MBIB4140 Metadata and Interoperability Course description

In the course, technologies, standards and protocols, which form the basis for modern web-based information services, are studied. Important principles, methods and techniques that are used when developing web-based services and digital libraries are also examined, including:

• Knowledge of key technical web standards
• Web and service architectures
• Fundamental and general principles of interoperability
• The core principles related to the development of a production line for the processing of data including transformation, enrichment, data quality and publication
• Different ways of ensuring interoperability between metadata formats
• Knowledge of widely used protocols and standards that support interoperability between information systems

In order to take this course, the student must be familiar with the material covered in the bachelor's degree, such as HTML/CSS, databases and XML, as the course builds on this material.

None.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• specialised insight into key technical web standards
• specialised knowledge about API design and exploration
• extensive knowledge about fundamental and general principles of interoperability
• extensive knowledge about different ways of securing interoperability between metadata formats
• specialised knowledge about data processing and reuse

Skills

The student

• is capable of working practically with data exchange and metadata conversion
• is capable of employing ontologies
• has expertise in ordering technological solutions in order to develop information based services for the future that support interoperability
• is capable of participating in and holding responsibility for working with interoperability between different information systems 
• is capable of working practically with data sources and APIs with basic scripting skills

The course is organised as a weekly series of seminars. The students can attend the lectures on campus or follow them remotely online

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• Coursework 1: A practical group assignment on a specified topic with a scope of 3,300-3,750 characters
• Coursework 2: A practical group assignment on another specified topic with a scope of 3,300-3,750 characters

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If one or more coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given the opportunity to submit an improved version once by the given deadline.

The form of assessment is a semester paper. The semester paper can be written individually, in which case its scope shall be approx. 15 pages  (35,000 characters  including spaces), or it can be written in groups of two or three students, in which case it shall have a scope of approx. 20 pages (46,000 characters  including spaces). Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12pkt. Line spacing: 1.5.

If the semester paper is done as a group, everyone in the group must sit for a new / postponed exam if not passed.Candidates who do not receive a passing grade on the semester paper can resubmit the paper once. 

All written aids are allowed as long as the source reference rules are followed.

A graded scale ranging from A to E for pass and F for fail.

All exam papers are graded by one internal and one external examiner.