Abstract: A link to a rights advisor website can be constructed from article metadata by a non-programmer user by connecting together a chain of steps, each of which uses a pre-defined module, called a “widget”, which, in turn, performs a specific task. By selecting, configuring and arranging steps, different websites can be processed in different manners. However, since the modules are predefined, they cannot be changed and thus the overall process can be controlled to prevent problems with one program from affecting other programs.

Abstract: A small program in a browser that a knowledge worker uses to search for content can be activated when the worker wants to determine available rights for a publication that has been found. When activated, the program accesses a rights advisor website that converts the URL of the publication in the browser to standard publication identifiers. The publication identifiers are then used to access a rights database and extract all rights associated with the publication. Based on selected characteristics of the worker and the organization to which the worker belongs, the rights are filtered and placed into a decision tree. The tree is then traversed from its lowest level upward to locate the most favorable rights and the resulting rights are presented to the worker via the browser.

Abstract: In a large scale data repository, a single logical view of multiple versions of the same data is presented. In order to determine which data versions are equivalent without comparing each pair of entries in the database, the database entries are clustered with a clustering algorithm and then comparisons between entries are made only between the entries in each cluster. Once a set of entries has been determined to be equivalent, a composite master entry is constructed from those entries in the set that contain preferred metadata and the composite master entry is made available for searches and display to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that automatically converts a universal resource locator that specifies a location for a publication into a standard publication identifier that identifies the publication uses a plurality of parser rules, each parser rule being adapted to extract data fields for a particular form of universal resource locator. One of the parser rules is selected based on a domain in the universal resource locator and used to parse the universal resource locator to generate data field values. A plurality of translation rules are used, each translation rule accepting one or more data fields as inputs. When the generated data field values match the inputs of a translation rule, that translation rule is used to create a standard publication identifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that automatically converts a universal resource locator that specifies a location for a publication into a standard publication identifier that identifies the publication uses a plurality of parser rules, each parser rule being adapted to extract data fields for a particular form of universal resource locator. One of the parser rules is selected based on a domain in the universal resource locator and used to parse the universal resource locator to generate data field values. A plurality of translation rules are used, each translation rule accepting one of more data fields as inputs. When the generated data field values match the inputs of a translation rule, that translation rule is used to create a standard publication identifier.

Abstract: A small program in a browser that a knowledge worker uses to search for content can be activated when the worker wants to determine available rights for a publication that has been found. When activated, the program accesses a rights advisor website that converts the URL of the publication in the browser to standard publication identifiers. The publication identifiers are then used to access a rights database and extract all rights associated with the publication. Based on selected characteristics of the worker and the organization to which the worker belongs, the rights are filtered and placed into a decision tree. The tree is then traversed from its lowest level upward to locate the most favorable rights and the resulting rights are presented to the worker via the browser.