Viva Voce | Master's | Cecilia Kasonde | Policy-Driven Strategies for Enhancing Metadata Quality

Postgraduate oral examination involving Cecilia Kasonde [1], a member of the DataLab research group [2] at The University of Zambia [3].
Viva Voce Details
Cecilia Christabel Kasonde
Dissertation Title: Policy-Driven Strategies for Enhancing Metadata Quality in Electronic Theses and Dissertations Within Institutional Repositories.
Date of Oral Examination; March 21, 2024
Supervisor: Dr. Lighton Phiri
Abstract
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) are pivotal in higher education institutions (HEIs) repositories, serving as vital assets for accessibility, knowledge sharing, and research preservation. The discovery of digital library information objects highly depends on the quality of metadata, if the metadata quality is poor, so is the discovery of digital library information objects. Because of this core role, metadata quality is a characteristic that is directly associated with the Digital Library value and effectiveness. This study therefore, delved into the Zambia National ETD portal project, which aims to consolidate metadata from HEIs into a nationwide portal. The research focused on assessing ETD metadata quality and ingestion processes within HEI repositories, with a specific emphasis on institutional repository policies. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study scrutinized ETD metadata in Zambian HEIs boasting functional repositories. Data was collected using an online questionnaire to determine HEIs that have IRs. Once the HEIs had been identified and their IR URLs verified, the researcher harvested data from the IRs for analysis. The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) was used to harvest metadata. The analysis involved getting metadata that had been prepared and measuring its completeness. A quantitative analysis of ETD metadata from all HEIs with functional IRs was conducted, by focusing on metadata completeness-the completeness metric was arrived at by ascribing scores to individual metadata elements, relative to the ETD-ms metadata standard. The completeness metric was introduced to assess the quality of ETD metadata. The researchers developed this metric based on the NDLTD ETD-ms, a widely recognized standard for ETD metadata. In the completeness metric, each metadata element was assigned a weight. Mandatory metadata elements were given a weight of 1. Optional metadata elements were given a weight of 0.5. A score was assigned to each ETD based on the presence and absence of metadata elements. Interviews with 16 stakeholders from eight HEIs were conducted to discern policy-related influences on metadata quality. Findings revealed a notable deficiency in ETD metadata completeness, averaging around 4.82 out of 10. HEIs often deviated from established standards like ETD-ms, either creating their own or adapting existing ones. Compliance with the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)'s ETD-ms metadata scheme, encompassing 14 metadata elements, was found to be inadequate. Optional elements such as contributors and coverage were frequently absent. The study underscored the importance of metadata, particularly completeness, for Institutional Repositories (IRs), advocating for prioritizing metadata quality through standardized practices, creator training, and robust quality control mechanisms. The research highlights the critical role of metadata in IRs and proposes practical interventions. Recommendations include prioritizing missing metadata elements, instituting training programs for repository staff allocating resources for metadata management, and implementing comprehensive IR policies. These measures aim to elevate metadata quality in HEIs, ensuring consistent practices, fostering knowledge exchange, and facilitating the enduring preservation of digital objects. Addressing metadata challenges promises to enhance ETD discoverability and utility both at a national and global scale.
Timeline
00:00:00 Dissertation Overview
00:00:14 Presentation Outline
00:00:17 Background
00:00:45 Problem Statement
00:01:20 Research Objectives and Questions
00:02:12 Theoretical Framework
00:02:25 Review of Related Literature
00:02:51 Methodology
00:04:55 Limitations of the Study
00:05:15 Results and Discussions
00:08:17 Conclusion
00:08:45 Recommendations
00:09:11 Bibliography and Publications
00:09:18 Q&A Invitation
[1] datalab.unza.zm/index.php/peo...
[2] datalab.unza.zm
[3] www.unza.zm