Get started as a tagger: Difference between revisions

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<!-- * This page explains how to start tagging for the [[Open_Access_Tracking_Project | Open Access Tracking Project]] (OATP). To start tagging for a different [[TagTeam]] hub, the basic steps are the same. You'll just have to ask permission from a different hub owner (Step 2) and learn the tagging guidelines for a different hub (Step 4). -->


* This is how to get started as a tagger for the [[Open_Access_Tracking_Project | Open Access Tracking Project]] (OATP). If you want to start tagging for another [[TagTeam]] hub, the basic steps are the same; you'll just have to ask permission from a different hub owner (Step 2) and learn the tagging guidelines for that hub (Step 4).
* Suggested short URL for this page = [http://bit.ly/oatp-get-started bit.ly/oatp-get-started]
<!-- also [http://bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging] -->


* Suggested short URL for this page = [http://bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging]
* This page is primarily about '''how''' to start tagging for OATP. If you're undecided, please see our page on '''[[Why tag for OATP|why]]''' to tag for OATP. If all this is new to you, see the [[Open Access Tracking Project | OATP home page]] or [[OATP FAQ | FAQ]].




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# [[#Learning_about_OATP_tags | Learn the basics of OATP tagging]].
# [[#Learning_about_OATP_tags | Learn the basics of OATP tagging]].
|}
|}


== Getting a TagTeam account ==
== Getting a TagTeam account ==
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# Go to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/ Harvard instance of TagTeam] and click the '''Sign in''' link in the upper right corner. Or go directly to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/accounts/sign_up '''Sign up''' page].
# Go to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/ Harvard instance of TagTeam] and click the '''Sign in''' link in the upper right corner. Or go directly to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/accounts/sign_up '''Sign up''' page].
# Fill out the form.  
# Fill out the form.  
#* Note that the Harvard instance of TagTeam is limited to academic or research projects. Use the form to give a brief description of your project. If you want to tag for OATP, just say that.
#* Note that the Harvard instance of TagTeam is limited to academic or research projects. Use the form to give a brief description of your project.
#** If you don't describe an academic or research project, your request for an account may be denied.
#** Tagging for OATP definitely counts as an academic or research project. Hence, if you want to tag for OATP, just say that.
#* Click the green '''Sign up''' button (not the blue '''Log in''' button).
#* Click the green '''Sign up''' button (not the blue '''Log in''' button).


:Once you have an account in TagTeam, you may create new hubs (projects), tag for those hubs, and authorize others to tag for them as well. To tag for an existing hub, like OATP, you'll need the permission of the hub owner, which you can request through the "Contact" tab on that hub. (See [[Get_started_as_a_tagger#Getting_permission_to_tag_for_OATP | next]]).
:Once you have an account in TagTeam, you may create new hubs (projects), tag for those hubs, and authorize others to tag for them as well. To tag for an existing hub, like OATP, you'll need the permission of the hub owner. (See [[Get_started_as_a_tagger#Getting_permission_to_tag_for_OATP | next]]).
 
:If your purpose is to tag for OATP, then please do not create a new OA-related hub. Use the OATP hub for tagging all OA-related items.


== Getting permission to tag for OATP ==
== Getting permission to tag for OATP ==


:You may already have a kind of permission to tag for OATP, for example, because someone from OATP invited you to tag. But TagTeam has to know about this permission, and we can't tell TagTeam about it until you have a TagTeam account. That's why we have to separate the previous step from this step, even when you already have "human-level" clearance to go.
<!-- :You may already have a kind of permission to tag for OATP, for example, because someone from OATP invited you to tag. But TagTeam has to know about this permission, and we can't tell TagTeam about it until you have a TagTeam account. That's why we have to add this step to the previous step. -->


# Log in to [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/ TagTeam], and go to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp OATP hub].
# Log in to [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/ TagTeam], and go to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp OATP hub].
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# Log in to [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/ TagTeam], and go to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp OATP hub].  
# Log in to [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/ TagTeam], and go to the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp OATP hub].  
# Click on the [https://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/bookmark_collections '''Bookmarks''' tab] in the left sidebar.  
# Click on the [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/taggers '''Taggers'''] tab in the left sidebar.  
# Drag the ''Add to TagTeam'' link to your browser's bookmarks toolbar. (You'll only see this link if you're logged in and authorized to tag for OATP.)
# Drag the green '''Add to TagTeam''' button to your browser's toolbar. (You'll only see this button if you're logged in to TagTeam ''and'' authorized to tag for OATP.)
# When you're viewing a page you want to tag, click on the bookmarklet and fill in the pop-up form.
# Surf the web as usual. When you're viewing a web page you want to tag, click on the bookmarklet and fill in the pop-up form.
 
