A framework to evaluate the interoperability of information systems – Measuring the maturity of the business process alignment

In the current socio-economic environment, to face challenges such as the emergence of new technologies, globalisation and increasing demands from their clients it is inevitable that enterprises will collaborate with others and progressively shift their boundaries. In this context, interoperability has become a prerequisite in the jigsaw of such collaboration. By definition, it is entities’ ability to work together as an organisation. This ability spans a wide range of aspects, embracing both technical and business issues. Over the past decade, both the concept and the context of interoperability have been extended from a largely IT-focused domain to a business-focused domain and the evaluation of interoperability has become a rising concern. An increasing number of studies have concentrated on not just digital but business aspects of human behaviour in the social environment. In general, the wider application domain is the assessment of the interoperability of information systems and processes in any organisation (especially medium and large) that needs multiple processes to interact effectively.To deal with such concerns and pave the way to achievement of more effective collaborative goals in business, the concept of interoperability has been adopted to measure the efficiency and productivity of information systems’ integration. More than twenty approaches have so far been adopted to evaluate this interoperability, however most are unable to assess it at the higher levels, such as at the pragmatic, process and social levels. Hence, we have conducted a three-phase study. Phase 1 reviewed existing interoperability evaluation approaches. To prove the concept, phase 2 proposed the concept of semiotic interoperability and its application to healthcare information systems. This article reports on the third phase of the study, a proposed framework with a group of metrics to measure interoperability from a new perspective – a semiotics perspective. The framework is named the Semiotic Interoperability Evaluation Framework (the SIEF) and has the ability to analyse, measure and assess the interoperability among business processes. The metrics derive from a feasibility study to investigate several interoperability barriers at a hospital. Next, the SIEF was applied in a case study and a detailed interoperability evaluation was conducted.     

Flexible information infrastructures in Dutch E-Government collaboration arrangements: Experiences and policy implications

How can the flexibility of an information architecture in E-Government collaboration arrangements – defined as a set of multi-rational agreements – be achieved, if one acknowledges the fact that the use of ICT may automate the status quo between organizations which work together in a policy chain? Research shows that flexibility cannot be achieved by only looking at technological requirements and agreements. Other agreements should be considered which express multiple (political, legal and economic) design rationalities and values. Moreover, flexibility is also influenced by the structure and dynamics of the power and trustworthiness of the relationships between the organizations involved. This implies that E-Government policies should focus not only on the technical aspects of information exchange infrastructures, but on the politics of collaboration.     

图书馆导入RHD的标准与互操作探讨-以香港高校图书馆为例

图书馆RFID(无线射频识别)标准制定的目标在于解决图书馆导入RFID过程中出现的馆际互操作问题。业界对图书馆RFID标准的理解不断深入,从最初的技术标准,发展到数据模型以及应用层面的规则。香港城市大学图书馆进行了高频、超高频RFID在图书馆的应用实验,结果发现虽然RFID技术标准已经制定,但是在图书馆RFID应用层面上,同一地区的不同图书馆进行互操作时在数据模型、应用层面规则制定上依然有待加强。建议香港高校图书馆联盟可以在采取已出台的国际图书馆RFID标准的基础上,深入探讨RFID馆际互借模式的规则。在图书馆进行服务转型的过程中,RFID只是提升服务质量、促成转型的工具,读者与职员的需求才是实现服务转型的主导。     

“数字图书馆——新世纪信息技术的机遇与挑战”国际研讨会综述

2002年7月8-12日，在北京召开了由中华人民共和国文化部举办的“数字图书馆——新世纪信息技术的机遇与挑战”国际研讨会，本文概括了会议中探讨的数字图书馆研究与实践的主要内容。     

用OAI-MHP协议解决数字图书馆互操作问题*

OAI-MHP是近几年在数字图书馆界引起广泛关注的新技术。它具有简单性、开放性与灵活性等特点，可以很好地解决数字图书馆的互操作问题。本文比较全面地介绍了OAI及MHP协议的产生发展、设计思想以及协议的主要内容，并指出了目前存在的对OAIMHP的各种误解。     

基于OAI的元数据收割系统结构框架分析

主要介绍基于OAI 的元数据收割系统结构框架, 并对构成系统的各模块功能进行比较和分析, 总结归纳了OAI 在实际使用中遇到的问题和解决方法。     

OAI元数据搜索引擎的设计与实现

数字图书馆的迅猛发展,互操作性问题显得更为迫切。作为低入门级互操作协议的OAI-PMH,能在元数据开放搜寻基础上提供一个互操作框架。本文在对OAI-PMH协议规范、OAI体系结构描述的基础上,阐述了OAI元数据搜索引擎的设计和实现。     

论数字图书馆的互操作性

本文首先对数字图书馆系统互操作性作一论述，然后介绍了目前提出的一些数字图书馆互操作性方案，以及数字图书馆互操作性的评价方法。     

数字图书馆体系结构的发展

首先介绍了目前大多数数字图书馆所遵循的基本的数字图书馆体系结构，该结构在功能上可划分为四个逻辑组件：资源库、命名系统、索引／搜索系统、用户界面。然后介绍了NSDL、NCSTRL两个最大的数字图书馆项目在体系结构的关键问题方面的实践，最后，作者提出了数字图书馆体系结构发展的看法。     

数字图书馆的互操作性研究：Z39.50和OAI协议的比较*

数字图书馆的互操作性取决于元数据的有效共享，而元数据的有效共享必须依赖元数据交换的统一标准。本文通过比较Z39.50和OAI'MHP两种互操作协议，探讨了元数据的共享和分布式数字图书馆的体系结构。