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Internationalisation
GBIF protocols and practices for internationalisation of infrastructure and interfaces
This page is under construction and subject to significant revision. Introduction to InternationalisationGBIF is a global network that produces software tools, data services, web client applications and other components of a biodiversity data interchange infrastructure. These components are intended to be utilised by members of the GBIF global community for many of whom English is not their native language. Internationalization is the process of designing a software application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. This page provides information, links and documentation on GBIF's strategies and recommendations for internationalising relevant components of the GBIF network. Our goal is that there will be no barriers to enabling simple and easy adoption of GBIF infrastructure, tools, data and services within a particular national or regional setting due to language or encoding. The focus of this page is to collate current areas where internationalisation is a consideration and to identify the current status in these areas and recommendations for a unified internationalisation strategy. GBIF made a presentation on Internationalisation at the Asian Nodes Meeting (Nov 2009) Internationalisation Efforts at GBIFInternationalisation efforts within the GBIF Secretariat fall into the following categories: User Interfaces focuses on methods for facilitating simple and effective internationalisation of human interfaces in software tools and services developed for GBIF. Ontologies& Vocabularies focuses on developing thesauri that support the mapping of controlled vocabularies to local languages so that local terms for standardised concepts can be used and displayed within local settings and interfaces, yet the the entire network can maintain integration and inter-operability through a common metadata system. Metadata refers to the support of discovery, translation, and access to multi-lingual metadata records, in particular free-text components of a metadata record (documented properties of datasets). Documentation refers to translation issues, workflows and recommendations regarding the translation and maintenance of free-text documentation that includes GBIF printed materials, web sites, and other publication formats. Communication refers to GBIF outreach activities focused on communicating the use cases, rationale, and efforts behind GBIFs Internationalisation strategy. The sub-categories of internationalisation will be are expanded below. Each of these categories forms the basis for the development of documentation, best practice, work flows, and communication that collectively form the GBIF strategy for Internationalisation. In our roadmap we identify contacts and activities that for each category Interfaces: Internationalisation and Localisation of SoftwareGBIF is a developer of software products that may be globally deployed or utilised by a global audience. GBIF software development may take place in-house using human resources at the GBIF Secretariat or via, contract, with external developers. Given, the general need for adoption of these tools and interfaces among a global audience, it is important to have a common strategy for ensuring these products and interfaces can be easily transformed to multiple languages and encodings. Among the requirements for such a strategy are:
Key to meeting these requirements is the development of a common localisation strategy. The selected software platform varies slightly though on how the i18n ideas are implemented. Internationalisation of the Integrated Publishing ToolkitJavaGBIF software written in java utilise "property files" to separate text for internationalisation. Property files can be edited manually with some understanding of the overall property file format. Another option is the use of the Attesoro editor. Other useful Java internationalisation links. PHP
Ontology InternationalisationGBIF has developed a web-based vocabulary management system that allows GBIF participants to discover, use and create controlled vocabularies used within the GBIF network. These vocabularies include interfaces for providing alternative terms in other languages for the key 'concepts' in the vocabularies. This will support adoption of GBIF-supported data standards by allowing the use of core terms and concepts in a local language and encoding while still adhering to the standard, promoting interoperability. The GBIF vocabulary server supports the development of registered extensions to the GBIF Darwin Core Archive format and tying extension terms to controlled vocabularies. An Excel spreadsheet template for offline translation of core vocabularies is available with instructions on processing. Ontology Internationalisation: "taxonomic "backbones" and common namesGBIF is supporting the development of a data management tool that puts an internationalised focused on the higher taxonomic groups of organisms in order to facilitate the development of localised vernacular name alternatives for organism group names. Alternative localised names for these group facilitate their use as an organisational framework for information about species. Taxonomic hierarchies provide the organisational framework for species, whether it is in the form of a global taxonomic list for a particular group, an organised regional list or a species checklist for a particular thematic view. At GBIF, we extend these taxonomic hierarchies to form a natural organisational framework for species data. The effectiveness of this approach is limited, however, if a non-expert user does not recognise the name of the taxonomic group. The objective of this activity is to ensure that all higher taxon groups, from Kingdom through Order and optionally, Family, have common language alternatives in all primary languages of GBIF participants. This provides the means to add or substitute these more familiar labels with the Latin name. For example, the name Carabidae is cryptic to many non-expert users whereas the terms "ground and tiger beetles" in English or "Loopkevers" in Dutch or "רצניתיים" in Hebrew may provide the necessary context to inform the user if this is an appropriate path to pursue. GBIF is developing tools that combines a language-centric editorial interface with higher taxonomic lists to allow editors knoweledgeable in a particular language to add additional terms. A draft system was piloted in 2007 and is currently being refined and updated to support the GNA standards and infrastructure. MetadataLink to the Recommendations of the Metadata task group. Ultimately we need to exerpt this and reference in a best practices. Documentation TranslationGBIF strategy and recommendations for managing the translation of documentation. This includes
Issues raised: Coordinating updates - A master document is updated. How do subsequent translations discover the update and implement the changes. Indicators of Success
RoadmapFeb 2010Reviewed and evaluated this wiki page within GBIFS Modified and agreed on the wording of the Internationalisation goal. Agree on sub-types as basis for division of effort Kyle Braak will identify software solutions for authoring profiles that support the Java Suite - Need to identify a process for consolidating the interface documentation process Interfaces RoadmapInformatics Contact: Kyle Braack
Ontologies RoadMapInformatics Contact: David Remsen
Metadata RoadmapInformatics Contact: Eamonn O Tuama Link to the Recommendations of the Metadata task group. Ultimately we need to exerpt this and reference in an Internationalisation Strategy for GBIF Nodes. Documentation RoadmapInformatics Contact: Vishwas Chavan - Seeking a Participation Contact (Training?) To define a documentation roadmap for internationalisation that provides a framework for coordinating the translation of fulltext documentation. Communications RoadmapWe recommend the drafting of two separate documents - A high level document to distribute to ministries and delegates that provides the strategic rationale and overview of our internationalisation efforts. - Caterina will do this to be available before April meetings- A more detailed document with best practices, guides, and links that are organised around the major internationalisation sub-types we identified as an Internationalisation Strategy for GBIF Nodes - Vishwas and David will initiate this. Need to consult with Juan and identify a contracted author. | |
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