Registering as a Data Provider
OAI-PMH version 2.0

Data providers who support the OAI-PMH may choose to list their repository in the OAI-PMH registry. The goals of the registry are:

Please read carefully all of this instruction page so you understand what registration means and the choices you have.

Consequences of Registration
Protocol Testing
    Conformance testing for basic functionality
    Conformance testing for error and exception handling
Using OAI Identifiers for Metadata Records
Confirmation of Registration
Changing Registration Information
Validate or Register

Note: This document describes the registration procedure for OAI-PMH version 2.0. Support for earlier versions of the protocol was discontinued on 1 September 2002.

Consequences of Registration

By registering your repository you agree to the following:

Protocol Testing

The OAI-PMH defines a set of requests and the format of the responses to each of these requests, specified through an XML schema. A conformant repository must respond to each of the protocol requests with a response that validates with the schema. It also must respond to mal-formed requests with the appropriate errors and exception conditions.

Conformance Testing for Basic Functionality

A repository must successfully complete the following tests in order for entry in the registry:

For every protocol request, the repository return a response that:

For the ListMetadataFormats request, the repository must:

For the ListIdentifiers request, the repository must:

For the GetRecord request, the repository must:

Conformance Testing for Error and Exception Handling

A repository must successfully complete the following tests for error and exception handling in order for entry in the registry.

A conformant repository must return a badVerb error code when:

A conformant repository must return a badArgument error code when:

A conformant repository must return a noRecordsMatch error code when:

A conformant repository must return a cannotDisseminateFormat error code when:

A conformant repository must return a badResumptionToken error code when:

Using OAI Identifiers for Metadata Records

Every metadata record harvested by the OAI-PMH has a unique identifier. The only restriction for conformance is that this identifier should be a URI that is unique within the respective repository. Data providers may choose, however, to adopt the OAI identifier scheme whereby their identifiers are globally unique within the oai namespace. The advantage for repositories of adopting this naming convention is that record identifiers are resolvable via future resolution services. OAI identifiers are formally defined at http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai-identifier.xsd.

An example OAI identifier is:

oai:arXiv.org:hep-th/9901001

In order to register your intention to use OAI identifiers, you must do the following before you register your repository:

Subsequently, when you register your repository, the registry server will note this description package in the process of conformance testing and test the uniqueness of your requested namespace identifier in the oai namespace. The email confirming your registration will indicate whether your repository identifier choice was unique. If it is unique, then your use of it will be recorded in the registry and you may create record identifiers using that repository identifier. If it is not unique, the email will say so. You may then choose another repository identifier and resubmit your registration.

Note: registration of an OAI identifier scheme does not commit you to using those types of identifiers for all of your records. It only reserves the repository identifier for your use if you wish.

Note: at this time a repository may only register one namespace identifier.

Confirmation of Registration

Shortly after registration you will receive an email showing the results of the conformance testing and (if applicable) your choice of repository identifier.

Changing Registration Information

In order to change your registration information you should simply re-register. Some instances in which you might want to change your registration information are:

Note: a repository may not change its namespace identifer.

Registration

Validate or register your data provider.