Editing Resource Records

1. Log into the portal toolkit, and then select the Metadata Tool. If you do not see Metadata Tool as an option on the navigation bar, make sure that you have resource editing privileges (see the portal administrator). Any resource editor will be able to edit resource records whenever an individual record displays the Edit button.
2. Also, resource editors may use the Edit Resources option on the Metadata Tool navigation bar to generate a list or group of resources to edit based on specific criteria. Enter a search in one or more of the fields including Limits. The Metadata Tool search engine has additional searchable metadata fields available for resource editors. The "Added by" and "Release flag" are two of these fields.

   The Metadata Tool will generate a results list of records matching your query. The results will be displayed in a descending order of relevance (most relevant items appear at the top of the results). Relevance is determined through a combination of word occurrence frequency and a weighted value of the metadata fields being searched. Word occurrence in the Title is the weighted the most heavily. Alternate Title, Creator, Publisher, Classification, and Contributor are in the next lower tier of weight values. Occurrence in the URL and Description are given the lowest weight values.

3. To view the complete database record, select a record by clicking on the Edit button in the results list. The resource record will open a new browser window in which to edit and update. NOTE: Resource editors may also delete or duplicate a record by using the buttons provided on the cataloging template. Deleting irrevocably removes the record from the database. Duplicating produces another copy of the resource record to speed the addition of a similar resource.
4. If you need to assign Creator, Contributor, or Publisher names to a particular record, you will be using the names table. Start this process by clicking on the Add More Creators or Add More Publishers buttons. You will be prompted to search for an existing name already in the database. Enter a name, and click on the Search button.

   If that name matches names already existing in the Names table, a results list will be generated and returned. Check all the appropriate boxes, and click update. The Metadata Tool will add all names checked to the resource record. NOTE: It is important to remember that this table is populated by the user; so when you begin using it, there will be no names included (after supplied sample records are removed). As you add records, you will be adding names and will eventually build up the Names table.

   If that name does not exist [as will be the case often when you begin using the Metadata Tool], or none of the results are the correct name, you may then add that name to the table. The portal software's Metadata Tool allows for a Controlled Name and a Variant Name. A Controlled Name is an official form of a name applied to all records uniformly to avoid confusion or misidentification that may impede retrieval. The Variant Name is intended to record all other forms associated with the name including acronyms, honorary titles, dropped initials, diminutives, etc. Having both a Controlled Name and Variant Names allows all records associated with this name to be linked and also for editing easily across records. The ability to add all variants makes it possible to retrieve those name forms when searching for records.

5. Assigning a classification to a resource record is very similar to adding a new name, but in this case, use the Classification Table. If your portal has less than 250 classifications a dropdown menu will be available to chose classifications to add to the resource. If your portal has more than 250 classifications then you must click on the Add more Classifications button. This will bring you to a screen where you can check all the classifications you want and then assign them to the resource.

   Broadest tier - More specific - Most specific
   Or,
   Science - Physics - Atomic structure

6. Complete/edit other metadata fields (Source, Relation, Coverage, Rights, Email, etc.) as appropriate.
7. Select Resource Type(s), Language(s), Audience(s), and Format(s) from the drop down menus. You may select as many as appropriate. One default term may be selected for each of these Option Fields (or any Option type metadata field the portal administrator may add). Default term selection is done in the Edit Option List section of the Metadata Tool. Selecting a default will cause that term to be highlighted in the Metadata template when adding new resource records. Resource administrators may choose additional terms or deselect the default term for any resource record.
8. Images of .jpg, .gif, and .bmp file types may be added to the record as an illustration or for other purposes. File selection begins using the Browse button found to the right of field. After selecting the image, the file name will automatically be added to the resource record. To complete the process, click on the Upload Image button. A small image (thumbnail) will appear within the resource record.

   Only one image may be added to each particular Screenshot field. Additional fields are required to accommodate additional images.

   After an image has been added to a record a Remove Image button will appear. To remove an image already associated with a resource record, simply click on this button. The desired image should then be deleted from the resource record.

   Portal developers are strongly encouraged to also complete the Screenshot Description field whenever adding an image(s) to a resource record. This field provides explanatory text for images and graphics. According to established guidelines of accessiblity for World Wide Web resources, images or graphics should always provide appropriate explanatory text to insure that the image's meaning is understood by persons using screen reader software (generally those who are blind or with low vision). Completing the Screenshot Description field is an easy method to incorporate this practice into portal development workflow without modification to HTML code.

   Additionally, the Screenshot Description field provides text that can be searched (when enabled by portal administrators) by the Keyword, Advanced Search, and Metadata Tool search engine.

9. The Release flag is used administratively to signify whether a record is complete and ready for 'public' viewing. If appropriate, depending on institutional work flow and other editorial factors, you can set the Release flag to 'approved' or 'not approved' for viewing.
10. Click "Update Record button". This adds any new or edited data to the database, links it with other resources, and updates the search database. Without updating the record, new data will appear as part of the resource record, but will NOT be included in searches. The Last Modified by field is automatically completed with the log in name of the appropriate resource administrator.