Understanding key terminologies and concepts

You may define the internet as aglobal network of networks. It connects various distributed devices such as computers, mobile phones or personal data assistants, and applications that sit on top of connected equipments. Eventually the internet connects people- you, me and the rest of the world.

The interconnected world has built a conducive environment for innovative new technologies/applications, one of them being digital repositories. This new technology enables individuals and institutions to capture, preserve and share content using various applications and standards. Upon reflection it is evident that the advent of this technology has been dramatically changing the landscape in which people generate, preserve and exchange or disseminate content.

The repository as a mere centre for collecting, preserving and disseminating the intellectual output of an institution, historically played a passive role of supporting established publishers. By using this new technology it develops into a dynamic entity which efficiently and effectively facilitate accesses and use of information

Repository establishment has come as an innovation of its own within institutions across the globe and still keeps evolving within the context of content packaging, managing and dissemination. Therefore it comes with different sets of terms, concepts and approaches. The meaning of terms may vary based on the scope of usage. To have a consistent and common understanding, we dedicate this section to describing different terms and what they mean throughout this toolkit.