Requirements
To view the most current version, click here. Otherwise, this page will be updated at the very least at the end of each sprint, ideally once a week at the end of a week or more often.
Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAMs) around the world have databases that are ineffective to search through due to isolated systems and a non-uniform vocabulary. Basic Concepts Classification hopes to address both these problems with an easy to learn, web based platform for classification and search of the collections of GLAMs around the world that is accessible to the general public and curators. With this system, curators from different institutions will be able to add items in an easy to understand manner to a centralized database, and general users will be able to search through the database with an easy-to-use interface. The controlled vocabulary used in classifying GLAM objects will be easy to navigate and to learn how to use, and the system will have the ability to expand user and data capacity dynamically as more institutions adopt it.
Each user story is labeled as either High, Medium, or Low priority as H, M, L. These priority labels are then followed by the User Stories' Effort Estimate (1 point = 1 working day).
- H: 3: As a general user, I want to use the website’s search bar to search for items that can be found in art galleries, libraries, archives and museums on one website.
- H: 1: As a user, I want to be able to search regardless of the type of user I am.
- H: 2: As a general user, I want to be able to search for items by the terms provided by the administrator.
- L: 2: As a general user, I want to use a thesaurus when searching so that I can find the correct term to make my search more accurate.
- M: 2: As a general user, when searching, I want a list of possible results sorted by relevance, that is items with the most number of matching relevant terms (in the correct order) and the least number of irrelevant terms are displayed first.
- M: 1: As a general user when viewing the search results, I would like to follow a link to the GLAM’s site of the particular item to find more information about the item.
- H: 1: As a classifier, I want to be able to log in.
- [Deleted. Remaining blank until replaced by another story or ready to renumber the rest of the stories]
- H: 3: As a classifier, I want to classify the items found in my art gallery, library, archive or museum using one website.
- H: 2: As a classifier, I want to be able to classify items using the classification scheme defined by administrator.
- M: 1: As a classifier, I want to be able to classify items using terms from a collection of allowed terms.
- H: 1: As a classifier, I want to add my new items from my art gallery, library, archive or museum to the website so they can be classified.
- L: 1: As a classifier, I want to suggest new terms to be used when classifying.
- L: 1: As a classifier, I want to be able to add an item without classifying it so that I can access and classify it later through my personal list of items.
- M: 2: As an administrator of the website, I want to use the website to add, delete, and order the terms used when classifying items.
- L: 1: As an administrator, I want to approve new terms that a classifier may suggest to use when classifying an item.
- L: 1: As an administrator, I want to reject new terms that a classifier may suggest.
- L: 2: An an administrator, I want to update the thesaurus by a click of a button on the website which will go to our sources and add/update to the thesaurus.
- M: 1: As an administrator, I want to be able to remove an item from the website.
- H: 1: As an administrator, I want to create new accounts for classifiers to log in to.
- L: 1: As a want to be classifier, I want to be able to contact the administrator by email to get access to classify items.
- L: 1: As a classifier, I want to choose to add new items to classify or classify my previously added items that still need to be classified.
- H: 2: As a general user, I want to change the order of my search terms to get different search results.
- L: 1: As a classifier when I am suggesting a new term, I want to include a reason as to why the suggested term should be added to the Classification.
- M: 1: As a classifier, I want to be able to access items that I have added and/or classified in the past.
- L: 1: As a classifier, I want to be able to see a list of recently added, deleted, or modified allowed terms.
- M: 1: As an administrator, I want to be able to edit the written content on the contact us, help/about, home, and search pages using an interactive page exclusive to me.
- M: 2: As a classifier, I want to be notified when any of my classified GLAM objects have had their concept string modified by a removal of a Term by the admin.
- H: 1: As a classifier when adding, editing, or classifying a GLAM object I want to be able to set the permission of the GLAM object to who can edit the information to either “Myself Only” or “Anyone in my GLAM”.
- M: 1: As a classifier I want edit a Concept String of any of my GLAM objects that I have permission to classify.
- L: 1: As a general user, I want to register a non-classifier account so I may receive updates and information about the project.
For each sprint we've given a brief summary of the functionality we plan to release along with the corresponding user stories.
- Sprint 0 (Jan 30)
- Functionality: home/splash page can be viewed from the server.
- Mockups for all webpages.
- User Stories: None
- Sprint 1 (Feb 13)
- Functionality: Able to login and search for dummy items from our database.
- User Stories: 6, 7
- Sprint 2 (Feb 27)
- Functionality: Be able to search by terms only in the classification. Administrator can create and delete accounts of classifiers.
- User Stories: 1, 2, 3, 5 (partial), 20, 23
- Sprint 3 (Mar 13)
- Functionality: Classifiers are able to add and classify by controlled vocabulary to the database. Administrator is able to browse the controlled vocabulary. Admin will be able to Add and Move Terms around in the controlled vocabulary.
- User Stories: 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 (partial), 5 (continuing), 29
- Sprint 4 (Mar 27)
- Functionality: Classifiers can add new items to the database that are not yet classified. Normal users can send a request to have an account to classify items as well. Administrator can delete items that classifiers have added and can modify the terms in the controlled vocabulary.
