OpenAccess Configuration

Collections

Any object can be published in OA as individual content. However, collections are an OA-exclusive feature that can be used for grouping records of the same nature, allowing smoother navigation throughout the published records. This step can only be configured through the OA platform, and this is done either before or after the objects are published. Nevertheless, it is recommended to design and create the collections before publishing, as this would help make better sense of the content and structure the final display.

Different attributes can be selected to further define features like additional metadata, descriptors, and other visual elements such as thumbnails and positioning within the platform when creating a collection. All of these features are completely optional, - except the title, and a guide for their configuration can be found here.

OpenAccess Metadata Schema

Another step that can only be done in OA is the configuration of the OA metadata schemas, which will compose the information section in each object. This schema will indicate which metadata fields are going to be displayed in the Information section in the published content.

Therefore, two specific schemas are at stake when publishing objects: the schema in Go with the specific OA descriptors plus the additional ones, and the schema created in OA which will output the Information content.

The OA schema has to replicate the descriptors (including the same title, type, and iecode) that are already defined in the Go schema. None of the OA-specific descriptors (profile, link, collection, etc.) have to be replicated in the Discovery area, as this is information handled by the Transfer Connector only.

When creating the schema in OA, select visible to yes:

The descriptors then have to match those created in Go. Each descriptor can be configured to be hidden or visible, as well as other characteristics like being marked as a mandatory field, the display order, or any parent-child relationship.

Once the schema is ready, an OA object can be created in the preservation area, applied to the schema, and populated:

After some time, the object is available in OpenAccess, where a schema can be applied for the information fields to be displayed. The title and other features can also be modified from the OA dashboard.

Below is the final result of the above process. The OA object Information Test has been successfully published in OA, with the correct visible metadata in the information area and with the three content files displayed appropriately:

Be patient! It takes around five minutes for the Transfer Connector to publish any changes in OpenAccess.

Other tools

Update objects: when the metadata of a published OA object changes, it is necessary to perform an update. After the metadata has been changed, the metadata field OpenAccess Status has to be set from the current option to “Publish in OpenAccess”. Despite the OA object being updated (and even relocated to a different collection), the OpenAccess link field should not be altered or removed, as this will be done automatically by the system.

Delete objects: if an OA object needs to be removed from the discovery platform, the option “Un-Publish from OpenAccess” should be selected from the OpenAccess Status metadata field. This way, the object remains in the preservation area but is no longer visible for discovery.

Objects with errors: if the OA object publication fails during the process, the OpenAccess Status will display as “OpenAccess publication error” and the OpenAccess Log will contain a message specifying the error.