Single platform for cross referential online databases
The principal project objective was to create an open system to support research information production, access management and to coordinate them all in a coherent manner. This also required a set of advanced and organised user friendly software tools and services that would support all forms of documentation, from searching, to reading, to writing, to publishing. To develop this, the project gathered user requirements and conducted several lines of research for each of the essential improvements they developed. The TORII platform created a third layer to rest on top of the established two layers of distributed archives and services; thus integrating multiple archive sources, services and new tools. The third layer is of particular importance because some organisations are finding it unrealistic to manage business revenues from their e-journals and archives with just 2 layers. Now that this layer has been introduced, the user will be able to use tools like the Quality Control tool that provides the concept of open online peer reviews. This layer facilitated the employment and integration of existing online tools including databases like arXiv and SPIRES, e-journals like JHEP, search engines like Okapi and typesetting languages like LATex. PORTAL-0.5 integrated these services and with additional tools created they were added to TORII prototype and evaluated with laboratory and real-world examples. The end result is a multimedia database that integrates existing databases into one fully cross-referential online system with on-demand accessibility. Other benefits enable the system to monitor user searches, assist with convenient suggestions; and following user judgments; it will provide a cognitive and social information filtering system. Further benefits are envisaged, because the possibility of gaining valuable membership has now become a reality. The organisation believes that for the short-term future of the TORII platform it will require support from organisations like LIBER, SPARC Europe and ARL in conjunction with academic institutions.
