Glossary
Key
Green - Technical
Blue - Projects
Orange - Organisations
Abstract Model
an information model independent of any particular encoding syntax.
Active Directory
a technology created by Microsoft to unify the management of an organisations users, departments and IT resources.
Application Profiles
a set of metadata elements, policies and guidelines defined for a particular application.
Ariadne
a magazine about data curation.
Article
a story, report or opinion.
Authentication
the process of identification to establish a secure connection.
CD LOR
a JISC-funded project aiming to identify and analyse the factors influencing the practical uptake and implementation of learning object repositories.
COLEG
Colleges Open Learning Exchange Group - now merged into Scotlands Colleges
Commercial
connected with or engaged in for-profit activities
Creative Commons
a set of licenses intended to offer the consumer more freedoms than traditional copyright.
DCMI
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative
Dewey Decimal System
a system used by libraries to classify non-fiction publications into subject categories.
DIDL
Digital Item Declaration Language
DOI
Digital Object Identifier
DROID
DROID (Digital Record Object Identification) automatic file format identification tool.
Dublin Core
a metadata format to define a minimal information resource description for use in a WWW environment. 'Dublin' comes from Dublin, Ohio, the headquarters of OCLC)
Embargo
a bar on the publication of documents and other resources for security or copyright reasons.
EPrints
an open source software package for building open access repositories compliant with OAI-PMH protocol.
EThOS
Electronic Theses Online Service from the British Library
Export
the transfer of electronic data out of a database or repository in a format that can be used by other programs.
Good Intentions Report
a JISC-funded report aiming to improve the evidence base in support of sharing learning materials.
'Green' publishers
Green Open Access journal publishers endorse immediate OA self-archiving by their authors.
HEI
Higher Education Institution
ICT
Information and Communications Technology
IEEE LOM
an internationally-recognised standard for Learning Object Metadata
IMS CP
a content packaging format defined by IMS Global using an XML manifest file wrapped inside a zip file.
Indexing
the act of classifying and providing an index in order to make items easier to retrieve.
infoKit
a type of resource produced by JISC infoNet promoting the effective strategic planning and management of information and learning technology within institutions.
Institution
an organisation founded and united for a specific purpose (e.g. education)
Integration
the act of combining something into an integral whole. In technical terms it can be used when separate systems can communicate or share data (so not technically integrating into one but connecting)
Interoperability
a property referring to the ability of diverse systems and organizations to work together.
Intute
a free JISC-funded Web service aimed at those involved UK further and higher education, providing access to online resources. (No longer funded)
IPR
Intellectual Property Rights
IRISS
Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Sciences
iText
a free and open source library for creating and manipulating PDF files in Java.
IVIMEDS
The International Virtual Medical School
JACS
Joint Academic Coding subject. Coding of provision across higher education in the UK
Java
a programming language
JHOVE
JSTOR/Harvard Object Validation Environment - a joint project to develop an extensible framework for format validation)
JISC
Joint Information Systems Committee - an organisation supporting UK post-16, Higher Education and research by providing leadership in the use of ICT in support of learning, teaching, research and administration.
JISC CETIS
The JISC Centre for Educational Technology and Interoperability Standards
JORUM
a JISC-funded free online repository service for teaching and support staff in UK Further and Higher Education Institutions
JORUMOpen
a repository of free and open learning and teaching resources deposited by UK Further and Higher Education Institutions.
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
Learning Object
a resource, usually digital and web-based that can be used and re-used to support learning. Often refers to a packaged resource made up of several smaller parts.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
a thesaurus of subject headings, maintained by the United States Library of Congress, for use in bibliographic records as part of bibliographic control.
Licence
a non-exclusive right to use or re-use a resource.
LORs
Learning Object Repositories
Mandate
a binding obligation.
MeSH
Medical Subject Headings
Metadata
data that describes other data, serving as an informative label.
METS
Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard
MODS
Metadata Object Description Schema
Moodle
Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment - a free and open source e-learning software platform
NDLR
National Digital Learning Resources, a Higher Education Academy funded project between Irish universities and the Institutes of Technology to support the collaboration and sharing of learning and teaching resources.
NISO
The National Information Standards Organization - US non-profit standards organisation which develops, maintains and publishes technical standards relating to publishing, bibliographic and library applications.
OAI
Open Archives Initiative
OAI-PMH protocol
Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting
OAIster
a project of the Digital Library Production Service of the University of Michigan library aiming to create a collection of freely-available, previously difficult-to-access, academically-oriented digital resources.
OCLC
Online Computer Library Center
OER
Open Educational Resources
OpenDOAR
a JISC-funded Directory of Open Access Repositories
Open Source
practices in production and development (often of software) that promote access to the end product's source materials (typically their source code)
Portable Document Format, a file format created by Adobe Systems.
PLANETS
Preservation and Long-term Access through NETworked Services
PLATTER
Planning Tool for Trusted Electronic Repositories
PREMIS
The Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies
Preservation
a branch of library and information science concerned with maintaining or restoring access to artefacts, documents and records.
PRINCE2
PRojects IN Controlled Environments, a project management method and qualification.
PRONOM
a web-based technical registry to support digital preservation services, developed by the UK National Archives.
REF
Research Excellence Framework, the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
RepoMMan
The Repository Metadata and Management project
Repository
a facility where things can be deposited for storage or safekeeping. Often includes a wide range of services other than storage.
RAE
Research Assessment Exercise
ROAR
Registry of Open Access Repositories
RoMEO
Rights MEtadata for Open archiving, a JISC-funded project to investigate rights issues surrounding the self-archiving of research in the UK academic community.
RSP
Repositories Support Project
RSS
Rich Site Summary, often also known as Really Simple Syndication
SHERPA
Securing a Hybrid Environment for Research Preservation and Access
SHERPA-JULIET
a complementary service to RoMEO, providing summaries of funding agencies' grant conditions on self-archiving of research publications and data.
Shibboleth
standards-based open source middleware providing Single SignOn (SSO) across or within organisational boundaries.
SPARC
The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition
Stakeholders
individuals and organisations that have an interest in the organisation at any level.
SURF
Staffordshire University Regional Federation
SWAP
Scholarly Works Application Profile
SWORD
Simple Web-service Offering Repository Deposit
Take-down policy
a document outlining the procedure to be followed upon receipt of a query, alert or complaint.
TRUSTDR
a JISC-funded project examining the practical issues in setting up digital rights management systems (DRM) in repositories of learning objects.
VERSION
Specific variant or form of content which may be updated or changed resulting in several versions of one item
VLE
Virtual Learning Environment
WM-Share
a JISC-funded project to produce a framework for the use of shared digital resources across West Midlands (UK)Further and Higher educational institutions.
XML
eXtensible Markup Language, a set of rules for encoding documents electronically
