Kevin R. Page

Ontology paper: The SSN ontology of the W3C semantic sensor network incubator group

The W3C Semantic Sensor Network Incubator group (the SSN-XG) produced an OWL 2 ontology to describe sensors and observations - the SSN ontology, available at http://purl.oclc.org/NET/ssnx/ssn. The SSN ontology can describe sensors in terms of capabilities, measurement processes, observations and deployments. This article describes the SSN ontology. It further gives an example and describes the use of the ontology in recent research projects.

A semantically enabled service architecture for mashups over streaming and stored data

Sensing devices are increasingly being deployed to monitor the physical world around us. One class of application for which sensor data is pertinent is environmental decision support systems, e.g. flood emergency response. However, in order to interpret the readings from the sensors, the data needs to be put in context through correlation with other sensor readings, sensor data histories, and stored data, as well as juxtaposing with maps and forecast models. In this paper we use a flood emergency response planning application to identify requirements for a semantic sensor web. We propose a generic service architecture to satisfy the requirements that uses semantic annotations to support well-informed interactions between the services. We present the SemSor- Grid4Env realisation of the architecture and illustrate its capabilities in the context of the example application.

Collaboration in the Semantic Grid: A Basis for e-Learning

The CoAKTinG project aims to advance the state of the art in collaborative mediated spaces for the Semantic Grid. This paper presents an overview of the hypertext and knowledge-based tools that have been deployed to augment exiting collaborative environments, and the ontology that is used to exchange structure, promote enhanced process tracking, and aid navigation of resources before, after, and during a collaboration. While the primary focus of the project has been supporting e-Science, this paper also explores the similarities and application of CoAKTinG technologies as part of a human-centered design approach to e-Learning.

Zooniverse: observing the world's largest citizen science platform

This paper introduces the Zooniverse citizen science project and software framework, outlining its structure from an observatory perspective: both as an observable web-based system in itself, and as an example of a platform iteratively developed according to real-world deployment and used at scale. We include details of the technical architecture of Zooniverse, including the mechanisms for data gathering across the Zooniverse operation, access, and analysis. We consider the lessons that can be drawn from the experience of designing and running Zooniverse, and how this might inform development of other web observatories.

REST and Linked Data: a match made for domain driven development?

At a first glance there might appear to be an obvious alignment and overlap between the approaches prescribed by REST and Linked Data. On more detailed inspection divergences in scope and applicability present themselves, and for some aspects, incompatibility. In this paper we investigate these similarities and differences and suggest the coupling is worthy of a third look: in combination as a flexible environment in which the developer can focus on domain driven applications.

A semantic sensor web for environmental decision support applications

Sensing devices are increasingly being deployed to monitor the physical world around us. One class of application for which sensor data is pertinent is environmental decision support systems, e.g., flood emergency response. For these applications, the sensor readings need to be put in context by integrating them with other sources of data about the surrounding environment. Traditional systems for predicting and detecting floods rely on methods that need significant human resources. In this paper we describe a semantic sensor web architecture for integrating multiple heterogeneous datasets, including live and historic sensor data, databases, and map layers. The architecture provides mechanisms for discovering datasets, defining integrated views over them, continuously receiving data in real-time, and visualising on screen and interacting with the data. Our approach makes extensive use of web service standards for querying and accessing data, and semantic technologies to discover and integrate datasets. We demonstrate the use of our semantic sensor web architecture in the context of a flood response planning web application that uses data from sensor networks monitoring the sea-state around the coast of England.

Its about time: link streams as continuous metadata

As enabling technologies become available there is an increasing use of temporal media streams, such as audio and video, within a hypertext context. In this paper we present the rationale and requirements for delivering continuous metadata alongside the media stream, and focus on linking as our case study. We consider the mechanism for delivery of the metadata across a distributed system, the format and content of the metadata flow itself, and the presentation of the media and augmenting metadata to the user. Two initial proof of concept applications have been developed to demonstrate these concepts, which we describe. Finally we propose a framework for highly distributed delivery and processing of multicast continuous metadata, as a part of the infrastructure necessary to provide a more complete multimedia environment for hypermedia systems.

Capturing the workflows of music information retrieval for repeatability and reuse

Many solutions for the reuse and re-purposing of Music Information Retrieval (MIR) methods, and the tools implementing those methods, have been introduced over recent years. Proposals for achieving interoperability between systems have ranged from shared software libraries and interfaces, through common frameworks and portals, to standardised file formats and metadata. Here we assess these solutions for their suitability to be reused and combined as repurposable components within assemblies (or workflows) that can be used in novel and possibly more ambitious ways. Reuse and repeatability also have great implications for the process of MIR research: the encapsulation of any algorithm and its operation—including inputs, parameters, and outputs—is fundamental to the repeatability and reproducibility of an experiment. This is desirable both for the open and reliable evaluation of algorithms and for the advancement of MIR by building more effectively upon prior research. At present there is no clear best practice widely adopted by the field. Based upon our analysis of contemporary systems and their adoption we reflect as to whether this should be considered a failure. Are there limits to interoperability unique to MIR, and how might they be overcome? Beyond workflows how much research context can, and should, be captured? We frame our assessment within the emerging notion of Research Objects for reproducible research in other domains, and describe how their adoption could serve as a route to reuse in MIR.

Explorations in linked data practice for early music corpora

Exploring connections between pieces, people and places and relating them to culture as a whole is a central activity of musicology. As libraries increase the availability of musical information in digital form, the data available for such research also expands, but to take such resources together and combine them with others that are relevant a further step of alignment and linkage is needed. We describe here the process and tools we applied to two corpora of early modern music: Early Music Online, which comprises catalogue metadata in MarcXML and facsimile images for approximately 8,500 items of early printed music; and the Electronic Corpus of Lute Music, containing over 1,000 pieces with supporting metadata. A supervised process with automated elements assists the musicologist to create a linked and extensible knowledge structure, aligning entities within and between corpora and to external Linked Data. Finally, we reflect upon how we believe these methods integrate with, and indeed form a crucial element of, the transformed process of modern digital scholarship.

Semantic Annotation of Ubiquitous Learning Environments

Skills-based learning environments are used to promote the acquisition of practical skills as well as decision making, communication, and problem solving. It is important to provide feedback to the students from these sessions and observations of their actions may inform the assessment process and help researchers to better understand the learning process. Through a series of prototype demonstrators, we have investigated the use of semantic annotation in the recording and subsequent understanding of such simulation environments. Our Semantic Web approach is outlined and conclusions drawn as to the suitability of different annotation methods and their combination with ubiquitous computing techniques to provide novel mechanisms for both student feedback and increased understanding of the learning environment.