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Practicum

Metadata, Search, & Productivity Practicum

The Metadata, Search, and Productivity Practicum is a hands-on, guided process in which a cross-functional team creates a prototype metadata repository using a Web-based Lab program.

As metadata from your own business application is entered, team members and their colleagues can see how it behaves in searching, subject browsing, expertise location, Web Publishing, news feeds, and personal knowledge management applications.

Activities & deliverables
The program consists of eight weekly sessions conducted via the Web and teleconference. Data is imported into the Lab program via Excel worksheets and can be edited via the Web.

In addition to a live metadata repository demonstration, your team creates an information model (high level drawing) that shows metadata sources, uses, and gaps as well as an implementation plan (written report) that outlines recommended next steps.

Community of practice
At the conclusion of the two-month planning and prototyping process, participants are invited to become part of a private community of practice that provides ongoing interaction with Montague Institute staff, other program participants, and invited experts.

Metadata & ROI
All organizations generate metadata, but not all get the maximum return on their investment. Metadata ROI can be increased by using it to make users more productive and by reducing metadata management costs.

User productivity depends not only on deploying metadata to enhance search engines but also on creating complementary navigation tools such as topic browsing, A - Z indexes, and thesauri (synonyms and cross references).

Reducing management costs means eliminating the programming costs of accessing metadata locked in proprietary systems, making it easier for authors, editors and indexers to access preferred values, and reducing staff time spent on converting, mapping, and synchronizing enterprise and local metadata.

Metadata repositories are key to increasing metadata ROI both in terms of user productivity and maintenance costs. These structures allow information managers to control the quality and consistency of names, subject terms, and content attributes at both the enterprise and local level.

The purpose of the Practicum is to demonstrate how to increase metadata ROI by making it easier to design, implement, and use metadata repositories.

How to register
The Practicum is offered in April, June, and September. See http://www.montague.com/practicum.htm for costs and registration information.