The RepoMMan Project is developing a tool which will allow users to interact with a Fedora digital repository as part of their natural workflow. The University of Hull takes a broad view of repository function, seeing it as offering storage, access, management and preservation of a wide range of objects from conception to completion and possible publication. The effectiveness of a repository is linked to the quality of its metadata. When a user chooses to make an object 'public' the RepoMMan tool will pre-populate its metadata using contextual information and metadata generation tools. The user is then able to refine this automated 'first-pass'.
In more formal detail RepoMMan aims to:
assess the feasibility of automated population of object metadata within an authenticated environment by (a) the extraction of descriptive metadata from simple digital objects and (b) drawing contextual metadata from existing institutional sources such as a portal profile or an enterprise directory via a Personal Metadata Profile and related profiles mapped to appropriate metadata schema. The feasibility of this will be assessed against the needs of potential users in the fields of research, learning and administration.
conduct a detailed user requirements analysis to underpin this effort, based around innovative and proven online technology and conventional means, particularly focussing on both existing repository/storage usage and the boundary between personal and institutional repository space. This requirements analysis will be accompanied with an exploration of associated Digital Rights Management issues.
adapt a generic workflow framework to the requirements of common repository tasks within an approach based around Service Oriented Architecture. We intend to validate this in the context of broad research and research collaboration use by providing a human interface to workflow through a standards-conformant portal and the Sakai Collaborative & Learning Environment frameworks.
A copy of the full RepoMMan proposal is available in the 'documents' section of this site.
