Open Language Archives Community Research
In this research project I look at the information architecture supporting the global ability to assess language resources. I look at issues such as metadata schemas, description and arrangement in archives, and the technology stack presenting OLAC. I started intently looking at OLAC resources at the end of 2020 while looking at language archives more broadly and trying to create an OLAC OAI feed. Since then I have presented at conferences and published results of my findings in several locations as my findings have bearing on the broader areas of resource stewardship and resource description. I was invited by Steven Bird to think with him on what OLAC 2.0 might look like. That work, its results and blog posts are also linked to this “project” page.
Categories:
Hugh Paterson III
Collaborative Scholar
I specialize in bespoke research at the intersection of Linguistics, Law, Languages, and Technology; specifically utility and life-cycle management for information products in these spaces.
Marginalia
OLAC: Multi-Audience Service Architecture
OLAC technical infrastructure needs to be build as three seperate interacting systems. Each system with a unique function related to data: Harvesting, Enhancing, Engagement.
OLAC Usage Data
The first step in creating a useful interaction around archival records related to languages it to watch how users are behaving in current search.
An Analysis of Crubadan OLAC Records
This is a deep dive into the quality and coverage of one record in OLAC from the Crubadan project.
PARADISEC OLAC Records and Rights
A muse through the content of rights statements in considering PARADISEC OLAC records.
An Application of OAI Sets for OLAC
Several examples of how OAI sets could be used or leveraged for use in OLAC.
OLAC Roles and MARC Relator Role Equivalents
An initial look at issues in removing OLAC roles and replacing them with MARC roles.
Abstract and Table of Contents
A few motivated thoughts about the Dublin Core elements of abstract and tableOfContents.
Metadata Quality Assessment & OLAC
A reflection on OLAC metadata quality assessment processes after readings for course work at UNT.
Some questions on the theory presented in the Dublin Core
If we take a design look at Dublin Core, is it really as flexible as proclaimed or are there limits imposed by semantics.
OLAC Customer Segments
What are the segments and what value do they find? What are the technology implications?
OLAC Social Network
What is the best way to assess the health of the Open Language Archives Community network?
Dublin Core Challenges
What are some really practical things that I wish were more feasable with vanilla Dublin Core.
Diversity and Typology Across OLAC Providers
Several publications have claimed that all Open Language Archives Community data providers are archives. However is this true?
OLAC — Bottom-up and Top-down
Various understandings of metadata profile for the Open Language Archive Community exist in the literature. But are they justified?
OLAC Subject Terms and Their Equivalents
An initial look issues in developing a cross-walk between Library of Congress Subject Heading terms to OLAC subject terms.
Describing Serials in Dublin Core
A short bibliography of works to consult when looking at how to describe serials in Dublin Core.
OLAC Extenstion for Zotero Types
This OLAC extenstion adds the ability to add a Zotero item type and validate that files have a valid item type.
OLAC Success
An information ecology look at the Open Language Archives Community with an eye towards expanding perceived utility.
Grants being aggregated in OLAC Search results
Grants applications can be a welth of information about the background of ethnolinguistic communities as well as a presentation of the framework for research outputs.
Publications
Dublin Core's DCMIType ‘PhysicalObject’ and its use across the Open Language Archives Community
This study explores the composition of linguistic and anthropological language-focused artifact records which use the DCMIType term …
Towards Making Shared Metadata Interoperable across the Open Language Archives Community
Two ways to reference the source metadata schema used by OLAC providers.
Diversity and Identity: Categories for OAI data-providers in the Open Language Archives Network
Adding a typology to the OLAC profile for OLAC data providers.
Where Have All the Collections Gone?: Analysis of OLAC Data Contributors' use of DCMIType 'Collection'
Language materials, as commonly conceptualized by academics, are resources which specifically exhibit or provide evidence of a …
Where Have All the Collections Gone?
The Open Language Archives Community (OLAC) aggregator currently compiles 443,217 records from 65 providers. Participating archives …
Talks
Considering WEMI and the Digital Artifacts Around Language Documentation Transcripts
How should we describe transcripts within the OLAC framework?
Dublin Core's DCMIType ‘PhysicalObject’ and its use across the Open Language Archives Community
This paper presents an analysis of research involving the use and validity of the DCMIType value ‘PhysicalObject’ in the OLAC network of data providers.
Towards Making Shared Metadata Interoperable across the Open Language Archives Community
Two ways to reference the source metadata schema used by OLAC providers.
Diversity and Identity: Categories for OAI data-providers in the Open Language Archives Network
This paper proposal presents an analysis of research involving a network of Open Archive Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) data-providers who engage in ethnolinguistic information-resource stewardship.
Supporting Diversity Through a Typology of Data Providers: What is an Archive?
Is everything an archive? Are there limits to the term? How are linguists using the term?
A Vision for New Participation in OLAC: Beyond an Agenda for Open Language Archiving
The OLAC community has several componnets which make it successful. This talk looks at several critical areas which make that succes more valuable.
Metadata for Language Learning Resources: Advancing OLAC for Language Development
The mash-up of LRMI and OLAC metadata for the benefit of language revitilization.
An OLAC Perspective on Services: The Forgotten Language Resources
What is the overlap between services and language resources? How ought these be described in the OLAC application profile?
The Open Language Archives Community (OLAC) for Ethnolinguistic Collections
Presenting OLAC for Audio Archivists
From CV to OLAC
I demonstrate how a researcher can use their personal website to advertise their publications and presentations in OLAC. I use open source technologies to take markdown files and convert them into a compliant XML feed. The result is greater exposure of one’s academic experience to those looking for language resources.
