NSDL Registry Use Case Documentation

NSDL USE CASES

Use Case 1: Publishing a description of an Element Set

An NSDL project provides a resource discovery service for Web-based educational materials. That service utilizes a simple metadata schema developed specifically for that purpose. The organization wishes to publish this information to the wider community via the NSDL registry. To publish requires the following steps. The Element Set publisher:

1. Uses the Schema Creation Tool (SCT) to add Agency description (if not already present)
2. Submits new Agency description to registry
3. Uses SCT to add Namespace/Element Set description
4. Uses SCT to add Element/Term descriptions for Element/Terms in Namespace/Element Set, including association of Element/Term with Encoding Scheme(s) where appropriate
5. Submits new Namespace/Element Set and Element/Term descriptions to registry
6. May check results by browsing Namespace/Element Set descriptions via registry Web interface

Use Case 2: Publishing a description of an Application Profile

An NSDL project provides a resource discovery service for Web-based educational materials. That service utilizes a simple metadata schema developed specifically for that purpose. The schema uses a number of Elements drawn from the cross-domain Element Sets of the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative; a domain-specific Element that was created by another portal service for their own schema; and a number of new Elements specific to this service. The organization has developed a number of controlled vocabularies for several of the Elements in this schema; the service also specifies the use of some standardized forms for dates and identifiers within metadata instances. The organization wishes to publish this information to the NSDL community via the registry. In the terms of the registry data model, this organization's schema is an Application Profile. To publish requires the following steps. The Application Profile publisher:

1. Uses the SCT to add Agency description (if not already present)
2. Submits new Agency description to registry
3. Uses tool to add Namespace/Element Set description
4. Uses tool to add Element/Term descriptions for Element/Terms in Namespace/Element Set, including association of Element/Term with Encoding Scheme(s) where appropriate
5. Submits new Namespace/Element Set and Element/Term descriptions to Registry
6. May check results by browsing Namespace/Element Set descriptions via registry Web interface.

Use Case 3: Indexing a standard schema for a Element Set

An international standards body makes schema for their cross-domain Element Set available in RDF/XML on their Web server. NSDL implementers wish to "use" Elements from the Element Set in their Application Profiles. Either the representative of standards body or the registry administrator:

1. Uses the SCT to add Agency description (if not already present).
2. Submits new Agency description to registry
3. Uses the NSDL SCT to add Element Set description (assumes external schema on Web does not contain required data)
4. Requests registry to read Element descriptions from URL
5. May uses the NSDL SCT to enhance Element descriptions for registry-specific data (or may leave incomplete)
6. Submits updated Element descriptions to registry
7. May check results by browsing Element Set descriptions via registry Web interface

Use Case 4: Exploring Element Usage

A schema developer wishes to survey the usage of the DCMI "audience" element, and particularly the use of any controlled vocabularies to control values of this element.

1. The developer
2. Browses Elements via registry Web interface
3. Displays description of Element "dcterms:audience", which includes pointers to the Encoding Schemes associated with the Element, and pointers to its usage by various Application Profiles
4. Follows references to Element Usage descriptions, which included descriptions of how implementers have constrained the use of the Element, including the prescription of other Encoding Schemes

Use Case 5: Creating annotations

1. Schema Creator creates a schema using the NSDL SCT and registers it in NSDL Registry. They then want to annotate the schema with information about the number of implementations, domains in which this schema is deployed, and pointers to user guidelines
   • The schema creator
     • Browses element sets via Registry web interface
     • Displays details of the chosen element set
     • Adds an annotation
2. A schema creator searches the registry and displays an element set, then is interested in whether this schema is currently being maintained. He browses each annotation associated with the schema, looking in particular at the names of the annotator and associated organization.
   • Display details of chosen element sets
   • Display annotations
3. A commentator wants to annotate an element with usage notes and comments regarding a scheme outlining experience gained in using that scheme.

Creating and editing schemas using the NSDL schema creation tool

The tool should allow a user to create, maintain and remove resource descriptions which they own within the NSDL registry.

1. Add Agency description
   • Create description of Agency
   • Save description of Agency
   • Submit description of Agency to registry
2. Edit/Update Agency description
   • Open existing description of Agency
   • Amend description of Agency
   • Save description of Agency
   • Re-submit description of Agency to registry
3. Remove Agency description
   • Open existing description of Agency
   • Remove existing description of Agency (Do not permit removal if used in relationships?)
4. Add Element Set description
   • Create description of Element Set
   • For each Element in Element Set, create description of Element
   • Save description of Element Set
   • Submit description of Element Set to registry
5. Edit/Update Element Set description
   • Open existing description of Element Set
   • Amend description of Element Set
   • For each Element to be amended, open existing description of Element, amend description of Element
   • For each Element to be added, create description of Element
   • For each Element to be removed, remove description of Element (Do not permit removal if Element used in relationships?)
   • Save description of Element Set
   • Re-submit description of Element Set to registry
6. Remove Element Set description
   • Open existing description of Element Set
   • Remove existing description of Elements in Element Set, remove existing description of Element Set (Do not permit removal if any Element used in relationships, or if Element Set used in relationships?)
7. Add Encoding Scheme description
   • Create description of Encoding Scheme
   • For each Value in Encoding Scheme, create description of Value
   • Save description of Encoding Scheme
   • Submit description of Encoding Scheme to registry
8. Edit/Update Encoding Scheme description
   • Open existing description of Encoding Scheme
   • Amend description of Encoding Scheme
   • For each Value to be amended, open existing description of Value, amend description of Value
   • For each Value to be added, create description of Value
   • For each Value to be removed, remove description of Value
   • Save description of Encoding Scheme
   • Re-submit description of Encoding Scheme to registry
9. Remove Encoding Scheme description
   • Open existing description of Encoding Scheme
   • Remove existing description of Values in Encoding Scheme (OK because no references), remove existing description of Encoding Scheme (Do not permit removal if Encoding Scheme used in relationships)
10. Add Application Profile description
    • Create description of Application Profile
    • For each Element Usage in Application Profile, create description of Element Usage. Note: a Element Usage does not automatically inherit the Encoding Schemes associated with the used Element. Any relevant Encoding Schemes must be explicitly associated with the Element Usage.
    • Save description of Application Profile
    • Submit description of Application Profile to registry
11. Edit/Update Application Profile description
    • Open existing description of Application Profile
    • Amend description of Application Profile
    • For each Element Usage to be amended, open existing description of Element Usage, amend description of Element Usage
    • For each Element Usage to be added, create description of Element Usage
    • For each Element Usage to be removed, remove description of Element Usage (OK because no references)
    • Save description of Application Profile
    • Re-submit description of application to registry
12. Remove Application Profile description
    • Open existing description of Application Profile
    • Remove existing description of Element Usages in Application Profile, remove existing description of Application Profile (OK because no references)

Creating and editing annotations

1. Add commentator description
   • Prompt for details on first attempt to create annotation
2. Edit commentator description
   • Amend description
3. Add annotation description
   • Click on annotations button
   • Enter details of annotation
   • Specify whether public or private
   • Specify type of annotation
   • Specify whether it is public or private annotation
4. Edit annotation description
   • Open existing annotation
   • Amend text
5. Remove annotation description
   • Delete annotation