Using web logs transactions to assess a metadata registry system's use

Abstract

PurposeThe Environmental Data Registry (EDR) is a cornerstone of the US Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to manage and integrate environmental information for the purposes of safeguarding human health and protecting the environment. This paper seeks to present findings on the use of the EDR/SoR metadata registry system based on data from web logs transactions. It aims to broaden our understanding of how metadata registries are used, particularly as indicated by their own users.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an analysis of web log transactions of a six‐year period (1998‐2004). The focus of this paper is in three areas: use presented on a daily, monthly and yearly basis; trends in use (increasing/decreasing) over a period of more than six years; and users of the metadata registry system as shown through the domain and directory reports.FindingsThe paper presents the daily, monthly and yearly use of the EDR/SoR. It shows trends in its use for a period of over six years and identifies some of the metadata registry's users and the information they seek (as shown in the directory reports).Research limitations/implicationsTransactional web logs, in general, record the internet protocol address of the computer that accessed the web site/service. That is not necessarily linked to any one specific user. Therefore, results are presented as actual access numbers rather than human beings.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first of its kind to examine web log transactions in assessing metadata registry usage. This research is intended to enhance the understanding of the user and application of the EDR/SoR and therefore provide a baseline for metadata registry systems' evaluation in general.