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In this issue:
We are happy to inform you that editorials published
in the Journal of Digital Information Management (JDIM) would be reproduced in
the DIW newsletter. The editorial board of JDIM has accepted to offer the
editorials published in the JDIM for reproduction in the DIW.
Editorial March 2003 - Journal of Digital Information Management
DIGITAL
INFORMATION SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
A major
concern among the information users is that the pace of digital information
availability is outstripping their ability to identify, organise, retrieve and
consume it. The information world became information space in the era of digital
evolution. The information space available for traversing is so vast; the
boundary is fluid and delimited, but the concepts in the information space are
inextricably linked which
demands effective marking. Concepts are semantically intertwined, as mosaic of
units and the human mind perceives such a relation. Semantic
relations link concept units lead the human mind for much efficient querying and
searching but processing systems we have currently do not reflect this reality.
The volume and the level of expertise on the technical aspects of
digital systems is increasing exceedingly However, the digital information
management needs more thrust on creating a focus on efficient intelligent
processing and retrieval for which we need to fix priorities. Still many issues
need to be addressed extensively in digital information analysis. We can cite a
few such as contextual factors, relevance measurement, concept clustering,
conceptual linkages etc. When we initiate research on these aspects, we need not
begin from scratch. The body of
research available on informational analysis is rich. We can borrow from
classical information processing systems; apply, when they are relevant to the
digital content analysis; and refine them for the betterment of digital
information world. Our efforts
should be go ahead in this direction.
Multidisciplinary approach for digital
information processing is vital, to bring new challenges and applications. This journal aims to bring convergence between
information science and computer science; such a convergence is more meaningful
and purposeful. This journal
brings together a cross section
of people involved digital information analysis research. It would address the issues of common concern to
those who have interest on digital information structuring.
We hope
this journal would travel in this direction in achieving the aforesaid mission.
P.Pichappan
(Editor)
(Reproduced
from the Journal of Digital Information Management March 2003)
SPECIAL FOCUS
Interface between OPAC and Digital Information Packages
In
the last issue of the newsletter we have raised an issue about the interface
between the existing OPACs and digital library packages. We can discuss certain
solutions. First is on metadata. Most of the existing OPACs follow the MARC 21
for document description. However in electronic documents the metadata, the most
accepted one- the DUBLIN CORE needs to be applied. Hence basically the elements
for description of documents in print and electronic documents differ
considerably. One way is to introduce the metadata elements in the existing
OPACs. The new metadata elements even not to be used for print documents need to
be added. This would be the first stage in interface issue. For doing so, the
database structure of the existing OPAC database should be properly extended.
Certain elements can overlap between the existing OPACs and metadata of the
Dublin Core. In such situations, elements need to standardized.
We welcome your opinion on this issue.
More
discussions on this issue will continue.
WEB COUNTER
What
is the use of it? How to create and apply for digital packages?- The
presentation on the above will appear soon in the DIW newsletter.
In
each issue following, a specific issue in digital information science will be
reviewed. These reviews will be basic and elementary so that the users of the
newsletter will be beneficial and enhance their knowledge on digital information
science. We invite your participation in the reviews.
HIGHLIGHTS
DIW News - World's poor to get own search engine
Researchers
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing a search
engine designed for people with a slow net connection.
Someone
using the software would e-mail a query to a central server in Boston. The
program would search the net, choose the most suitable webpages, compress them
and e-mail the results a day later.
"More
and more we are creating an information divide in the world and this can help
narrow that divide and have a huge benefit in that sense, " said Professor
Saman Amarasinghe of MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science in Boston.
The
thinking behind the TEK search engine is that people in poor countries are short
of money but have time on their hands, whereas people in the West are cash-rich
but time-poor.
"The
idea is that developing countries are willing to pay in time for
knowledge," explained Prof Amarasinghe.
"In
the West when we surf we want the information in the next two seconds. We are
not willing to wait."
Filtered
results
The
researchers say current web technology such as search engines is focused on the
needs of the West. By contrast, people in poor countries face problems such as the speed
and cost of an internet connection, let alone the huge amount of webpages thrown
up by search engines.
"Let
us assume you are in Malawi," explained Prof Amarasinghe, "and the
computer lab does not have access to the telephone line all the time."
"If
you want to find some new information about malaria, you are prompted with a
message that says 'we are going to send a query through e-mail, it is OK?'.
"At
night, when the phone line is available, the teacher can dial out and send the
queries."
The
request is sent to computers at MIT in Boston, which then search the internet
and gather webpages. To avoid a
glut of information, the software then filters the results and chooses the most
relevant. These are then sent back to the computer in Malawi so that they can be
stored in the machine's internet cache.
"Next
morning the teacher can connect, download that e-mail and when the students
arrive, they can browse through those pages the way they would if they had full
internet connectivity," said Prof Amarasinghe.
The
program keeps a record of all the information sent to avoid wasting bandwidth by
re-sending the same webpages.
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