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Constructing Data

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Constructing a dataset, as Trevor Owens of the Library of Congress explains, "requires choices about what and how to collect and how to encode the information" [1]. 
 

How and What to Collect

metadata definition. 


How to Encode Information

For digital collections, object metadata is frequently encoded in relational databases.  A relational database is a structured set of data that contains a series of formally described tables from which data can be accessed or reassembled in different ways. This flexible structure is well suited for digital collections, as it allows you to provide enhanced search and browse functions whereby users can reorganize based on tabular information such as place, author, and date.

  you can either create a custom database or use a digital publishing platform that functions as a relational database- such as Wordpress, Omeka, Scalar, and CollectiveAccess- to enabling users to catalogue, search, browse, and exhibit [2].  



enables users to catalogue, search, browse and exhibit digital collections.[2]   Whereas the first approach allows for greater customization and processing opportunities, the second lowers the barrier of entry and frequently promotes interoperability by standardizing the encoding process.

Whether you start from scratch or use 

There are a number of platforms- including Scalar, Omeka, Wordpress, Drupal, and CollectiveAccess- that function as relational databases enabling users to catalogue, search, browse, and exhibit digital collections.  

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  1. Data for Humanists Andrea Davis

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