Reference System for Environmental Information - CDS

Reference System for Environmental Information
- CDS -
Norwegian Prototype Version 0.1

Terje Nypan, CDS Environmental Data Project, Norwegian Ministry of Environment, Oslo

CDS, access and effects
System development

Uniform standards, inter-operability at European level
Operable at local institutional and national level
Minimising independent data-input
Minimising operating costs

The prototype

General
Search and retrieval module
Special function buttons

Screens from search and retrieval module

The search screen; building the search profile
The results screen; managing retrieved reference information

1. CDS, access and effects

The Norwegian Ministry of Environment has decided to develop a metainformation reference system for the environment - CDS - to meet national needs. Implementation is set for 1998.

The CDS software will be made available, free of charge, to public, private and government users. It will be accessible as a PC-application and via Internett (accessible through a Browser, Netscape or other).

User interface; i.e. screens, functionality's, etc. will be similar for both options, account taken of restrictions set by technological abilities of netbrowsers etc. at the end of 1997.

Research has documented substantial savings; or increased efficiency and quality, in the administration through faster access to, and overview of information, resulting in improved co-ordination and targeting of research and monitoring activities.

Benefits are also expected from increased use of information by the economic sector, education and media, with a positive end effect on public opinion, production and consumption patterns.

2. System development

2.1 Uniform standards, inter-operability at European level

The European environmental meta-data characterisation standard, the European Environmental Thesaurus, and standard communication protocols permit us to produce a national CDS with compatibility between local , national and European levels.

2.2 Operable at local institutional and national level

Characterisation standards and software solutions must meet the needs of a national reference system and the need of different institutions for their own internal reference system.

2.3 Minimising independent data-input

A CDS is: "information about the information". A meta-information system should 'feed' on the systems it refers to; by extracting references from existing systems and minimising the need for independent (manual) reference production. The System contains functions to check for duplicate references when new information is entered into the system.

2.4 Minimising operating costs

The overall strategy is to keep costs for administration and production of references as low as possible.

3. The prototype

3.1 General

The prototype is part of a set of detailed system specifications; i.e. product specifications. The prototype illustrates principal functional demands. We wanted users from Ministries and agencies to 'see' and get a realistic 'feel' of the system. The project management needed feed-back from users, for which such a prototype was advantageous.

The prototype contains 3 different main modules:

Search and retrieval module
Administration module
Input module

This paper concerns only the first module, with selected screen examples and explanations.

3.2 Search and retrieval module

Basic functionality's are:

Defining and building a search profile
Displaying, sorting, reporting, pasting, the information found

Accessing information-objects (ordering, opening attachments, jumping to www-site/page, accessing primary information source / databases).

In the search screen, the upper part remains constant (unchanged).

The lower part of the screen is a 'filing-cabinet'. This partscreen changes as user selects `cards'.

Each 'card' allows the user to select and add parameters to the search profile. 'Filing-cards' display different information elements and structures, for the themes: object classes, thesaurus, geography, methods, tools, institutions, products, etc. The user needs only to click on the parameter text displayed to move it to, and edit it in the search profile window.

As parameters, terms and conditions are selected from each card, they are moved up to the search-profile window in the upper part of the screen. Here all the elements of a precise search profile are assembled. Search profiles may be saved, reused and edited.

3.3 Special function buttons

Attachment: opens attachments to the reference located in a spreadsheet, word processor etc.

Direct links: allows the user to jump directly to the primary information source to locate the referenced object (a database etc.)

URL: activates a hyperlink directly to the web-address of the referenced object when such address is part of the reference

Ordering / e:mail: allows electronic ordering of the referenced object (from library etc.) or paper printout for surface-mail.