{| align="center" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="50%" style="border: 1px solid black;"
| style="background:yellow; color:black"  | '''The process in a nutshell:''' When viewing a page you'd like to tag, click on the bookmarklet and fill in the form with relevant tags and a short excerpt or summary.
|}


== Learning about OATP tags ==  
== Learning about OATP tags ==  


:''Important''
:''Important''
:* Read the [[OATP_conventions|OATP tagging guidelines]].
:* Use the primary tag (''oa.new'') for items that are new within the last six months, and omit it otherwise.
:* Review the [[OATP_tags|major project tags]]. (Don't feel that you must memorize this list! Just know that it's here as a reference.)
:* Use relevant secondary or subtopic tags. These are tags by academic field, country, region, language, or aspect of OA &mdash; basically, all tags other than ''oa.new''. On the importance of secondary tags, see the [[OATP_conventions#Primary_and_secondary_tags | section on them]] in our [[OATP_conventions#Tagging_guidelines | tagging guidelines]].  
:* Use descriptions. These are paraphrases or quoted excerpts that help our readers see how the work is relevant to OA and decide whether to click through to the full text. For more, see the [[OATP_conventions#Descriptions | section on them]] in our [[OATP_conventions#Tagging_guidelines | tagging guidelines]].
:* Pay attention to the email feedback you'll receive automatically when other members of OATP add tags or make other updates to your tag records. (In order to scale to a large number of users, this is our main method for giving taggers feedback. However, if you have questions or would like more personalized feedback, please just [mailto:oa.oatp@gmail.com let us know].)
 
{| align="center" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="50%" style="border: 1px solid black;"
| style="background:yellow; color:black"  | '''If you're just getting started''', you can skip everything below this point. We include the extra details and suggestions below to help taggers who want to move the next level. Use them as needed, and don't let them intimidate!
|}


:''Recommended''
:''Recommended''
:* Read the [[OATP_FAQ | OATP FAQ]].
:* See the [[OATP_FAQ#How_can_I_find_items_to_tag.3F | FAQ entry on how to find items to tag]].
:* Bookmark the collection of items you've tagged yourself. This will help you review and [[#Revising_your_work | revise your work]]. The URL is <tt>http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/user/USERNAME</tt>.
:* Consult our steadily growing list of [[OATP_tags|major project tags]]. Know that it's here as a reference.
:* Review the [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/tags most frequently-used tags].
:* See [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/items how other OATP taggers are tagging].  
:* See [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/items how other OATP taggers are tagging].  
:* Review the [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/tags most frequently-used tags].


:''Less important''
:''Useful but less important''
:* Read the [[OATP_conventions|OATP tagging guidelines]].
:* Review the [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/tag_filters OATP tag filters], converting some deprecated tags to approved tags.
:* Review the [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/tag_filters OATP tag filters], converting some deprecated tags to approved tags.
:* Read the [[OATP_FAQ | OATP FAQ]].
:* Review the [[TagTeam_basics#Tagging | section of the TagTeam manual on tagging]].
:* Review the [[TagTeam_basics#Tagging | section of the TagTeam manual on tagging]].
:* For more background, see the [[TagTeam|TagTeam home page]] for an [[Intro_to_TagTeam | introductory handout]] and [[TagTeam_FAQ | FAQ on the software]].
:* For more background, see the [[TagTeam|TagTeam home page]] and [[TagTeam_FAQ | TagTeam FAQ]]. TagTeam is the open-source software running OATP.


== Revising your work ==
== Revising your work ==
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# Click on the '''Filters''' tab in the left sidebar.  
# Click on the '''Filters''' tab in the left sidebar.  
# Chose one of the three options (add, remove, modify a tag), and fill in the form.  
# Chose one of the three options (add, remove, modify a tag), and fill in the form.  
# Another way to add new tags (but not to remove or modify them) is to return to the original page on the web, and click on the bookmarklet. The tagging form will pop up prepopulated, and you can add new tags directly through the form. When you add new tags this way, you need not be logged in to TagTeam.
#* These are called item-level filters. Note that permission to tag for a hub doesn't automatically include permission to create item-level filters. You probably have both kinds of permission. But if you don't, then [mailto:oa.oatp@gmail.com ask the hub owner].
# Another way to add, remove, or modify tags is to return to the original page on the web, and click on the bookmarklet as if you were going to tag it again. The tagging form will pop up prepopulated with the existing tags, title, URL, and description. Add new tags in the regular way. Delete a tag by clicking the gray "x" to its right. Modify a tag by clicking on it and picking your option from the pop-up menu. <!-- When you add new tags this way, you must be authorized to tag but need not be logged in to TagTeam. -->
#* This method also works if you want to modify the title or description.
 
