Proposal

In an effort to improve entry level user experience and make new users immediately productive, DuraSpace, the not-for-profit organization supporting the DSpace and Fedora technologies, proposes the creation of KnowledgeBase. KnowledgeBase would be a set of on-line materials modeled after the Ruby on Rail's RailGuides (http://guides.rubyonrails.org/) and would include screencasts, text-based guide, Powerpoint slides, and, if available links to relevant video/webinar. The resources in KnowledgeBase would be collaboratively developed by the user community, developers, service providers, committers and the DuraSpace organization.

What are the goals of KnowledgeBase?

  • KnowledgeBase is a framework designed to make users immediately productive with either DSpace or Fedora and help users understand how to set up and run and repository using either technology.
  • KnowledgeBase aims to provide a framework and encourage community collaboration to produce a set of tools that will improve entry level DSpace and Fedora user experience.
  • KnowledgeBase will describe/display what a DSpace or Fedora repository is, what challenges they can solve and how to get started.
  • KnowledgeBase is not a duplication or replacement for the official software documentation for either DSpace or Fedora. Rather, it is intended to be a supplemental resource, including dynamic content delivered through various methods (text, screencasts, presentation slides, webinar recordings, etc.) which describe specific examples to make the material as accessible as possible.

What is the strategy?

  • Solicit feedback from the community on the value of KnowledgeBase - DONE AT OR11 6/2011
  • Create a wiki space for KnowledgeBase - DONE (NOT YET PUBLIC)
  • Establish a framework for all forms of KnowledgeBase content - DRAFT COMPLETE
  • Develop an outline / table of contents of proposed topics to include  - DRAFT COMPLETE
  • Develop sample content for a variety of delivery vehicles (text guide, screencast, etc.) - DRAFT COMPLETE
  • Develop guidelines for content contributors - encourage bit sized contribution - DRAFT COMPLETE
    • Design content in such a way that contributions can be made in small sections (not necessary to contribute all delivery methods pieces on a given topic, contributions can be made as time/expertise is available -- i.e., if contributors can only provide a text-based guide on a topic that can be done without needing to contribute a screencast or slides)
  • Solicit and integrate feedback from the community about the framework - LATE NOV/EARLY DEC
  • Launch KnowledgeBase and solicit content contributions - MID DEC

What delivery tools are proposed?

  • Create a separate set of wiki pages using the "Documentation Theme" with unique branding/headers so it is easily distinguishable from the rest of the wiki and the official documentation
  • Use YouTube for streaming video / webinar recordings
  • Use Slideshare for storing Powerpoint slides
  • Keep copies of all files in a repository

Screenshot of KnowledgeBase 

Draft Topic Outlines

Fedora 
  • What is Fedora - Why use Fedora? - not mktg piece, help audience understand what Fedora does
    • What Fedora does really well and not so well
    • Why would you chose Fedora vs. DSpace (same content as in DSpace version)
  • Fedora Concepts
    • What is a Fedora Object
    • What is a Fedora Repository
    • Content Modeling
      • Overview (surface level, for collection managers)
      • In depth, RDF, etc. version (for developers/integrators) 
  • Installation and Setup
  • Core Interfaces and Integrations:
    • REST API Overview
    • Semantic Web and Linked Data Overview
    • Storage - Overview and Plugins Available
    • Search - Blacklight, GSearch, RIsearch
    • Messaging - Written by UVA?
  • Fedora Administration
    • Security
      • Authentication (Login) Overview
      • Authorization (Policy Enforcement) Overview
    • Logs
    • Backups and Restores
      • Using local storage
      • Using DuraCloud
    • Replication via Journaling
  • Applications Built on Fedora
    • Hydra (Libra, Hydrangea, etc)
    • Islandora
    • DSpace (Future)
DSpace
  • What is DSpace - why use DSpace? - not mktg piece, help audience understand what DSpace does 
    • what DSpace does really well and not so well
    • why would you chose DSpace vs. Fedora (same content as in Fedora version)
  • Topics regarding Installation/Setup:
    • Installing DSpace for the First Time - What you need to plan for, how to do it.
    • Overview of DSpace Interface Options (XMLUI, JSPUI, OAI, SWORD, LNI) - What to choose and how to make a decision 
    • Overview of DSpace directories & where data is stored in DSpace (high-level architecture overview).
    • Basic Configuration options – intro to the 'config' directory
    • Feature Overview
    • Intro to Upgrading DSpace
  • Topics about getting started with UI Basics:
    • Overview of Communities & Collections - Create your first Community, Create your first Collection
    • Getting started with Adding Users / Groups
    • Getting started with DSpace Access Controls / Rights
    • Submit your first Item
    • Browsing & Searching DSpace
    • Editing your DSpace Profile, email notifications, etc.
  • DSpace Administration:
    • Managing Content:
      • Administration options for Communities / Collections / Items (may need to be several webinars)
      • Changing Rights/Permissions on a Community / Collection / Item
      • Withdrawing / Deleting / Editing Items
      • "Mapping" / Linking Items to multiple Collections/Communities
      • Editing or Deleting Communities or Collections
      • Batch Metadata Editing
      • Metadata Authority Control
      • Adding a Custom Metadata Schema or Custom Metadata Fields
      • Enabling RSS Feeds
      • Improving your Indexing by Google / Google Scholar / Other Search Engines
    • Changing the UI or enabling optional features:
    • Advanced Administration Tasks
      • Exporting/Importing bulk content
      • Backing up your DSpace instance
      • Scaling your DSpace instance / hints on improving performance
      • Migrating / Moving from one server to another
      • Moving / Copying one Community/Collection to another DSpace (via AIPs)
      • Curation Tasks
      • Configuring Media Filters (for file indexing and thumbnails)
      • Hooking DSpace up to your local Institution Authentication (LDAP, Shibboleth, etc)
      • Using the Checksum Checker (why/how)
      • Harvesting Content from an external source via OAI-PMH or OAI-ORE
      • Using DSpace with DuraCloud?
The DSpace Course (Repository Support Project/Lewis & Yates)

