links for 2009-12-08

Scholarly Identity 2.0: Matrix, Concept Model, and Presentation

As mentioned in my previous post, my first Belgrade lecture focused on the concept of Research 2.0.  The second lecture focused on Scholarly Identity 2.0, which is increasingly important because of the wealth of online identity information created by Research 2.0.

The Scholarly Identity Matrix below is adapted from a general identity matrix concept pioneered by the founders of ClaimID. It is meant to display the different types and components of a researcher’s online identity.
Scholarly Identity Matrix

The Scholarly Identity 2.0 Concept Model below displays how the different components from the Matrix fit together.
Scholarly Identity 2.0 Concept Model

The black text is content types. The blue are the characteristics of identity these content types best represent. The green is who is responsible for managing this information. The Scholarly Identity 2.0 Concept Model takes the series of concept models one step farther, but with a slightly different twist.

The spectrum is more specific than in past models with one end being entirely user-generated content (UGC) and the other traditional scholarly communication. My hypothesis is that scholarly identity online, or Scholarly Identity 2.0, is a combination of these two information types held together by a unique identifier. For example, the combination verifies not just topical expertise through peer-review of articles, but also personality verified by LinkedIn recommendations.

Please share your thoughts on the accuracy of this model in the comments below or on FriendFeed.

The below presentation covers each quadrant of the Matrix culminating in the Concept Model as a summary.

(Update: The videos of the lectures are now available here.)

I would like to give special thanks to Adam Sofronijevic at the University of Belgrade Libraries for all his hard work in arranging the lectures and for his hospitality during my visit.

Managing Your Identity Online – 10/15/2007 – netConnect

I have an article out in the Fall edition of Library Journal’s quarterly Internet supplement netConnect (about the Internet, published in print)!

Managing Your Identity Online – 10/15/2007 – netConnect – The article is about online identity and claimID with a sidebar on OpenID. The article breaks down into the following sections (brief excerpts are provided).

  • Introduction to claimID and online identity

    A new breed of web services have started providing ordinary web users with the tools they need to take back control of their online identity.

  • Permanent information online

    However, with the rising popularity of blogging and the explosion of social networking sites such as Friendster and MySpace, googling potential employees quickly became commonplace. Stutzman and Russell recognized that, while particular services such as MySpace may come and go (see “My Space or Your Space,” LJ netConnect, Fall 2006. p. 8–12), social web services are here to stay. More important, a whole generation is destined to scatter personal and professional information around the web for the rest of their lives.

  • Who are you?

    If your name is John Smith and someone googles you, it’s not unlikely that the googler can mistakenly think certain information discovered (divorce, etc.) is yours. Wouldn’t it be helpful if there were a method to explain which John Smith you are?

  • Taking control

    In the claimID FAQ, Stutzman and Russell explain that they embraced “simplicity and standards” when designing the concept. The common thread connecting all the online identity signifiers together is that they all have a web address. Consequently, they decided the simplest way to manage an online identity was by enabling users to create a list of web addresses related to their identity.

  • Standards for identity

    Once Stutzman and Russell had enabled users to create and sort an annotated list of web sites related to their identity, they turned to emerging identity standards to add additional value to the list. They first implemented MicroID, an open standard that provides a way to verify that the person who owns a claimID profile also “owns” the content to which they are linking.

  • Authority control

    In Web 2.0 applications, a centralized cataloging system can break down because of the sheer quantity of user-generated content. This has led to collecting user-generated tags instead of subject headings. Similarly, claimID’s methods hint at future decentralized systems for authority records.

  • Using OpenID on the Web (sidebar)

    The OpenID standard makes it possible for a user with a claimID profile to use this identity elsewhere on the web. OpenID is a decentralized URL-based identity system that allows users to log into web sites with a URL instead of a username or email.

When you get a chance please check out the article and shoot me your questions and/or feedback. I would also like to thank the founders of claimID, Fred Stutzman and Terrell Russell for taking the time to answer my questions and to Jay Datema for the opportunity to write the article.