: Follow the same steps to revise and improve the work of other OATP taggers.


* Permission to tag for a hub doesn't include permission to create item-level filters. If you have the first but not the second, then ask the hub owner (for OATP, [mailto:psuber@cyber.law.harvard.edu Peter Suber]) for the second.
:To remove an item entirely, then take the first two steps above. Look for the gear icon next to the title of each item on the list. Click on that and you'll get a pop-up menu. One of the options is to remove that item from your collection.
<!-- commented out for now, don't want many requests for this permission
* Similarly, permission to create item-level filters doesn't include permission to create feed-wide or hub-wide filters. If you want the latter, ask the hub owner. -->


== Recommended practices ==
== Recommended practices ==
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* Review your work and [[#Revising_your_work | revise it]] as needed.
* Review your work and [[#Revising_your_work | revise it]] as needed.
* Subscribe to the [[OATP_feeds#Versions_of_the_primary_project_feed | OATP primary feed]] as a reader. This will show you what your tagging (and the tagging of your peers) looks like to our subscribers.
** Most users who subscribe to an unabridged version of OATP primary feed prefer the [http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=OATP-Primary&loc=en_US email version], though the feed comes in [[OATP_feeds#Versions_of_the_primary_project_feed | many other formats]]. (The [https://twitter.com/oatp Twitter] version is abridged, against our will.) You might also want to subscribe to one or more [[OATP_feeds#Versions_of_the_secondary_project_feeds | secondary OATP feeds]].
* Bookmark [https://translate.google.com/ Google Translate], [https://www.bing.com/translator Microsoft Translate], or [https://www.deepl.com/translator DeepL]. Even though OATP aims to cover OA-related news in all countries and languages, it aims to do so [[OATP_conventions#Use_of_English | in English]].


* Review the OATP [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/remix/oatp/items primary feed] (all new items) or [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/items full feed] (all items old and new) from within TagTeam. When you see an item that was inadequately tagged, add some of the missing tags. If you click through to the full tag record and believe that the item was inadequately described, improve the description.
* Review the OATP [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/remix/oatp/items primary feed] (all new items) or [http://tagteam.harvard.edu/hubs/oatp/items full feed] (all items old and new) from within TagTeam. When you see an item that was inadequately tagged, add some of the missing tags. If you click through to the full tag record and believe that the item was inadequately described, improve the description.
** If most of your OATP work is on OA in a given field, country, or region, then review and improve the tags and descriptions for items in your focus (items in the relevant tag libraries).
** If most of your OATP work is on OA in a given field, country, or region, or on a certain aspect of OA (such as books, copyright, data, early career researchers, funder policies...), then review and improve the item records within your areas of focus. <!-- identify and follow the relevant tag libraries -->
 
* Subscribe to the [[OATP_feeds#Versions_of_the_primary_project_feed | OATP primary feed]] as a reader. This will show you what your tagging work (and that of your peers) looks like to our subscribers.
** Most users who subscribe to an unabridged version of OATP primary feed prefer the [http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=OATP-Primary&loc=en_US email version], though the feed comes in [[OATP_feeds#Versions_of_the_primary_project_feed | many other formats]]. (The [https://twitter.com/oatp Twitter] and [https://plus.google.com/b/106186030764599769426/106186030764599769426/posts Google+] versions are abridged, against our will.) You might also want to subscribe to one or more [[OATP_feeds#Versions_of_the_secondary_project_feeds | secondary OATP feeds]].


