Customizing Metadata Fields
Collection Administrators can customize the database's metadata fields by adding new fields, editing existing fields, or deleting unnecessary fields. Portal developers are strongly encouraged to evaluate their metadata and cataloging needs before populating the portal item database. The use of existing standards, vocabularies, and rules is likewise encouraged.
To customize a metadata field, administrators must define the characteristics of the field and its functionality. These customizations will be automatically propagated throughout the search engines, displays, and metadata cataloging templates. After extensive alterations to the metadata schema, administrators may be required to rebuild the search database and rebuild the recommender database.
When adding a new field, ensure that Hide Disabled Fields is unchecked in order to assess whether a standard field already exists and can be enabled for use. If no existing field can be found, administrators may wish to add a new field. To do so, click the Add New Field button at the top of the Metadata Field Editor page. Newly created Text, Paragraph, Number and Flag fields, when enabled, are immediately appended to all existing item records. For individual records, the default value may be overwritten or edited using the Edit Resource functions. The field also will appear immediately on the Metadata Tool cataloging template. The corresponding default value is written into the item record if no other value is specified.
To edit an existing metadata field, click the name of the field to be edited, make the necessary changes, and click the Update Field button.
Due to conflicts of functionality between field types, changing existing fields between types is constrained to limit data loss. Text, Paragraph, Flag, and Number fields are interchangeable. Option, Controlled Name, and Tree fields are interchangeable. Date fields can be changed to Text fields.
To delete an existing metadata field, click the name of the field to be removed and click the Delete Field button.
The only field required to establish an item record is the field designated as the Resource Title Field in the System Configuration, a required setting. Fields designated as Resource URL, Resource Screenshot, Resource File, and Resource Description in the System Configuration also cannot be deleted from the database, but those values need not be set.
Metadata Field Types
The most fundamental attribute of a field is its type. There are 17 types or classes of fields. The field types include:
Text
This field is a free text field. Portal software default metadata field
examples for this type include: Title, Alternate Title,
Url, Source,
Relation, Coverage, and Rights. Limited
HTML tags are permitted to
increase visual appeal in the Text field types. The allowable
HTML tags include the following:
bold <b>, italics <i>, underline
<u>, strike <s>, anchor
<a>, superscript <sup>, subscript
<sub>, paragraph <p>, quote
<q>, and preformatted text <pre>. Any
break <br> tags or other unsupported
HTML tag in Text fields
will be stripped after adding or updating the record in the Metadata Tool. All
HTML tags will be stripped from
metadata harvested via RSS and
OAI.
Paragraph
This field is a free text field for block of text. The portal software
default metadata field example for this type is the Description. Limited
HTML tags are permitted to
increase visual appeal in the Paragraph field types. The allowable
HTML tags include the following:
bold <b>, italics <i>, underline
<u>, strike <s>, anchor
<a>, superscript <sup>, subscript
<sub>, paragraph <p>, quote
<q>, preformatted text <pre>, and break
<br>. All HTML
tags will be stripped from metadata harvested via
RSS and
OAI.
Number
The number field provides for a whole number. The portal software default example is the Cumulative Rating.
Date
This field records a date in a standard format. Users do not need to enter the date in this format. The software will translate a provided date into the standard format (YYYY-MM-DD). For instance, if one enters January 6, 2001 the date is stored as 2001-01-06. An example of this field type in the default schema is Date Issued. For searching purposes, this field type can be searched in the field search on the Advanced Search page.
Timestamp
This field is intended for recording a specific date and time. Like the Date field type, values may be entered in an array of common formats and will be automatically normalized to a standard format. An example of this field type in the default schema is Date Record Checked.
Flag
This field allows for toggled values (Yes/No, On/ Off, etc.). A portal software default example is the Release Flag. The Release Flag does not appear to the public either in a full record display or the Advanced Search. It appears as a search option in the Metadata Tool. Newly created Flag type fields, when enabled, will be searchable via the Advanced Search and the Metadata Tool Search. Flag fields cannot be optional.
Tree
Tree fields allow for the use of an existing standard classification schema or your organization's homegrown taxonomy. A tree field in the portal provides users with a way of browsing through the items in hierarchical tiers. This approach guides users unfamiliar with terminology to appropriate items descending in complexity from simple to more precise. Privilege to build or edit the vocabulary or taxonomy of classifications requires authorization from the collection administrator. The Classification field is an example of a tree field.
