Unqualified Dublin Core usage in OAI-PMH data providers

This research describes an empirical study of how the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES) is used by 100 data providers (DPs) registered with the Open Archives Initiative (OAI). The research was conducted to determine whether or not the DCMES is used to its full capabilities. Of 100 DPs, 82 have metadata records available for analysis; the DC elements used in each record were parsed and counted. Of the 15 elements, five – creator, identifier, title, date, and type – are used 71 per cent of the time and 54 per cent of the 82 DPs used only the creator and identifier elements for approximately half of their overall DCMES usage. The results show the DCMES is not used to its fullest extent within DPs registered with OAI.

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