The DSpace Course developed by Stuart Lewis and Chris Yates (August 2008) was used as the starting point for the DSpace topic ideas above.
An Introduction to DSpace
How to Get Help
Repository Structure
Items in DSpace
An Introduction to Users and Groups
An Introduction to Metadata in DSpace
Technical Basic
Identifiers
DSpace Configuration
User management and authentication options
Metadata Input Customisation
Look and Feel Customisation
Language Customisation
Item Submission Workflows
Import and Export
RSS Feeds, Alerts and News
DSpace Statistics and Google Analytics
Configuring LDAP
Upgrading from 1.4. to 1.5
SWORD Basics
Course templates

Feedback

If you have feedback on any of the ideas, please feel free to add them in the comments section on this page or to email Valorie Hollister at vhollister@duraspace.org.

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2 Comments

  1. Ina Smith

    Under the DSpace Course - please also add files and open standards.

  2. Valorie Hollister

    The notes below are from a meeting with the community at OR11 on June 6, 2011 at OR11 about the proposed new framework for a DuraSpace training/education curriculum.

    • General Feedback / Feedback on Content
      • Several appreciated the idea of a weightier, more robust training framework with an established DSpace 101 and Fedora 101 syllabus
      • If we are we going to cover "what a repository is?" it will require reviewing several use cases
      • Might want to also include a section on "Do you need a repository?"
      • Include basic developer pre-requisites skill reviews - for Fedora XML schemas, metadata separate from storage, indexing metadata, user interface design, etc.
      • Provide context links around important topics, don't re-invent materials that already exist - open access, policy development, advocacy (COAR, Repository Support Project, etc)
      • Include section on the upgrade process
      • Include relevant links to official documentation
    • Presentation
      • Suggestion to define each section by role - repository manager/administrator, developer (Apache Service Architecture has a good example of this)
      • Include Registered Service Provider links for in-person or personalized training
      • All material should identify what version it relates to and a clear statement of the materials use and re-use
      • Starter list of learning outcomes - what concepts or skills are necessary or will be covered by certain sections
      • Entry into the space must be very obvious, navigation very easy so users won't get lost/confused
    • Quality Control
      • Need a review structure and a way to provide feedback / changes / corrections / updates
      • Address how updates will be done or the need for updates to be done/indicated on the material
      • Software version indicator - tags to indicate what version material relates to and/or tags to indicate whether something needs to be updated
      • Need a reviewer who will step through material and ensure quality
      • Have new community members review materials - prove the content and also as a way to bring them into the community
      • How can you measure when training fails? Devise an easy way to follow up with people who use it to make sure it is useful
      • Establish trust in the content materials
    • Contributions
      • Hold a 'trainingfest' like a hackfest -- in order to produce materials
    • Other Ideas
      • Develop a certification process for training could be meaningful to repository managers, Registered Service Providers and to DuraSpace

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