Controlled Name
This field type allows for the central control of names and vocabularies. Many persons or entities are known by multiple names, or have names that take multiple forms (e.g. IBM, International Business Machines, IBM Inc., etc.). A Controlled Name designates a single official name for that entity within the database. The Variant Names are other names, or forms of names, associated with that entity. These may include acronyms, names with honorary titles included, dropped initials, diminutives, etc.
Having both a Controlled Name and Variant Names allows all records associated with a single entity to be linked. Editing names is also simplified by requiring only one central edit. The ability to add variants makes it possible to retrieve those name forms when searching records. Edits to the Controlled Name will be propagated to all associated records bearing Variant Names. Portal software default examples for this field are Publisher, Creator, and Subject.
Option
Option fields are most useful when a limited number of thematically related terms are needed to describe an item. These fields provide Limit options in the Advanced Search. Examples of this field type from the portal software default metadata fields are Audience, Resource Type, and Language. Options can be modified through the Edit Option Lists page.
User Fields
User fields record the user account that adds or modifies an item. Some user fields are required by the portal system and may not be modified.
Image
Images of .jpg, .gif, and .bmp file types may be added to the record for illustration or other purposes. File selection begins using the Choose File button found to the right of field. After selecting the image, the file name will automatically be added to the item record. To complete the process, click on the Upload Image button. A small image (thumbnail) will appear within the item record.
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After an image has been added to a record a Delete button will appear. To remove an image already associated with an item record simply click on this button. The desired image should then be deleted from the item record.
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Collection administrators are strongly encouraged to complete the Description field when adding images to an item record. It provides explanatory text for images and follows well-established guidelines for accessibility. It is essential for users who have vision disabilities and those using screen reader software.
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Additionally, the Description field provides text that can be searched (when enabled by Collection Administrators) by the Keyword, Advanced Search, and Metadata Tool search engine.
File
A File field allows an electronic file to be uploaded from the user's computer directly into the item record.
Url
A Url field points to a web address that either contains the full version of the information described in the item record, or contains other pertinent information or metadata for the record.
Point
A Point field allows a point in any two-dimensional coordinate system, e.g., the latitude and longitude of a location on a map, to be associated with an item record.
Reference
A Reference field allows Collection Administrators to associate one or more item records with another item record. The values of Reference fields appear as links to the full record of an item.
Other Considerations
After considering the function of a desired metadata field and selecting form the list above, other considerations must be made. Each field must be given attributes in four different areas: Basic Information, Qualifiers, Type Specific Information, and Privileges. These attributes are:
Basic Information
- Name
(Required) A clear, easily understood label.
- Display Name
The name displayed to users, if different from the Name.
- Definition
(Required) A statement of explanation, meaning, intent and scope.
- Instructions
Allows administrators to give instructions, guidelines, or best practices for the cataloging of the field. The Instructions are visible from the Edit/Add Resource page when the mouse is hovered over the field Name.
- Enabled
Yes/No; determines if the field is actively in use.
- Editable
Yes/No; determines if the data in the field can be edited.
- Optional
Yes/No; determines if data is required in the field or if that data is optional.
Qualifiers
- Uses Qualifiers
Yes/No; determines whether a particular field will make use of qualifiers. If an administrator answers Yes, but fails to specify further information below, no metadata will be refined.
- Has Item Level Qualifiers
Yes/No; determines whether the field qualified at the item level or not. Selecting Yes means that a particular field may have more than one encoding scheme. Resource editors when completing an item record then choose between all possible qualifier values provided to them by the Collection Administrator. Selecting No means the metadata field is qualified at the field level, and any data within that field uses the same encoding scheme.
- Allowed Qualifiers
List of encoding schemes a Collection Administrator permits for a given metadata field. This box is populated by the Qualifier Editor. Multiple qualifiers can be selected by holding the command button (for Mac) or control button (for Windows) and clicking the desired qualifiers. Note: Removing an item from this list may result in a loss of data.
- Default Qualifier
One encoding scheme is selected as a default. This is the value the software will supply when no value is selected by the item editor.
Search
- Include in Keyword Search
Yes/No; determines if the field should be included among fields searched for keywords, either by the Keyword Search function at the top of every page, or the fielded Keyword search on the Advanced Search.
- Include in Advanced Search
Yes/No; determines if the field should be included among fields available in Advanced Search and Limits.
- Include in Faceted Search
Yes/No; determines if the field should be included among fields available in the faceted search interface.
- Include in Sort Options
Yes/No; determines if the field should be included in the list of options by which users may sort search results.