* When you tag an OA-related event (conference, workshop, webinar etc.), also add it to the [http://oad.simmons.edu/oadwiki/Events "Events" section] of the [http://oad.simmons.edu Open Access Directory] wiki.
* When you tag an OA-related event (conference, workshop, webinar etc.), also add it to the [http://oad.simmons.edu/oadwiki/Events "Events" section] of the [http://oad.simmons.edu Open Access Directory] (OAD) wiki.
** Strictly speaking, this is not part of OATP tagging. But it advances the same cause and we [[OATP_conventions#Events|recommend it]] in the [[OATP_conventions|OATP tagging guidelines]].
** To prevent spam, OAD contributions are limited to registered users, but registration is free and easy.
** To prevent spam, OAD contributions are limited to registered users, but registration is free and easy.
* Bookmark [https://translate.google.com/ Google Translate], if you haven't already. Even though all OATP entries are in English, OATP tries to tag new OA developments in all languages.


* Try one or more of the ways to [[Use_OATP_for_research_on_OA | use OATP for your own research on OA]], and recommend these to your students or colleagues doing research on OA.
* Try one or more of the ways to [[Use_OATP_for_research_on_OA | use OATP for your own research on OA]], and recommend these to your students or colleagues doing research on OA.


* Recruit new OATP taggers. Share this page on how to get started with them (short URL = [http://bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging]). Help them learn the basics.  
* Recruit new OATP taggers. When you find promising prospects, share this page on how to get started (short URL = [http://bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging]). Help them learn the basics.  
** OATP is a crowd-sourced project. The more taggers we have, the more comprehensively we can cover the scene.  
** OATP is a crowd-sourced project. The more taggers we have, the more comprehensively we can cover the scene. In September 2018 OATP entered an [[OATP_all-volunteer_phase | all-volunteer phase]] and now depends on people like you and those you help recruit.
** We welcome new taggers, whether they tag regularly or sporadically, and whether they tag generally (all kinds of OA-related news, whatever they notice) or only in certain niches (by academic field, geographic region, language-group, or aspect of OA).
** We welcome new taggers, whether they tag regularly or sporadically, and whether they tag generally (all kinds of OA-related news, whatever they notice) or only in certain niches (by academic field, geographic region, language-group, or aspect of OA).


== Tips and suggestions ==
== Tips and suggestions ==


* If you click on the TagTeam bookmarklet, and the form pops up already filled in, that means that the page you're viewing has already been tagged for OATP. You could back out and move on, relieved that someone has saved you time. Or you could review the tags already applied to that page and think about whether the previous tagger(s) omitted any that you could add now.
* If you click on the TagTeam bookmarklet, and the form pops up already filled in, that means that the page you're viewing has already been tagged for OATP. You could back out and move on, relieved that someone has saved you time. Or you could review the tags already applied and think about whether the previous tagger(s) omitted any that you could add now.


* Conversely, to see whether an item has already been tagged, just try to tag it. If the form pops up pre-populated, the answer is yes.
* Conversely, to see whether an item has already been tagged, just try to tag it. If the form pops up pre-populated, the answer is yes.


* The OATP [[OATP_conventions|tagging guidelines]] and list of [[OATP_tags|approved tags]] are both fairly long and might be intimidating. But don't be intimidated. There's a learning curve, but it's not that steep. Once you start tagging for OATP, we may send you feedback on your tagging.
* The OATP [[OATP_conventions|tagging guidelines]] and list of [[OATP_tags|approved tags]] are both fairly long and might be intimidating. But don't be intimidated. There's a learning curve, but it's not that steep.  
 
* Once you start tagging, you'll receive automated email feedback when other OATP taggers modify or improve on your work. In this way, all our taggers help one another.
<!-- Once you start tagging for OATP, let me know and I can give you feedback on your tagging. -->
<!-- Once you start tagging for OATP, let me know and I can give you feedback on your tagging. -->


* If there's a subtopic on which you'd like to be systematic in finding and tagging new items, [mailto:psuber@cyber.law.harvard.edu let Peter Suber know]. OATP is trying to recruit taggers to take responsibility &mdash;alone or jointly&mdash; for certain OA subtopics, for example, items in a certain field, in a certain country, in a certain region, or in a certain language. This is optional, but keep the possibility in mind.
* If you or your organization would like to be systematic in finding and tagging new items of a certain kind, [mailto:peter.suber@gmail.com let Peter Suber know]. OATP is trying to recruit taggers to take responsibility &mdash;alone or jointly&mdash; for items on a certain aspect of OA or OA developments in a certain niche (field, country, region, or language). If we get a critical mass of them, then we'll create a public web page listing them, partly to give public thanks and partly to show the areas where we still need dedicated taggers.
 
