OAI-PMH data provider

Services > Data sharing > OAI data provider

Our Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) data provider is one way that you can obtain IssueLab’s metadata.

Although the name is a mouthful, you can think of the data provider as an old-school API. It is an effective sharing method and part of our distribution network. For example, we use it to interface with OCLC’s Worldcat system which supplies titles to terminals in over 10,000 libraries around the world. 

Our OAI data provider complies with the Open Archives Intiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). It delivers metadata records in XML.

Base URL

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai

Resumption token

The data provider supplies up to 500 records per query. You can page through result sets by including the provided resumption token. 

OAI verbs

OAI-PMH offers six case-sensitive commands, or “verbs” for querying purposes. Below are the most basic HTTP requests you can issue.

1. Identify

Identify identifies the archive you are harvesting.

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=Identify 

2. ListSets

ListSets provides a list of the sub-sets or groupings of data offered (see “Sets” below).

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListSets 

3. ListMetadataFormats

ListMetadataFormats provides info about the formats we offer our metadata in; we offer metadata in oai_dc.

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListMetadataFormats 

4. ListIdentfiers

ListIdentfiers provides a list of research listing identifiers available to harvest.

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListIdentifiers&metadataPrefix=oai_dc 

5. ListRecords

ListRecords supplies a list that includes an individual metadata record for every research listing available in the IssueLab archive.

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc 

6. GetRecord

GetRecord supplies the metadata for the specified record only.

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=GetRecord&identifier=record identifier&metadataPrefix=oai_dc 

Parameters

Set parameter

Sets are based on Issue Lab’s issue areas. Use the listSets verb to view the complete list of sets that we maintain. 

To view records in a particular set use the setSpec string.

Example: to view all records in the Energy and Environment issue area, use this query: 

http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=energy_and_environment 

The complete list of available sets shows below.

  • Aging – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=aging
  • Agriculture and Food – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=agriculture_and_food
  • Animal Welfare – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=animal_welfare
  • Arts and Culture – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=arts_and_culture
  • Athletics and Sports – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=athletics_and_sports
  • Children and Youth – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=children_and_youth
  • Civil Society -http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=civil_society
  • Community and Economic Development -http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=community_and_economic_development
  • Computers and Technology – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=computers_and_technology
  • Consumer Protection – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=consumer_protection
  • Crime and Safety – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=crime_and_safety
  • Disabilities – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=disabilities
  • Education and Literacy – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=education_and_literacy
  • Employment and Labor – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=employment_and_labor
  • Energy and Environment – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=energy_and_environment
  • LGBTQI – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=gay_lesbian_bi_and_trans
  • Government Reform – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=government_reform
  • Health – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=health
  • Housing and Homelessness – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=housing_and_homelessness
  • Humanitarian and Disaster Relief -http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=humanitarian_and_disaster_relief
  • Human Rights and Civil Liberties – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=human_rights_and_civil_liberties
  • Hunger – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=hunger
  • Immigration – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=immigration
  • International Development – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=international_development
  • Journalism and Media – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=journalism_and_media
  • Men – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=men
  • Nonprofits and Philanthropy – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=nonprofits_and_philanthropy
  • Parenting and Families – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=parenting_and_families
  • Peace and Conflict – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=peace_and_conflict
  • Poverty – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=poverty
  • Prison and Judicial Reform – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=prison_and_judicial_reform
  • Race and Ethnicity – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=race_and_ethnicity
  • Religion – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=religion
  • Science – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=science
  • Substance Abuse and Recovery – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=substance_abuse_and_recovery
  • Transportation – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=transportation
  • Welfare and Public Assistance  – http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=welfare_and_public_assistance
  • Women -http://harvest.issuelab.org/provider/oai?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&set=women

Date parameters

The “from and “until” date parameters correspond with the date a record became available in our data provider service. Dates do not reflect the original publication date or the date that a work was added to Issue Lab’s public collection.

From

Use from to indicate the earliest record date you’d like to receive.

Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ

Until

Use until to indicate the latest record date you’d like to receive

Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ

Metadata

Here are the metadata types we collect. At a minimum, the metadata types that are “required” will be included in every XML file.

Coverage (<dc:coverage>)

The geographic areas the research considers (uncontrolled list).

Creator (<dc:creator>)

The author(s) of the research.

Date (<dc:date>)

Required. The date the research was published. Format YYYY-MM-DD.

Description (<dc:description>)

Required. The summary provided for the research work.

Format (<dc:format>)

When available, the file format of a saved resource.

Identifier (<dc:identifier>)

Required. The listings unique.

Language (<dc:language>)

Required. The language in which the research was authored/published.

Publisher (<dc:publisher>)

Required. The nonprofit organization(s) that made the research in question available to/through the IssueLab archive.

Rights (<dc:rights>)

Required. The copyright and usage instructions for the research work.

Subject (<dc:subject>)

Required. The issue areas that the research work falls under (see “Issue Areas and Sets” below). Research works can fall into up to three issue areas.

Title (<dc:title>)

Required. Title of the research work.

Type (<dc:type>)

Required. The research can be categorized as these types. Controlled list: CaseStudy; Dataset; Ethnography; Evaluation; FactSheet; InteractiveResource; Literature/Research Review; MovingImage; Policy/Issue Brief; Presentation/Slideshow; Report/Whitepaper; StillImage; Survey; Testimony; Toolkit/Guide.

Technology and Thanks

We are using free data provider software created and shared by the University of Michigan.  Complete information is here.

Questions? Comments?

Don’t hesitate to contact us should you require assistance.