- Search Weight
(Required) 1-20; determines the importance relative to other searched fields in search results. The search weight must be set to be greater than zero to have an affect on keyword searches. The default values for the portal software as shipped are Title=5, Alternate Title=3, Description=1, Controlled Names (Subject, Publisher, and Creator)=3. The higher the number, the more important to search relevance the field is.
Type-Specific Information
Text
- Field Size
(Required) Defines the display size of the text box in number of characters.
- Max Length
(Required) Defines the total length of text available for data entry in number of characters.
- Allow HTML in Text
Yes/No; describes if basic HTML tags are allowed in the text of the field.
- Default Value
Content of field if no other value entered.
- Paragraph Rows
(Required) Defines the total length of text available to enter data.
- Paragraph Columns
(Required) Defines the total height of text available to enter data.
- Allow HTML in Text
Yes/No; describes if basic HTML tags are allowed in the text of the field.
- Use WYSIWYG Editor
Yes/No when Allow HTML in Text is set to Yes; describes if word-processor style buttons are available to user when adding or editing text in the field.
- Field Size
(Required) Defines the total space of text available to enter data.
- Minimum Value
(Required) Smallest positive whole number allowed.
- Maximum Value
(Required) Largest positive whole number allowed.
- Default Value
Content of field if no other value entered.
- Field Size
(Required) Defines the total length of text available to enter data.
- Update Method
The rules for when or if the timestamp in the field is updated.
- Flag On Label
(Required) The display value when the flag is set to On.
- Flag Off Label
(Required) The display value when the flag is set to Off.
- Default Value
On/Off; content of field if no other value entered.
- Allow Multiple
Yes/No; defines if multiple values an be entered for an option field.
- Restrict to Users With One of the Following
Defines the user privilege level or custom privilege flag needed on a user account to display that username in the list of possible users to choose from.
- Default Alt Text
(Required) Text that will display when the image cannot be viewed or when image is scanned by assistive devices.
- Max Height
(Required) The maximum height for the full display of the image.
- Max Width
(Required) The maximum width for the full display of the image.
- Max Preview Height
(Required) The maximum height for the display of the image in the full record page.
- Max Preview Width
(Required) The maximum width for the display of the image in the full record page.
- Max Thumbnail Height
(Required) The maximum height for the display of the image thumbnail in search results, browse items, and new items displays.
- Max Thumbnail Width
(Required) The maximum width for the display of the image thumbnail in search results, browse items, and new items displays.
- Field Size
(Required) Defines in number of characters and the display size of the text box.
- Max Length
(Required) Defines in number of characters and the total length of text available for data entry.
- Field Size
(Required) Defines in number of characters and the display size of the text box.
- Point Precision
(Required) Determines how many digits should be allowed to the left of the decimal point for both values.
- Decimal Digits in Point
(Required) Determines how many digits should be allowed to the right of the decimal point for both values
- Option List Field Threshold
(Required for Tree and Controlled Name Fields only) The number of possible values for the metadata field at which the form field used to modify the value changes from checkboxes to option lists.
- Incremental Search Field Threshold
(Required for Tree and Controlled Name Fields only) The number of possible values for the metadata field at which the form field used to modify the value changes from option lists to an incremental search field.
- Max Number of Search Results
(Required for Tree, Controlled Name, and Reference Fields only) The maximum number of displayed results when the tree field's vocabulary is searched.
- Use for OAI Sets
(For Tree, Controlled Name, and Option Fields only) Yes/No; determines if the value in the field can be used to define sets for OAI harvesting.
- Privilege Required for Viewing
The privilege level, custom privilege flag, and/or user value required to view the data contained in the field.
- Privilege Required for Editing
The privilege level, custom privilege flag, and/or user value required to edit the data contained in the field.
- Privilege Required for Authoring
The privilege level, custom privilege flag, and/or user value required to add data to the field.
- Privilege Required for Browsing (Tree Fields Only)
The privilege level, custom privilege flag, and/or user value required for the field to display on the Browse Resources page.
- Privilege Required to View Full Image (Image Fields Only)
The privilege level, custom privilege flag, and/or user value required to view the full size image uploaded in the field.
Paragraph
Number
Date
Timestamp
Flag
Option
User
Image
Url
Point
Resource Editing
OAI
Privileges
Important Reminder
After customizing the database configuration, Administrators are reminded to reflect these changes in the appropriate Help texts. Since these help texts guide and instruct portal users in use, searching, and maintenance, every effort should be made to accurately guide and educate users as to portal features.