Robert D Cameron
TAMU Digital InitiativesSchool of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University
Abstract
The Universal Serial Item Name (USIN) scheme is proposed as a framework for a single global namespace of articles and other contributions published in organized serial collections. Requirements for USINs are analysed with an emphasis on the use of USINs in scholarly communication. A uniform naming model is described based on the hierarchical naming of serial publications and the hierarchical numbering of serial items. A number of concrete design ideas for USIN syntax are presented. A USIN Global Registry and a USIN Global Database are proposed and analysed in terms of specific architectural features that interact to meet the requirements of publishers, librarians and scholars. Applications of the USIN concept to literature research, document retrieval, bibliography preparation and addressing the 'broken links' problem of the World Wide Web are considered.
