CTDA Glossary

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1 C | 2 D | 3 F | 4 H | 5 I | 6 M | 7 N | 8 O | 9 P | 10 R | 11 S | 12 U | 13 X

C

Collection Policy: A collection policy is a data stream that specifies which content models are associated with a particular collection object. This determines which file types can be ingested into the collection. The data stream ID (DSID) for a collection policy will always be COLLECTION_POLICY.

CTDA Channel: A presentation channel or web site created for a specific participating institution.

CTDA Participants (or Participating Institutions): Eligible institutions that have agreed to participate in CTDA.

CTDA Services: CTDA services include core, or those at no cost to the participating institution, and fee-based, or premium, services that are offered as part of the CTDA project.

D

Digital Assets: Digital objects that include metadata, primary content data streams, and derivative files of metadata or primary content data streams that are managed in the CTDA.

Data streams (or Datastreams): Data streams are digital files that are components in a digital object that represent MIME-typed content. In short, data streams are the files that make up a digital object.

Data stream ID (or DSID): The Datastream ID is an internal unique identifier within the scope of the digital object.

Datastream Label: The Datastream label is the human-readable title given to a data stream. It does not need to be unique but it should be informative enough for a user to understand the purpose of the data stream.

Digital Object (or Repository Object): A digital object is a set of data streams grouped together in an Archival Information Package (AIP) that is the basic building block of the repository.

Derivatives: Copies of files in different formats that serve both archival and display purposes. In Islandora they are usually created when the asset is ingested into the repository.

Drupal: Drupal is an open source software package, or content management system, that allows for the organization, management, and publication to the Internet of content.

F

Fedora: Fedora (Flexible Extensible Digital Object Repository Architecture) is an open source software system that enables long-term access, storage, and management for digital resources.

Fedora Container Object: Container objects, also referred to as Collection Objects, is a simple container, like a folder, that describes a collection, grouping or set of other repository objects. Container objects may contain an infinite number of other containers.

Fedora Content Object: Content objects contain a metadata record that describes the primary content, or digital asset, data stream

H

Handle System: The Handle System provides efficient, extensible and secure resolution services for unique and persistent identifiers for digital assets.

I

Information Package: An Open Archival Information System (OAIS, ISO 1294 2012) term that denotes a coherent, self-describing set of files.

Islandora: Islandora is an open source software framework designed to help institutions and organizations manage and discover digital assets.

Islandora Content Models (or Content Models or Content Model Objects): A content model is a type of digital object that acts as a template for a particular type of content. This type of content can be a Container or a Content Object. Content Models that act as a template for Content Objects are format driven. These Content Models are: Basic Image (png, gif, jpg), Large Image (tif, tiff, jp2), PDF (pdf), Audio (wav, mp3), Video (ogg, mp4, mov, qt, m4v, avi), Book & Page (includes container object for book and pages of jp2 or tiff/tif), Binary (any format).

M

MODS (or Metadata Object Description Schema): The CTDA normalizes metadata to MODS to provide descriptive information for digital assets.

N

Namespace: A namespace is a series of 5 digits used to identify an institution and sometimes a particular set of objects within that institution. The namespace is the first component before the colon in the PID (namespace:ID).

O

Open Archive Information System (OAIS): OAIS is a conceptual model of an information object that is self-contained and self-describing.

P

PID (or Persistent IDentifier): The PID is an internal unique and persistent identifier assigned by Fedora to digital objects. It is not the persistent identifier, or Handle, used for citation purposes.

R

Relationship (or RDF): Objects in a Fedora repository are organized using Resource Description Framework, or RDF, statements. These statements define the relationships between objects.

RELS-EXT: The RELS-EXT.xml data stream provides explains the container or content object’s relationship to other container and/or content objects.

Repository Object: See Digital Object.

S

Site Administrator (or Institutional Site Administrator): The Site Administrator manages their Institutional Channel only and can make changes to blocks, theme appearance, and create users according to CTDA policies and best practices.  

Subscriber: A subscriber is an institution that has its own CTDA channel.

U

Users: Users are individuals from participating institutions that contribute content and/or act as a service manager. All users are assigned a role.

X

XACML (or eXtensible Access Control Markup Language): XACML is an OAIS standard to manage and implement access security policies to objects and data streams in the repository.

XML Forms: XML forms are a collection of Drupal modules that allow for the manipulation of XML documents through Drupal forms. For the CTDA, these XML forms allow for the moment users to create and edit MODS metadata. The XML Form builder is used to create and manage XML forms.