Axiell Sapphire

Sapphire is a browser-based add-on to the EMu Collections Management System. It is designed to provide access to your EMu database for the creation of new records and editing of existing records through custom-built forms. A Form is designed and constructed by authorised users around a workflow, capturing data, editing records, creating attachments, etc., with each Form providing access to a subset of fields.

  • Interfaces for desktops and tablets, providing a flexible working environment.
  • Automatic and continual live update of EMu, coupled with live validation with EMu data during capture.

    Sapphire offers a seamless and transparent integration with EMu, and records are added to your EMu database immediately. Manipulation and enhancement of data is performed directly within EMu, ensuring that data capture / cleansing projects feed directly into the core data repository continually, and that all work performed is immediately available from that repository.

  • For authorised users, graphs are available for a range of real-time statistical overviews. Graphs can be designed to display any sort of statistic; a large scale digitisation project might include graphs that track the progress of the project, for instance.

Sapphire is designed to perform two broad functions:

  • Data Capture: Forms

    Forms are designed for a specific data capture purpose. A Form includes a subset of fields organised to capture a particular workflow (recording a new object, for instance).

    In a digitisation project in a Natural History museum, for example, Forms would be tailored for the Herbarium digitisation programme, the Palaeontology digitisation programme, and so on, each one designed to capture data relevant to each discipline.

  • Data Cleansing: Editors

    Authorised staff are able to clean up / update data.

    Data Cleansing can be as basic as standardising a value, i.e. replacing variations of a value with an approved value. A Sapphire Editor can also be used to create attachments. For example, during data entry a collector's name may have been captured from specimen labels and stored as text in a Catalogue record for the specimen; an Editor can be used to create an attachment from one or more Catalogue records to a Parties record for the collector.

Three types of user are envisaged:

  1. Data Entry
  2. Programme Lead
  3. Manager

A user's type, which projects the user is assigned to (a user can be assigned to one or more projects) and which tools the user can access for each project are defined in the EMu Registry.

A project typically comprises:

  • One or more Forms

    Forms are designed by Programme Leads for a specific data capture / editing purpose. A Form includes a subset of fields organised to capture a particular workflow (recording a new object, for instance).

  • Editors

    Editors can be provided for data cleansing / update and processing data. A project may have one or more Editors.

  • Statistics

    Graphs presenting various statistics, such as the progress of the current project.

Typically:

  • Data Entry users are presented with Forms when they log in to Sapphire. If authorised, they may have access to one or more Editors.
  • Programme Leads are presented with the Form, Editor and Statistics configuration tools.

    It is the Programme Lead's responsibility to create projects, assign access permissions and make projects available to users.

  • Managers are presented with project statistics.