Putting EPrints Software into the User Community

User Issues : round table discussion

SOAS, London 23 June 2004 Pauline Simpson

Project Manager

TARDis

Jessie Hey

Research Fellow

TARDis

Southampton University Research Repository

http:/eprints.soton.ac.uk

• Set up with HEFCE/JISC funding• JISC FAIR Programme – Focus on Access

to Institutional Resources – ways in which university research output can be made freely available - more accessible, more rapidly

• Other UK Universities : Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Bristol, London Univs : Imperial, UCL, SOAS, Kings College etc

• Open Access movement

User Issues : a tale of two users

• Depositor / Author– Human Computer Interaction: interface and

functionality

• Repository Staff– Interface, functionality, new modules,

administration, maintenance

• “User Issues” – all require technical support and/or development

Dependency

• Appreciate co-location with Developer

• What do other e-Print software administrators/users do concerning IT support?

• How are issues / requirements / enhancements shared?

Communication Lines (now)

• Mailing lists– eprints-announce

• Announcements (low volume list)

– eprints-technical http://software.eprints.org/tech.php/– eprints-underground

http://software.eprints.org/underground.php/

EPrints Technical

• I am trying to install 2.3.3 on a new server, with the goal to move our existing archive there when everything is working.

• We use Debian Linux with:• apache 1.3.29.0.2-4• mod_perl 1.29.0.2-4• php 4.3.4-4• perl 5.8.3• mysql 4.0.18-5

• Might it be something else in the MySQL setup?

EPrints Technical

• Mainly technical questions with shared responses by international community

• Some user questions which may require technical solutions – some simple, some innovative or challenging

• Some user questions which require mainly non-technical discussion

EPrints Underground

• More general questions• Small amount of activity• Not many ‘user’ questions perhaps

requiring technical answers yet• Ambiguous name

Looking back to UK FAIR cluster group meeting Nov 2003: TARDis suggested Software

enhancements

• Development of software should be directed by a Steering Group

• Need a GNU Eprints User Group and email discussion list • File Conversion Tools • Full-Text Searching **• Searching surname/initial/first name** highlight search term/s in

results; quick and dirty include author, • Improved Submission, Navigating the Deposit Process –

progress buttons, post deposit editing for authors• Web-Based Administration and Configuration • Import and Export Utilities to middleware• Statistics- more complex• More complex browse options **• Generic Coding to be re programmed • Authentication - Probity – robust time stamping

** latest version EPrints

TARDis suggested Software enhancements (cont)

• Versioning and Linking of versions • Method for the Unique identification of authors• Link to citation analysis tool • Multi Language requirement interface,

diacrytics**• Ability to block registration by non institution

depositors • Views/Skins/Branding ** (filter script by group

and latest)• Rights Metadata fields • Automated QA of metadata  • Automated population of metadata fields

including indexing from full text • Automated upload /download to and from

aggregators • OpenURL enabled

Product Requirements “Wish List”

Highlighting a few examples from our list:• More administrator web interface tools• Statistics package• Easier author editing for correcting

metadata, adding full text• Easy editing of metadata for administrator• Format conversion tools• Branding

Which routes to development dialogue do we take?

• Need for new model for the enlarged EPrints community with diverse needs?

• Even at Southampton we now also have diverse additional applications e.g. AKT project e-Prints and Crystallography data e-Prints

• Rebadge underground mailing list now more archives on board?

• Example of traditional software – formal user group?

• Regular or irregular User Group meeting?

• Steering Group for Strategic development?

•

AKT EPrints – multi-site project

Crystallographic e-Prints

Note this is a fully rotateable 3D image of the molecule

More visible sharing of requirements and

modifications

• Mechanism for prioritising user requirements?

• Proactive evaluation group?– Functionality additions

• e.g. CERN examples………

CERN document server alternative - FeedBacq!

Round Table Discussion

• Assumption: users (all stakeholders) want to input into EPrints development

• What routes do we need to influence the future development?

• Relation to other models?

Breakout session – potential questions

• Size and maturity of community signals a need for a more organized environment?

• Leads to questions such as – How can database managers, representing

users share experiences, practical knowledge?– What should be the mechanisms driving

EPrints developments from a user perspective?• Strategic• Day to day

• Then how do user and technical requirements link up together?