* Consider creating a [[Use_OATP_for_research_on_OA#Create a recommendation feed|''recommendation feed'']], that is, a feed of items that you'd personally like to highlight or recommend. If you're an expert on a certain aspect of OA, this can be very useful to readers who'd like to follow your judgment on new developments in that area.


* If you want, Peter can send you some older items not previously tagged. Tagging them retroactively is useful to the project, but doesn't put them in the current feed received by subscribers. Hence, it makes a good "sandbox" for learning how to tag. Just [mailto:psuber@cyber.law.harvard.edu drop Peter a line] if you'd like to give this a try.
* If you want, Peter can send you some older items not previously tagged. Tagging them [[OATP_conventions#Retroactive_tagging | retroactively]] is useful to the project, but doesn't put them in the "primary" feed of new items received by subscribers. Hence, it makes a good "sandbox" or safe space for learning how to tag. Just [mailto:psuber@cyber.law.harvard.edu drop Peter a line] if you'd like to give this a try.
<!-- Let us know if you'd like us to list you on our "thank you" page of OATP taggers. We can use either your real name or your TagTeam username. -->
<!-- Let us know if you'd like us to list you on our "thank you" page of OATP taggers. We can use either your real name or your TagTeam username. -->


* You might create your own hub on TagTeam, either to play with the software or to track (academic or research) on topics unrelated OA. If you do, then you'll participate in more than one hub &mdash; OATP plus your own hubs. When you tag a new item, the bookmarklet lets you choose which hub it will go to (in a pull-down menu in the upper left corner). By default new items go to the hub for which you most recently tagged.
* You might create your own hub on TagTeam, either to play with the software or to track (academic or research) on topics unrelated OA. If you do, then you'll have tagging rights in more than one hub &mdash; OATP plus your own hubs. When you tag a new item, the bookmarklet lets you choose which hub it will go to (in a pull-down menu in the upper left corner). By default new items go to the hub for which you most recently tagged.


* Please only tag items that are [[OATP_conventions#On-topic_v._off-topic_items | on-topic]]. This is true for all TagTeam hubs. If you tag too many items unrelated to the hub topic, the hub owner may rescind your permission to tag for the hub. TagTeam wants to help researchers who create hubs to publish carefully curated feeds relevant to their topics.
* Please only tag items that are [[OATP_conventions#On-topic_v._off-topic_items | on-topic]]. This is true for all TagTeam hubs. If you tag too many items unrelated to the hub topic, the hub owner may rescind your permission to tag for the hub. TagTeam wants to help researchers who create hubs to publish carefully curated feeds relevant to their topics.


* Note that when you tag for a TagTeam hub, the hub owner and designated other users may change your tags. This is a [[TagTeam_basics#Modifying tags (creating tag filters) | feature]], not a bug. In fact, it's the one feature that most inspired the the creation of TagTeam, given that many platforms already existed to support basic tagging. This feature enables TagTeam projects to manage the evolution of a folksonomy to an ontology, or to convert uncoordinated user-defined tags to a standard vocabulary of [[OATP_tags|project-approved tags]].
* Note that when you tag for a TagTeam hub, the hub owner and designated other hub participants may change your tags. This is a [[TagTeam_basics#Modifying tags (creating tag filters) | feature]], not a bug. In fact, it's the one feature that most inspired the the creation of TagTeam, given that many platforms already existed to support basic tagging. This feature enables TagTeam projects, like OATP, to manage the evolution of a folksonomy to an ontology, or to convert uncoordinated user-defined tags to a standard vocabulary of [[OATP_tags|project-approved tags]].
 
 
{| align="center" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="70%" style="border: 1px solid black;"
| style="background:yellow; color:black"  | Tagging helps every member of the global OA community stay on top of what's happening. It helps them search and share what's happening on particular subtopics, in particular fields, or in particular regions. It's easy to do. When you're comfortable with the tags, you can tag a new item in less than a minute. It's gratifying, even fun, to push OA news and comment to an active worldwide audience, and to organize OA-related developments by tag or subtopic. We'd welcome your tagging whether it's systematic or sporadic, general or specialized. Every little bit helps.
|}

Latest revision as of 09:28, 19 August 2022

Harvard Open Access Project (HOAP) » Open Access Tracking Project (OATP) » Get started as a tagger

  • This page is primarily about how to start tagging for OATP. If you're undecided, please see our page on why to tag for OATP. If all this is new to you, see the OATP home page or FAQ.


