Identification and resolution systems for networked access to information

This article provides an overview of state of the art developments and emerging infrastructures to discover, identify and access information published on the web. It is based on an earlier discussion paper (Werf‐Davelaar, 1999) of work carried out in the context of the following projects: DONOR, which aims to establish an enabling infrastructure for improved information management and retrieval on SURFnet. SURFnet is the academic network in the Netherlands that provides Internet access to over 250 research and higher education organisations. DONOR is an initiative of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the National Library of the Netherlands. The project ran from 1998‐1999, with funding from the Steering Committee for Innovation in Scientific Information Provision in the Netherlands (IWI). The project‘s home page is at www.konbib.nl/donor; DESIRE, which aims to enhance existing European information networks for research users across Europe through research and development in three main areas of activity: caching, resource discovery and directory services. DESIRE runs from 1996‐2000, with funding from the European Commission‘s Telematics Application Programme. The project‘s home page is at www.desire.org; NEDLIB, which aims to construct the basic infrastructure upon which a networked European deposit library can be built. The objectives of NEDLIB concur with the mission of national deposit libraries to ensure that present electronic publications, including web resources can be used now and in the future. NEDLIB runs from 1998‐2000, with funding from the European Commission‘s Telematics Application Programme. The project‘s home page is at www.konbib.nl/nedlib.