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IntroductionThe "dc.type" element is used to describe the nature, genre, purpose, function and aggregation level of the content of the resource. Aggregation level is an indication of the number of items of the same type or of various types within a resource, which may be described and navigated separately. It is important not to confuse "type" with "subject" (what the resource is about) or "format" (physical manifestation or file format, such as mpeg, wav, etc. of the resource). Why Use "dc.type"?Including a value for "dc.type" helps users find the information they are looking for by giving them an additional way to narrow their search query. When users select a resource type along with other terms such as title, subject, date, etc. in a search query, they will be able to specify whether they want an event, presentation, report, policy, etc. For example, a user could drastically reduce the results of a subject search for "information management" by also selecting the type "event" or "policy". A search tool may be configured to display type values within search results even if a user has not selected one in their search query. If so, this will help the user choose appropriate link(s) by differentiating between resources, especially those which have similar titles, etc. Using a type value can also provide departmental and portal content managers with an additional element to manage their own web resources through the document life-cycle. They will be able to determine the number and location of resources by type and then organize, modify, merge, etc. these resources. When the metadata content management application is implemented, the portals, clusters and gateways on the Canada Site will be using metadata created by departments to manage the content of their sites. When a "type" is applied along with other elements, this will help the content managers to find, categorize and make departmental information available to their audiences. Eventually, "type" values could help enable work flow processes (eg. "invoice" type sent to finance; support records retention periods, etc.) as well. Why Use Aggregation Level?Searchers may benefit from knowing if a resource contains either several instances of a particular type or only one. For example, if a search result includes "moving image" (type), and "collection" (aggregation level), a user will know that there is more than one image in that resource. Similarly, portal and cluster managers may find it useful to use aggregation level as one of their criteria for selecting and organizing links. They could select a resource containing several laws, regulations, etc. on a particular subject (a "collection"), or link directly to one specific piece of legislation (an "item"). When to Use "dc.type"It is recommended that a value for "dc.type" be included in all resources to which other mandatory (see: Common Look and Feel Standard, Section 6.3) and optional elements are applied. How to Use "dc.type"Using Type SchemesSince the "dc.type" element is controlled, indexers must use values from a type scheme such as the Government of Canada Type Scheme, Dublin Core Type Vocabulary, etc. When schemes are registered with the National Library of Canada or Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, this helps to make standardized vocabularies available to search engines, information creators and those involved in developing and maintaining vocabularies. Controlled vocabularies bring a standardized form and meaning to index terms, thus ensuring that a particular resource type will always be represented in the same way. This in turn supports interoperability between departments, clusters, portals. Repeat Type Element As NeededThe most appropriate choice of vocabulary depends on resource being documented. Repeat the type element as needed, using the appropriate scheme name each time. More than one scheme may be used to describe a single resource (see example 6 below). Government of Canada Type SchemeIt is strongly recommended that indexers use a value from the Government of Canada Type Scheme and Aggregation Level Scheme to provide consistent and precise indexing and retrieval. The Government of Canada Type Scheme includes terms that describe a wide variety of resource types found on Government of Canada web sites. While this scheme includes a broad range of terms, it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of types. Organizations may require additional scheme(s) to achieve a more precise description of types for their own specific situation. A list of additional type schemes is available at: http://epub.mimas.ac.uk/DC/type-stds.html. Government of Canada Aggregation Level SchemeThe Government of Canada Aggregation Level Scheme includes two values to describe aggregation level: "item" (a single item, document etc. in a resource) and "collection" (more than one item of the same type or of various types within a resource which may be described and navigated separately). Resources containing a single dictionary, taxonomy, lexicon, glossary, etc. with the type "terminology" would use the aggregation level "item". Even though a dictionary contains many terms, each term would not be described separately as a "terminology". However, a resource that contains multiple dictionaries, lexicons, etc. would have an aggregation level of "collection" (see examples 2, 8, 11, 12, 13,14 below). Adding Terms to the Government of Canada Type or Aggregation Level SchemesThe process for suggesting new terms for the GoC Type and Aggregation Level Schemes is outlined in the document "Process for Updating the GoC Type and Aggregation Level Schemes". ExamplesNotes:1) the following are examples for use in this document only; they do not necessarily reflect the actual metadata used on the sites associated with each example 2) the scheme names "gctype" and "gcaggregationlevel" are proposed at this time 1. Information Management Resource Centre - Home Page
2. Consolidated Statutes and Regulations
3. Official Languages Act
4. Government of Canada Core Subject Thesaurus
5. Business Start-Up Assistant: Ontario - Financing
6. The Backgrounder (Software for Netfile)
7. Victory Bonding
8. The Biotechnology Gateway - Other Resources - Dictionaries
9. National Flag of Canada
10. Le drapeau canadien
11. First "Canadian flags"
12. Premiers "drapeaux canadiens"
13. CBC Archives - People - Terry Fox
14. Terry Fox court pour la vie
15. The Marathon of Hope Begins (CBC Archives - People -
16. Le marathon de l'espoir
17. CBC Radio and Television Clips
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