Thanks for your willingness to help out. Quick summary:
  1. Get a TagTeam account.
  2. Get permission to tag for the OATP hub within TagTeam.
  3. Install the tagging bookmarklet on your browser.
  4. Learn the basics of OATP tagging.

Getting a TagTeam account

  1. Go to the Harvard instance of TagTeam and click the Sign in link in the upper right corner. Or go directly to the Sign up page.
  2. Fill out the form.
    • Note that the Harvard instance of TagTeam is limited to academic or research projects. Use the form to give a brief description of your project.
      • If you don't describe an academic or research project, your request for an account may be denied.
      • Tagging for OATP definitely counts as an academic or research project. Hence, if you want to tag for OATP, just say that.
    • Click the green Sign up button (not the blue Log in button).
Once you have an account in TagTeam, you may create new hubs (projects), tag for those hubs, and authorize others to tag for them as well. To tag for an existing hub, like OATP, you'll need the permission of the hub owner. (See next).
If your purpose is to tag for OATP, then please do not create a new OA-related hub. Use the OATP hub for tagging all OA-related items.

Getting permission to tag for OATP

  1. Log in to TagTeam, and go to the OATP hub.
  2. Click on the Contact tab in the left sidebar. Fill in the form, for example, by asking for permission to tag for OATP. Click Submit.
  3. The OATP hub owner will receive the message and approve you when it arrives.
When you get this far, you'll be authorized to tag for OATP. The next few sections are about how to do that.

Adding and using the tagging bookmarklet

  1. Log in to TagTeam, and go to the OATP hub.
  2. Click on the Taggers tab in the left sidebar.
  3. Drag the green Add to TagTeam button to your browser's toolbar. (You'll only see this button if you're logged in to TagTeam and authorized to tag for OATP.)
  4. Surf the web as usual. When you're viewing a web page you want to tag, click on the bookmarklet and fill in the pop-up form.
The process in a nutshell: When viewing a page you'd like to tag, click on the bookmarklet and fill in the form with relevant tags and a short excerpt or summary.

Learning about OATP tags

Important
  • Use the primary tag (oa.new) for items that are new within the last six months, and omit it otherwise.
  • Use relevant secondary or subtopic tags. These are tags by academic field, country, region, language, or aspect of OA — basically, all tags other than oa.new. On the importance of secondary tags, see the section on them in our tagging guidelines.
  • Use descriptions. These are paraphrases or quoted excerpts that help our readers see how the work is relevant to OA and decide whether to click through to the full text. For more, see the section on them in our tagging guidelines.
  • Pay attention to the email feedback you'll receive automatically when other members of OATP add tags or make other updates to your tag records. (In order to scale to a large number of users, this is our main method for giving taggers feedback. However, if you have questions or would like more personalized feedback, please just let us know.)
If you're just getting started, you can skip everything below this point. We include the extra details and suggestions below to help taggers who want to move the next level. Use them as needed, and don't let them intimidate!
Recommended
Useful but less important

Revising your work

After you've tagged an item for OATP, you may want to add new tags, or modify or remove existing tags. Here's how.
  1. Log in to TagTeam, and go to the OATP hub.
  2. Go to the tag record for the item you want to update.
    • For example, run a search or scroll through the list of items until you find the one you want to update. Then click on the link in the item's title. That takes you to the tag record for that item.
  3. Click on the Filters tab in the left sidebar.
  4. Chose one of the three options (add, remove, modify a tag), and fill in the form.
    • These are called item-level filters. Note that permission to tag for a hub doesn't automatically include permission to create item-level filters. You probably have both kinds of permission. But if you don't, then ask the hub owner.
  5. Another way to add, remove, or modify tags is to return to the original page on the web, and click on the bookmarklet as if you were going to tag it again. The tagging form will pop up prepopulated with the existing tags, title, URL, and description. Add new tags in the regular way. Delete a tag by clicking the gray "x" to its right. Modify a tag by clicking on it and picking your option from the pop-up menu.
    • This method also works if you want to modify the title or description.
Follow the same steps to revise and improve the work of other OATP taggers.
To remove an item entirely, then take the first two steps above. Look for the gear icon next to the title of each item on the list. Click on that and you'll get a pop-up menu. One of the options is to remove that item from your collection.

Recommended practices

Once you've started as a tagger, consider taking additional steps to help the project.

