Forced Migration Online

WEB CATALOGUE: COLLECTION MANAGEMENT POLICY

1. Introduction

The purpose of the Forced Migration Web Catalogue is to help users undertake research in a more efficient and effective manner. To that end, the Web Catalogue houses bibliographic records that (1) describe a wide variety of information resources across the Internet and (2) provide links to them. These records make up what is referred to as the Web Catalogue's "collection."

The catalogue collection does not represent an exhaustive inventory of Internet resources relating to forced migration. Rather, it attempts to direct users to the resources that may best cater to a particular information need. Thus, the aims of the collection include the following:
- to select resources that adequately represent the many different facets of forced migration;
- to provide balanced geographic representation of the producers of information resources;
- to provide access to multilingual resources to the extent possible;
- to include resource types that accurately reflect the kinds of resources available in forced migration ;
- to pick and choose from among like resources rather than select multiple resources that all provide the same content;
- to fill gaps where no resources are currently available;
- to minimize overlap with other subject gateways and portals by complementing their collections rather than duplicating them.

2. Selecting Resources for the Collection

2.1 Scope of the collection

The content coverage of the catalogue and the parameters of its collection (subject, geographic coverage, language) are outlined in greater detail in the FMO: Introduction and Overview document.

2.2 Criteria for selecting resources

Selection criteria serve as the basis for reviewing resources that fall within the scope of the catalogue to determine whether or not they should be included in the catalogue. These are available in the Web Catalogue: Selection Policy.

2.3 Types of resources in the catalogue

Annex 1 of the Web Catalogue: Selection Policy lists and defines the various types of information resources on the Internet that are included in the catalogue.

2.4 Resources suggested for inclusion

Suggestions for resources to include in the collection are welcome from members of the public. A web form to do so is available here. Those submitting suggestions are encouraged to review the aforementioned criteria (scope, selection and resource types) to ensure that a prospective resource meets the parameters of the collection. At the same time, while any suggested resource will be considered, there is no guarantee that it will actually be selected for inclusion.

3. Maintaining the Collection

3.1 Checking links

The rapidly evolving nature of the Internet means that links to resources can quickly become outdated. To address this, an automated link checker is programmed to run on a weekly basis in order to identify URLs that are no longer valid and web pages that have moved or disappeared altogether. In addition, users are encouraged to notify the webmaster of any broken links that they come across.

3.2 Updating records

Link checkers are only part of the solution. Often, links may still be valid, but they may no longer point to the resource that was originally described. In addition, the catalogue record for a resource may become outdated – i.e., certain factual information has changed or the description of the resource's content is no longer accurate. To address this, cataloguers are requested to review the records they submit on a six-monthly basis.

3.3 Deselecting resources

At times, resources may need to be removed from the catalogue collection. This can occur

(1) when the resource is no longer available on the Internet;
(2) when the resource is no longer being maintained and its utility is diminished as a result (e.g., a news source that is never updated);
(3) when another resource becomes available that offers enhanced content and/or coverage (e.g., a resource that offers searchable access to full-text case law vs. a resource that simply offers links to sources of case law).

Before a resource is actually removed for the above-mentioned reasons, cataloguers will first contact the creator or publisher to confirm its status. Often, a web site may simply be undergoing a re-design or re-structuring that has temporarily interrupted the availability of a resource. This kind of information can be noted in a record's description field to forewarn users.

3.4 Filling gaps

The catalogue collection will necessarily reflect the kinds of resources that are available on the Internet. For this reason, it may appear at times to have a certain subject, geographic, or linguistic bias. To ensure complete coverage, the Forced Migration Online team will endeavor to seek out organizations with valuable collections to encourage making them available on the Internet or will promote the development of new resources that are designed to fill recognized information gaps.

For more information about the Forced Migration Internet Catalogue, please contact fmo@qeh.ox.ac.uk.