Electronic Resources in the Virtual Learning

OpenURL, SICI and Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)
The OpenURL standard was developed by the library management
system supplier Ex-Libris and released as a draft standard for trial use in
April 2003 by the National Information Standards Organisation (NISO).
It enables a user who has retrieved an article citation to obtain
immediate access to the ‘most appropriate’ copy of that object through
the implementation of extended linking services. The selection of the best
copy is based on user and organisational preferences regarding the
location of the copy, its cost, agreements with information suppliers and
similar considerations. This selection occurs without the knowledge of
the user; it is made possible by the transport of metadata with the
OpenURL link from the source citation to a ‘resolver’ (the link server),
which stores the preference information and the links to the appropriate
copy of the material.
Serial Item and Contribution Identifier (SICI) is another standard
which can be used as an article level identifier. SICI is an ANSI/NISO
standard that was developed to uniquely identify serial items, typically
issues, and their contributions, typically articles.
18
A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a permanent identifier given to a
World Wide Web file or other Internet document so that if its Internet
address changes, users will be redirected to its new address. DOIs need
to be submitted to a centrally managed directory, and to access a
document users enter the address of that directory plus the DOI into
their browser instead of a regular Internet address. The Association of
American Publishers in partnership with the Corporation for National
Research Initiatives founded the system, but it is now administered by
the International DOI Foundation. An example of its implementation is
CrossRef, the DOI agency providing services to science, technology and
medicine publishers, by which researchers can link directly from
bibliographic reference lists to source publications. The European Union
announced in August 2004 that DOIs will be assigned to all of its
publications.
115

---

Electronic Resources in the Virtual Learning Environment
Open Archives Initiative (OAI)
An important development that has its roots in the development of e-
print archives is the Open Archives Initiative (OAI).
19
The OAI develops
and promotes interoperability standards that aim to facilitate the
efficient dissemination of content. Its work is supported by the Digital
Library Federation, the Coalition for Networked Information and the
National Science Foundation. A key development is the Open Archives
Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), which defines
a mechanism for harvesting records containing metadata from
repositories. Many communities are beginning to or potentially could
benefit from the open archives approach. The Internet and the growth of
information in digital format have broadened the potential clientele of
many repositories of information.
Middleware
Middleware is a term used increasingly frequently both in the library and
the e-learning sector. Middleware has been described as the ‘glue’
between the network and applications. For example, some middleware
products link a database system to a web server. This allows users to
request data from the database using forms displayed on a web browser,
and it enables the web server to return dynamic web pages based on the
user’s requests and profile.
Standards in the e-learning sector
In the UK, CETIS (the Centre for Educational Technology
Interoperability Standards) ‘represents UK higher and further education
on international educational standards initiatives.’
20
Their website has a
large amount of information about interoperability standards. The site
also offers news about the latest happenings in the field, feature articles
and a collection of short pieces about the different standards. There are
also introductory essays; if you are new to interoperability standards
there is an excellent reference section which defines many of the key
acronyms and terms you will hear.
116

---

Standards, specifications and access management
IMS
The IMS Global Learning Consortium develops and promotes the
adoption of open technical specifications for interoperable learning
technology. Several IMS specifications have become worldwide de facto
standards for delivering learning products and services. IMS
specifications and related publications are made available to the public
at no charge from their website (http://www.imsglobal.org). No fee is
required to implement the specifications.
More recently, other bodies have become involved in learning
technology standards. These include the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), ISO and the European CEN/ISSS and
Prometheus initiatives. There are also other bodies that are involved,
including the American Aircraft Industry (AICC), and the US
Department of Defense’s Advanced Distributed Learning programme
(ADL). These groups are committed to collaboration to achieve the goal
of establishing learning technology interoperability standards.