Introduction
In the world of digital repositories and information management, interoperability stands as a cornerstone for seamless data exchange and accessibility.
The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) is a significant standard that plays a pivotal role in enabling the sharing of metadata between repositories. When it comes to platforms like DSpace 7, OAI-PMH emerges as a key mechanism for facilitating the exchange of scholarly information.
What is OAI-PMH?
OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) is a standard for the exchange of metadata between data providers (repositories) and service providers.
Data Providers are repositories that expose structured metadata via OAI-PMH e.g. World Bank Open Repository, Library of Congress, University of Lagos Repository etc.
Service Providers then make OAI-PMH service requests to harvest that metadata e.g. EBSCO discovery service, PubMed Central etc.
Its primary goal is to enable metadata sharing, making it easier for organizations to expose and access their digital collections.
Key Advantages of OAI-PMH in DSpace 7
Increased Visibility
By exposing your DSpace repository via OAI-PMH, you connect your valuable content with numerous research platforms and aggregators. This significantly boosts the visibility of your research output and fosters wider dissemination of knowledge.
Promotes Collaboration
The ability to harvest metadata via OAI-PMH encourages collaboration among repositories and institutions, allowing for the aggregation and sharing of valuable scholarly content.
Enhanced Interoperability
OAI-PMH support in DSpace 7 ensures compatibility with other repositories and systems, fostering a more connected scholarly ecosystem.
Facilitates Resource Discovery
By exposing metadata using OAI-PMH, DSpace 7 enables easier and more comprehensive discovery of resources by external services and search engines
The Role of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS)
EDS aggregates content from various sources, providing users with a unified search interface to explore a wide array of scholarly resources, including articles, books, and more.
The EDS index represents a comprehensive collection of more than 3.7 billion records from the world’s top publishers and information providers.
By connecting DSpace 7 to EBSCO discovery service, institutions can amplify the visibility of their digital repositories, allowing their scholarly content to reach a broader audience.
Step-by-Step Guide on how to integrate DSpace 7 with EBSCO Discovery Service*
The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) is currently the preferable method for providing EBSCO with institutional repository data for inclusion in EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) and is supported by many popular institutional repository providers, such as DSpace.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to expose DSpace 7 metadata via OAI-PMH
STEP 1: Activate OAI-PMH Server in DSpace 7
DSpace's OAI-PMH server is enabled by default. However, you can choose to enable/disable it in your local.cfg using these configurations:
# Enable (true) or disable (false) OAI-PMH server
oai.enabled = true
# When enabled, OAI-PMH server is available at this path
oai.path = oai
NB: If you modify either of these configuration, you must restart your Servlet Container (usually Tomcat).
You can test that it is working by sending a request to: [dspace.server.url]/[oai.path]/request?verb=Identify e.g.
STEP 2: Generating a Base URL:
DSpace 7 generates a base URL that points to the OAI-PMH endpoint, allowing external services like EBSCO to access and retrieve metadata.
You can generate this base URL by visiting: [dspace.server.url]/[oai.path]/ e.g.
- https://api-ir.unilag.edu.ng/server/oai/ - UNILAG OAI-PMH Base URL
- https://demo.dspace.org/server/oai/ - DSpace 7 Demo OAI-PMH Base URL
- https://api-repository.uniabuja.edu.ng/server/oai/ - University of Abuja OAI-PHM Base URL
STEP 3. Registering with EBSCO:
Institutions can then register their DSpace 7 repository with EBSCO, providing the generated OAI-PMH base URL during the registration process. The link below will guide you through providing the answers necessary to set-up your EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) Custom Catalog
STEP 4. Harvesting Metadata:
EBSCO utilizing the registered base URL, periodically harvests metadata from DSpace 7, indexing the content within its discovery service for users to explore.
Benefits of integrating DSpace 7 with EBSCO Discovery Service
Expanded Reach
Integration with EBSCO extends the visibility of DSpace 7 content to a vast user base, enhancing discoverability among researchers and students using the discovery service.
Streamlined Access
Users benefit from a unified search experience, accessing scholarly materials from DSpace 7 alongside other resources indexed within EBSCO, simplifying research processes.
Increased Impact
Enhanced visibility often leads to increased citations and usage of scholarly content, fostering greater recognition and impact for the materials housed within DSpace 7.
Conclusion
The integration of DSpace 7 with EBSCO Discovery Service via OAI-PMH marks a significant stride in expanding the reach and impact of scholarly content. Leveraging OAI-PMH, institutions can seamlessly expose their digital collections to broader audiences, enriching the research landscape by fostering easier access and discovery. As DSpace 7 continues to evolve and embrace interoperability standards, its integration with discovery services like EBSCO via OAI-PMH stands as a testament to its commitment to empowering scholarly communication and accessibility.
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