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oneFish Help: KO Pools

What is a KO Pool?

A KO (Knowledge Object) Pool is a facility which allows oneFish to display KOs that reside in other resource (provider) systems/databases to be displayed alongside oneFish KOs both in topics and search results.

Why KO Pools?

oneFish is primarily a Directory, i.e. directing users to the source of knowledge, rather than duplicating it (thereby implying duplication of effort) in oneFish. Out ethos is that each Knowledge Object should only reside in one system, but that it should be accessible via many systems. This is seen as being a more effective use of resources, preventing unnecessary duplication of effort whilst at the same time providing users with access to relevant knowledge in a wider range of resource systems/databases without the need for them to visit every system.

How do KO Pools Work?

An external system or database is regularly queried using keywords or other search strings that extract knowledge objects relevant to the subject coverage of oneFish. The KO metadata (reference information) retrieved includes links to the full text files/documents if available. This metadata is then converted into the oneFish format and indexed. The converted metadata and related indexes comprise the KO Pool which sits externally to oneFish but on the same server. KO Pools are updated at regular intervals by arrangement with the data provider.

Searching KO Pools

When a user searches oneFish, the KO Pool indexes are searched at the same time and all relevant KOs, whether they are from oneFish or from a KO Pool, are displayed intermixed in the search results screen.

Collector Topics

A KO from a Pool is also displayed in a topic if a keyword in the KO matches a keyword in the topic collector search string. Every topic has the ability to `collect' KOs in this way (not only from KO Pools but from other oneFish topics). In the topic form there is a field called `Collector Search String'. By default the topic id number (e.g. in:424) will be displayed in this field. This ensures that all KOs that have been physically added or linked to this topic remain so, but the topic editor can extend this collector search string to include keywords, e.g. in:424 OR keyword:"FISHERY ECONOMICS" so the topic will `collect' and display all KOs with the keywords "FISHERY ECONOMICS" whether they are stored in oneFish or in a linked KO Pool.

What distinguishes a Pool KO?

  • The KO owner is usually a Corporate Body as opposed to an individual, e.g. FAO Corporate Document Repository. This information is displayed in the right hand side bar of the KO Info screen.
  • In the KO Info screen there is no Comments tab displayed because it is not a oneFish KO and so you cannot add a Comment/KO Note to it. (This facility may be added in the future)
  • When a topic editor or chief editor is logged in there is no Edit tab displayed in the KO Info screen because a KO from a Pool is not a oneFish KO and therefore cannot be edited in oneFish (some exceptions may apply).

Constraints

oneFish Editors do not have control over the metadata captured from provider systems and so the presentation of information may not always coincide with oneFish format or standards, e.g. spelling mistakes and inconsistencies in the use of case may occur, and foreign characters are sometimes corrupted. We provide feedback to the owners of the provider system when any such problems are reported.


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This page last updated:
March 2006
Chief Editor