Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the word "Fionnachtain" in the logo mean and where does it come from?

A: Fionnachtain means Discovery. For further information on the word and why we chose it go here

Q: Can I use material from DHO:Discovery in my paper/thesis/research

A: Rights to use content presented through DHO:Discovery rest with the original providers of the collections. Individual items are subject to the licensing terms presented on the originating site and institution. The DHO makes no warranty as to the content presented through DHO:Discovery and responsibility for the content provided herein reside with the contributors of the data.

Q: What collections are currently visible through DHO:Discovery?

A: A list of the collections and a short description of each is available here

Q: Can items contain more than one media type?

A: Yes, items CAN HAVE multiple types, i.e. can be composed by an audio component and a textual component such as a transcript, as in The Doegen Records Web Project.

Q: What is the difference among ‘search’, ‘browse’, and ‘discover’? Is the data the same?

A: The data is the same. BROWSE, SEARCH and DISCOVER are three different ways of getting to the same content

BROWSE allows you to “select-and-see”: it lets you click on pre-defined “facets” (or filters) to list only the items that are included under these facets. A typical example is to select one or two collections: only the items belonging to those collections will be listed. Selecting a collection and a content type (for example “only audio items”) will list all the items of that collection that have an audio content.

SEARCH allows you to look for something specific. With the search option it is possible to type in specific keyword(s) which are then compared to the terms connected to the various objects and any matches are returned. Using the advanced search section, it is possible to restrict the search on only specific fields, and to select a time range in order to find only items that have a date associated with them which falls within the given range of years. DHO:Discovery is more geared towards browsing rather than searching as it relies

DISCOVER is a “explore-and-find”: it offers a less conventional access to the browse interface. It is still a way to apply few filter (like “Collection” or “Subject”) to the listing of items. But it presents these filters in unconventional ways such as through visualisations, for examples: a tag cloud or a treemap. The treemap, in particular, is a visualization first designed by Ben Shneiderman during the 1990s, and implemented here thanks to the library developed by Nicolas Garcia Belmonte . Treemap is a space-constrained visualization of hierarchical structures. In this case it allows to visually explore how items are grouped into subject terms and how Collections are subdivided into subject terms.

Q: How do I use the browse page?

A: Help for using the browse page is available here.

Q: How do I use the search page?

A: Help for using the search page is available here.

Q: How do I see the collections in their original website?

A: When you select an object, you will see a link ‘View in Original Context’ at the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Clicking this link will take you to the website where you can see this object at its original website.

Q: How can I contribute to DHO:Discovery?

A: If you have a collection that you would like to be included in DHO:Discovery then e-mail us at discovery at dho.ie.

Q: Under what terms is the material licensed?

A: Rights to content presented through DHO:Discovery rest with the original providers of the collections. Individual items are subject to the licensing terms presented on the originating site and institution. The DHO makes no warranty as to the content presented through DHO:Discovery and responsibility for the content provided herein reside with the contributors of the data.

Q: How is this project funded?

A: DHO:Discovery and the DHO are funded under the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions Cycle 4 (PRTLI4).