>    Ed
>
>
>    P.S.  (There are other reasons to upgrade, like a new OAI configuration
>    interface and support for qualifiers in OAI harvested data. :-))
>
>
> --
>    Edward Almasy ealmasy at scout.wisc.edu
>    Co-Director                                         1308 W Dayton
> Street
>    Internet Scout Project                                  Madison WI
> 53706
>    Computer Sciences Department                        608-262-6606
> (voice)
>    University of Wisconsin - Madison                     608-265-9296
> (fax)
>
>
>

--
Will Sexton / Metadata Architect * Research & Content Development
Perkins Library * Duke University / http://www.duke.edu/~wsexton/