The ISSN International Centre is hiring a Specialist in Automated Processing of Bibliographic Data

The main activities of the International ISSN Centre (www.issn.org) are:

– Updating and enhancing the ISSN Register, the standardized and international database of serial print and online publications,

– Coordinating the activities of the 89 ISSN national centres worldwide which share bibliographic data with the ISSN International Centre,

– Assigning ISSN and creating descriptive data for international organisations’ publications and publications produced in countries without any ISSN national centre,

– Marketing the ISSN Register (portal.issn.org) and related services such as ROAD Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources (road.issn.org).

The appointee will work within the Department Data, Network and Standards and will be responsible for the following activities:

• Assess the quality of the database and of the bibliographic data created / ingested on a regular basis,
• Perform automated or semi-automated processes to improve the coverage and the quality of the ISSN Register,
• Supervise contractors involved in ISSN data enhancement and check the appropriateness of their deliverables,
• Work with other ISSN IC departments to outline and specify innovative services based on data collection,
• Design and implement new workflows for data sharing within the ISSN network as well as with other stakeholders,
• Contribute to the design and the development of ISSN IC’s RDF triplestore.
• Other related missions may be assigned by the head of the Data, Network and Standards Department.

More details regarding these activities are provided below.

Address issues regarding global quality in the ISSN Register:

• enhance the consistency of records, notably by creating processes to check the accuracy of specific fields and to correct data,
• devise effective processes to complete existing data by using available authoritative bibliographic sources,
• complete data in original languages and in transliterated form when missing.

Monitor and improve the ingestion of bibliographic data produced by the ISSN National Centres in the ISSN Register, ensuring their quality and their compliance with international standards and specific ISSN rules:

• check and validate input data;
• specify ingest rules and procedures (e.g. define major and minor errors);
• analyse output data;
• develop good practice among ISSN national centres through knowledge sharing , expertise and training.

Supervise and participate in projects to improve the ISSN register and develop new services:

• define requirements by identifying external or internal user needs;
• participate in specification drafting;
• prepare test data & define acceptance criteria;
• perform tests and validate the results,
• report on the project outcomes.

Perform automated or semi-automated ISSN assignment processes, for specific projects / specific types of resources:

• identify and check initial data and define identification processes;
• perform and adapt processes using data management tools;
• analyse and check output data; ingest into the ISSN register,
• produce standardized bibliographic records for publishers and international organisations in the framework of batch assignment requests.

Define, prepare, monitor and validate data transformation processes, notably from usual bibliographic formats to linked data formats.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Master degree in Library and Information Science and/or Information Technology,
• 3-year experience in a similar or related position,
• Expertise in database management, data processing languages and tools (Excel, OpenRefine, R, …)
• Expertise in query languages and programming language (SQL, SPARQL, Java, Ruby, Python, …)
• Knowledge of bibliographic standards and formats (MARC21, Unimarc, RDA),
• Knowledge of linked data principles, formats and technologies (XML, RDF),
• Autonomy, accountability and sense of innovation,
• Ability to transfer knowledge and manage projects collaboratively across an international network,
• Fluent in English and French; a third language is desirable.

Preferred qualifications

• Expertise in Agile software development,
• Ability to identify and analyse appropriate emerging technologies,
• Knowledge of ONIX and/or other publishing industry standards,
• Interest in open data principles and issues,
• Familiarity with scholarly and digital publishing and/or library environment and issues.

Specific constraints

• Missions abroad.

Salary and status

• Salary commensurate with qualification and experience.
• International status.
• Full-time position.

Contract will start Sept. 15th, 2016.

Contact

Please send cover letter, résumé and the names and contact information of two professional references to Ms Gaëlle Béquet, director (secretariat@issn.org).  

For full consideration please apply by July 4th, 2016.