- User Stories: 14, 15 (finish), 19, 21, 26, 28
- Sprint 5 (Apr 10)
- Functionality: Searching using the thesaurus to use correct terms. Classifiers can view items not classified so they can classify them. Classifiers can suggest new classification terms. Administrator can update the thesaurus. Administrator can easily edit the written content on pages.
- User Stories: 4, 13, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 31
Click here to view the full sized story map
Below we have mockups of most of the pages created through lumzy (see References). Order of pages will go from a general user, to a classifier and finally to an administrator. If a link or menu item is in brackets, that means it will only appear if the current User has permission (classifier, administrator).
Home/General Splash page. Any user can learn more about the BCC and how it’s used or they can view the current terms in the BCC by clicking on “Learn More” or “The Classification”. They can also search using straight from the main page. Any curators or other types of users who have permission to log into the website can access the login page as well.
About the Top Menu Bar: The contents will change depending on whether the user is not logged in (General User) or is as a Classifier or an Administrator. The General User’s Menu items are shown in this mockup currently.
- ‘Home’ will take the user group to their particular home page.
- ‘Search’ will take the current user to a page where you can just search.
- ‘The Classification’ will take the current user to a page where they can view just the Classification Scheme.
- ‘Help/About’ - will take the current user to a page that goes into more information about the Classification Scheme, what BCC is in more detail, and how to use this site.
- ‘Login’ takes the current user to the login page where a Classifier or Administrator can log into their own account.
- ‘Add’ (not shown here) is for a Classifier which allows them to add a new GLAM object to be classified.
Current Version:
Search (Aid) (Name undecided). This page allows the current user to just search. This page will also have more text about how to search than the splash page, but less than the ‘Help/About’ page, which is not explained here currently. The current user will be able to add any term they want from BCC below or remove a term from the search bar. The order of terms will generate different results, so the current user can also Swap the order of the terms.
Current Version:
Search Results. Sorted by relevance. Each search result has a name, its concept string and the link to the website of the GLAM that currently holds that search result item. You can also start a new search here.
Current Version:
The Classification. Any User can access this page and see the current terms in the Classification. If the User is a Classifier then they can suggest a term from this page.
Current Version:
Contact Us. Contact information. Can email for reasons such as requesting an account to start classifying your GLAM objects.
Current Version:
Login. Generic Login page. Forgot username/password will take you to the Contact Us page where you can contact the administrator for your username/password. A sucessful login will take the classifier to the Classifier Splash Page.
Current Version:
Classifier Splash Page. Classifiers can search straight from this page just like the General User's splash Home page. In addition, they can classify GLAM objects from the list below that have not been classified yet, or they can add their own GLAM object and classify them. They can also view recently added terms and their recently classified items.
Adding/Classifying a GLAM object. Each GLAM object needs a name. It can be classified by the terms shown in the list below and given a URL so when the GLAM object is searched, a user can follow the URL to find more information on the GLAM object. If a term that the classifier wishes to use is not in the list, they can suggest a new one.
Admin Modifying the Classification: Adding a Term.
Admin can click on a spot in the Classification to choose where to add the new term below. Both the location and the new name of the Term must be entered and validated before the new Term can be added below. A notification will be displayed if the add is successful or not.
Admin Modifying the Classification: Moving a Term around.
The admin can select a Term to move and a Term to put the Term to be moved under. A notification will be displayed if the move is successful or not.
Admin Modifying the Classification: Renaming a Term.
The admin can select a Term to rename it. If the new Term name matches a Term name of another Term that already exists, it cannot be renamed. A notification will be displayed if the delete was successful or not.
Admin Modifying the Classification: Deleting a Term.
The admin can select a Term to delete. Warnings will be displayed if there are any Terms underneath the Term to be deleted and any GLAM Objects that will be affected by this change. A notification will be displayed if the delete was successful or not.
Click here to view the high level user interaction diagram
Adding and Classifying Objects - Adding an object means to add a GLAM object to the central database in order to be classified in the future. Classifying an object means to add a concept string to an item so it can be searched easily.
BCC/Basic Concepts Classification - Basic Concepts Classification - Also known as the Classification.
Classify: An action in which a Classifier can do to attach/label terms to a GLAM object.
Classification Scheme - see "Controlled vocabulary".
Classifiers: Curators, librarians, archivers and others who have permission to classify GLAM objects by preset terms.
Concept strings/Subject Chains: Is composed of terms that takes the form of (noun)(verb)(noun object). Concept strings are used to classify GLAM objects. For example, a Beaker would have a concept sting of (wide)(glass)(with)(pouring)(lip).
Controlled Vocabulary: The collection or set of terms that are allowed to be used when classifying a GLAM object.
GLAM - galleries, libraries, archives and museums
GLAM Objects/Classifiables: Are items found in GLAM that can be classified using the BCC. This mainly includes archival documents, museum artifacts, and works of art. Eventually, journal articles and books will be included as well.
Terms - Are used to classify GLAM objects.
Any useful informational resources or links to other similar products that we reference in the scope of this project.
Basic Concepts Classification: documentation on the Classification scheme used for GLAM objects.
Sample BCC: sample items classified using the Classification.
Dia: used for high-level user-interaction diagram.
Lumzy: used for mockups.