Community Project

Open Data on Semantic Web (SWOD)

AJ Chen

1. Please provide a brief description of your proposed project.

To further develop an easy-to-use semantic data publishing tool for everyone and organizations to publish data in semantic format on the web. I have developed first version of the open source tool based on WordPress blogger software and the ontologies being developed for the w3c HCLS group's scientific publishing task force. This project will build on top of the existing tool and ontologies, and also figure out the most practical way to promote the adoption of the tool for promoting open data on semantic web.

2. Why did you select this particular project?

I truly believe putting data in semantic format on the web will drastically improve data discovery and sharing. To realize this vision shared by many people, easy-to-use semantic data publishing tools are required to be put in hands of data/content generators. Of course, my skill set and experience happen to meet the requirements of the project, which I started in early 2006. Additionally, the best way to promote open data on semantic web is through open community project.

3. Why do you think this project will have a wide impact?

The tool developed by this project is designed for everyone and organizations to add a new semantic web dimension to their existing web sites. Because it's a general tool, we may have to pick an area to focus on. Research and development community is an ideal space where semantic data tool can make huge impact. The simple reason is that today scientific data are still shared primarily through the 400-year old method - publishing paper, which leaves the raw experiment data behind door. If researchers can publish their raw experiment data in semantic format on the web, these data will then be shared by the whole community, which I believe will accelerate the pace of science and technology development. If we can achieve this, it will certainly be a big step forward in the revolution of scientific communication that Tim Berners-Lee talked about in his recent paper.

4. Can your project be easily integrated with other wide-spread systems? If so, which and how?

Yes. Specifics TBD.

5. Why is it that this project should be done right now, i.e. why should people prioritise this ahead of other projects?

By publishing data and web pages in semantic format using the free open source tool developed by this project, researchers and organizations will benefit greatly in terms of increases of data sharing and web site traffic.

6. What can you contribute to the project?

Leading, designing and implementing the project; building the user community.

7. What contribution would you need from others?

(1) Developers to further develop the tool to a full-feature and industry-strength software. (2) Community builders to promote open data on semantic web using our tool as well as other open source tools.

8. What standardisation should the Semantic Web community at large undertake to support the project?

The heart of the semantic data publishing is the ontologies that are implemented by the tools. We will continue the development of SPE and BOON ontologies through various w3c semantic web communities. Standardizing ontologies for semantic web publishing is critical for adoption of semantic web technologies.

9. How does your project encourage others not currently involved with Semantic Web technologies to get involved (by providing data or make a coding commitment)?

The tool does not require any understanding of ontology or even semantic web on the part of users. It really makes so easy for anyone and any organization to use the tool to publish data or product information on the semantic web.

10. What would be the main benefit of using Semantic Web technologies to achieve the goals of the project, compared to other technologies?

Semantic web technologies like RDF/OWL are ideal for open data sharing because data in semantic format using standard ontologies can be discovered (e.g. searched), shared and re-used by human and possibly computers in a much more efficient way than what is possible otherwise.

Commitments

If you like this project, please write your name below and indicate what contribution you can make to the project.