  • Subscribe to the OATP primary feed as a reader. This will show you what your tagging (and the tagging of your peers) looks like to our subscribers.
  • Review the OATP primary feed (all new items) or full feed (all items old and new) from within TagTeam. When you see an item that was inadequately tagged, add some of the missing tags. If you click through to the full tag record and believe that the item was inadequately described, improve the description.
    • If most of your OATP work is on OA in a given field, country, or region, or on a certain aspect of OA (such as books, copyright, data, early career researchers, funder policies...), then review and improve the item records within your areas of focus.
  • When you tag an OA-related event (conference, workshop, webinar etc.), also add it to the "Events" section of the Open Access Directory (OAD) wiki.
    • Strictly speaking, this is not part of OATP tagging. But it advances the same cause and we recommend it in the OATP tagging guidelines.
    • To prevent spam, OAD contributions are limited to registered users, but registration is free and easy.
  • Recruit new OATP taggers. When you find promising prospects, share this page on how to get started (short URL = bit.ly/oatp-start-tagging). Help them learn the basics.
    • OATP is a crowd-sourced project. The more taggers we have, the more comprehensively we can cover the scene. In September 2018 OATP entered an all-volunteer phase and now depends on people like you and those you help recruit.
    • We welcome new taggers, whether they tag regularly or sporadically, and whether they tag generally (all kinds of OA-related news, whatever they notice) or only in certain niches (by academic field, geographic region, language-group, or aspect of OA).

Tips and suggestions

  • If you click on the TagTeam bookmarklet, and the form pops up already filled in, that means that the page you're viewing has already been tagged for OATP. You could back out and move on, relieved that someone has saved you time. Or you could review the tags already applied and think about whether the previous tagger(s) omitted any that you could add now.
  • Conversely, to see whether an item has already been tagged, just try to tag it. If the form pops up pre-populated, the answer is yes.
  • The OATP tagging guidelines and list of approved tags are both fairly long and might be intimidating. But don't be intimidated. There's a learning curve, but it's not that steep.
  • Once you start tagging, you'll receive automated email feedback when other OATP taggers modify or improve on your work. In this way, all our taggers help one another.
  • If you or your organization would like to be systematic in finding and tagging new items of a certain kind, let Peter Suber know. OATP is trying to recruit taggers to take responsibility —alone or jointly— for items on a certain aspect of OA or OA developments in a certain niche (field, country, region, or language). If we get a critical mass of them, then we'll create a public web page listing them, partly to give public thanks and partly to show the areas where we still need dedicated taggers.
  • Consider creating a recommendation feed, that is, a feed of items that you'd personally like to highlight or recommend. If you're an expert on a certain aspect of OA, this can be very useful to readers who'd like to follow your judgment on new developments in that area.
  • If you want, Peter can send you some older items not previously tagged. Tagging them retroactively is useful to the project, but doesn't put them in the "primary" feed of new items received by subscribers. Hence, it makes a good "sandbox" or safe space for learning how to tag. Just drop Peter a line if you'd like to give this a try.
  • You might create your own hub on TagTeam, either to play with the software or to track (academic or research) on topics unrelated OA. If you do, then you'll have tagging rights in more than one hub — OATP plus your own hubs. When you tag a new item, the bookmarklet lets you choose which hub it will go to (in a pull-down menu in the upper left corner). By default new items go to the hub for which you most recently tagged.
  • Please only tag items that are on-topic. This is true for all TagTeam hubs. If you tag too many items unrelated to the hub topic, the hub owner may rescind your permission to tag for the hub. TagTeam wants to help researchers who create hubs to publish carefully curated feeds relevant to their topics.
  • Note that when you tag for a TagTeam hub, the hub owner and designated other hub participants may change your tags. This is a feature, not a bug. In fact, it's the one feature that most inspired the the creation of TagTeam, given that many platforms already existed to support basic tagging. This feature enables TagTeam projects, like OATP, to manage the evolution of a folksonomy to an ontology, or to convert uncoordinated user-defined tags to a standard vocabulary of project-approved tags.


Tagging helps every member of the global OA community stay on top of what's happening. It helps them search and share what's happening on particular subtopics, in particular fields, or in particular regions. It's easy to do. When you're comfortable with the tags, you can tag a new item in less than a minute. It's gratifying, even fun, to push OA news and comment to an active worldwide audience, and to organize OA-related developments by tag or subtopic. We'd welcome your tagging whether it's systematic or sporadic, general or specialized. Every little bit helps.