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 KnowledgeSpace. KnowledgeSpace 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 KnowledgeSpace would be collaboratively developed by DuraSpace, our Registered Service Providers, committers, developers and user communities.
What are the goals of KnowledgeSpace?
- KnowledgeSpace 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.
- KnowledgeSpace 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.
- KnowledgeSpace will describe/display what a DSpace or Fedora repository is, what challenges they can solve and how to get started.
- KnowledgeSpace 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 (written text, screencasts, presentation slides, webinar recordings, etc.) which describe specific examples to make the material as accessible as possible.
What is the strategy / next steps?
- Create a proposed table of content outline and solicit feedback
- Create a unique wiki space
- 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)
- Create examples for each delivery vehicle: (a) Screencast, (b) Text-based Guide, (c) Powerpoint based
- Develop a contributor process
- all materials need to be reviewed/approved - ensure information is accurate, copy is permanently stored in a repository
- all contributors to sign license agreements - Apache 2 both ICLA (individual) and CCLA (corporate) licences, as well as Creative Commons on the content
What delivery tools are proposed?
- Create a set of DuraSpace wiki pages using the "Documentation Theme", but with unique branding/headers so it is easily distinguishable from the rest of the wiki and the official documentation
- Use Vimeo for video - link to w/in the KnowSpace
- Use Slideshare Powerpoint slides
- Copies of all files permanently archived/stored in a repository
Example Topics
Fedora Topic Ideas
- 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 (START HERE)
- 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) (START HERE)
- Installation and Setup (START HERE)
- 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
- Security
- Applications Built on Fedora
- Hydra (Libra, Hydrangea, etc)
- Islandora
- DSpace (Future)
DSpace Topic Ideas
- 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.
- various Install Tips wiki pages:
- Hints/Tips Installation page which provides examples of installing DSpace on various OSes
- Official Installation Docs
- various Install Tips wiki pages:
- 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
- Installing DSpace for the First Time - What you need to plan for, how to do it.
- 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:
- Intro to Handle Server?
- Basics of customizing your Item Submission Process (change metadata fields, steps, etc)
- Change "Browse By" options (add a new Metadata field to browse by)
- Managing DSpace Access Statistics
- Changing Header/Footer
- Basic Intro to XMLUI Themes
- Making DSpace XMLUI Your Own (2009 presentation by Tim)
- Learning to Use Manakin (2007 presentation by Scott Phillips)
- Various XMLUI How-Tos at: XMLUI How To Guides. Ones most appropriate for an "intro to XMLUI" include:
- Adding "Discovery" (faceted browsing/searching)
- Enabling Embargoing of content in Submission process
- Enabling Creative Commons Licensing options in Submission process
- Enabling OAI-PMH / SWORD / LNI (may need separate webinars)
- 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?
- Managing Content:
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.