Implementing a multi-tiered framework for building NDLTD-Taiwan
| Date | 03 June 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-09-2013-0089 |
| Pages | 329-344 |
| Published date | 03 June 2014 |
| Author | Chia-Ning Chiang,Hung-Te Wang,An-Chi Lin |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,HR in libraries |
Implementing a multi-tiered
framework for building
NDLTD-Taiwan
Chia-Ning Chiang, Hung-Te Wang and An-Chi Lin
National Central Library, Taipei, Taiwan
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the multi-tiered framework supported by the
NDLTD-Taiwan systems to achieve the collaboration and cooperation with universities and colleges
in building electronic theses collection in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the outcomes of multi-tiered framework, its
user roles, tasks, and thesis-specific workflow, as well as the function for simulating user roles.
Findings – The framework is the result of supporting both the two-tiered and the three-tiered
frameworks on the NDLTD-Taiwan systems platform. The design guidelines emerged out of the
outcomes of task analysis.
Practical implications – The multi-tiered design not only accommodates graduation procedures for
member universities and colleges, but also supports bibliog raphic control and collections building.
Originality/value – The paper shows that the multi-tiered design, which emerged out of the existing
theses processes of member institutions, is inclusive. The framework allows member universities and
colleges to choose an appropriate framework, either two-tiered or three-tiered, for managing their
e-theses processes. In addition, role simulation allows the NCL administrator to reproduce problems
encountered by the users to help troubleshooting.
Keywords Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs), Multi-tiered framework, Task-based design,
Tasks, Thesis workflow, User roles
Paper type Case study
Introduction
The concept of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) has be en openly discussed
by key players in the present worldwide ETD movement since 1987 (Fox et al., 1996;
Andrew, 2004). The NDLTD has its origins in the USA (Fox et al., 1996) and moves
towards global communities to many countrie s, for example, European countries
(Moyle, 2008), UK (Copeland, 2000; Russell, 2007), Australia (Wells and Cargnelutti,
2005), and Asia (Shantashree, 2012). Issues about policies and procedures (Copeland,
2008), thesis workflow (Coles and Johnson, 2010), concerns and difficulties (White ,
2007), and broader collaboration inside and among universities (Fox et al., 1997) are
discussed. In 1997, without much contact with the outside world’s development, the
idea of having a national electronic thesis collection began to develop in Taiwan.
In Taiwan, because thesis literature had be en moving online in a patchy and
uncontrolled way, earlier in 1998, the Ministry of Education (MOE) supported the
National Central Library to initiate the National Theses Abstract Search System
Project (Wang, 1998). The Ministry has enforced all graduate students must provide
their thesis bibliographies and abstracts to the NCL for the completion of graduation
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
Received 8 September 2013
Accepted 16 September 2013
Library Management
Vol. 35 No.4/5, 2014
pp. 329-344
rEmeraldGroup Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-09-2013-0089
An earlier version of thi s paper was presen ted at the 16th Inter national Symp osium on
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD), in Hong Kong, on 23-26 September 2013, http://
lib.hku.hk/etd2013/
329
A multi-tiered
framework for
building
process. Unfortunately, submission of electronic theses has not been enforced, except
voluntarily by universities. Since 1998, the NCL, on behalf of the Higher Education
Department of MOE, coordinates with the offices of academic affairs of universities for
creating the database collaboratively. Since 2000, the NCL is responsible for building
a union catalog and archiving system, maintaining a university-department table for
managing user IDs and passwords, coordinating online data entry and electronic
theses submission, as well as providing technical suppo rt and user training. As of the
end of August 2013, 143 universities (out of 165 universities and colleges in Taiwan)
actively submit their ETD bibliographies and electronic copies to the NDLTD-Taiwan.
In total, there are over 780,000 thesis and dissertation records, more than 260,000
(approximately 400,000 archived in the system) electronic copies open for public
access, and over one million visits daily with a total of 1,168,899,149 visits from
1 June 2010 to 31 August 2013. This paper introduces the multi-tiered framework
as an inclusive framework emerged from the existing two-tiered and thre e-tiered
frameworks developed and used along the years. A set of design guidelines drawn
from the outcomes of task analysis to help the development of the NDLTD-Taiwan
systems are introduced.
Multi-tiered framework: the result of evolution and com promising
In 1998, there were 53 graduate schools of 16 universities involved to jointly build
up a centralized indices and abstracts service. Numerous meetings were held to
solicit information about their user roles, tasks, and thesis-sp ecific workflow. It was
recognized that the NCL ETD systems would serve as a national union catalogue and
as a national repository of electronic analogues of traditional paper-based theses and
dissertations. Consequently, user-centered design was adopted to accommodate the
different graduation processes of individual universities throughout the three
generation systems. To maintain a centralized collection as well as to achieve the
collaboration and cooperation with universities and colleges in Taiwan, a multi-tiered
framework in deposits and services emerged as the result of evolution and
compromises throughout the NCL’s three generation systems. The multi-tiered design
not only accommodates graduation procedures, but also suppor ts bibliographic control
and collections building.
Traditional three-tiered framework used in the NCL’s first generation system
In 2000, the firstgeneration system of electronic theses was developed by the NCL using
a three-tiered framework, called the Traditional three-tiered framework (see Figure 1).
It was the first electronic theses system in Taiwan. According to the administrative
process of joineduniversities then, theoffice of academic affairs was positionedat the top
tier (Tier-1) to coordinate communication with the NCL and to maintain its department
list and assign IDs and password to department assistants. Department assistants were
responsible assigning IDs and passwords to their stud ents, as well as to review theses
submission. University libraries did not play any role in the process, and thus, a lot of
complaints were voiced to the NCL.
The dilemma: co-existing of NCL’s two three-tiered frameworks and the NSYSU
two-tiered framework
In 2004, the NCL’s second-generation system replaced the first generation system.
The Traditional three-tiered framework was still used in the second-generation system;
however,some university libraries were assigned insteadof the office of academic affairs
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