Simon Waddington

Cloud computing in e-Science: research challenges and opportunities

Service-oriented architecture (SOA), workflow, the Semantic Web, and Grid computing are key enabling information technologies in the development of increasingly sophisticated e-Science infrastructures and application platforms. While the emergence of Cloud computing as a new computing paradigm has provided new directions and opportunities for e-Science infrastructure development, it also presents some challenges. Scientific research is increasingly finding that it is difficult to handle “big data” using traditional data processing techniques. Such challenges demonstrate the need for a comprehensive analysis on using the above-mentioned informatics techniques to develop appropriate e-Science infrastructure and platforms in the context of Cloud computing. This survey paper describes recent research advances in applying informatics techniques to facilitate scientific research particularly from the Cloud computing perspective. Our particular contributions include identifying associated research challenges and opportunities, presenting lessons learned, and describing our future vision for applying Cloud computing to e-Science. We believe our research findings can help indicate the future trend of e-Science, and can inform funding and research directions in how to more appropriately employ computing technologies in scientific research. We point out the open research issues hoping to spark new development and innovation in the e-Science field.

Two-Level Automatic Adaptation of a Distributed User Profile for Personalized News Content Delivery

This paper presents a distributed client-server architecture for the personalized delivery of textual news content to mobile users. The user profile consists of two separate models, that is, the long-term interests are stored in a skeleton profile on the server and the short-term interests in a detailed profile in the handset. The user profile enables a high-level filtering of available news content on the server, followed by matching of detailed user preferences in the handset. The highest rated items are recommended to the user, by employing an efficient ranking process. The paper focuses on a two-level learning process, which is employed on the client side in order to automatically update both user profile models. It involves the use of machine learning algorithms applied to the implicit and explicit user feedback. The systems learning performance has been systematically evaluated based on data collected from regular system users.

Designing for Inconsistency – The Dependency-Based PERICLES Approach

The rise of the Semantic Web has provided cultural heritage researchers and practitioners with several tools for ensuring semantic-rich representations and interoperability of cultural heritage collections. Although indeed offering a lot of advantages, these tools, which come mostly in the form of ontologies and related vocabularies, do not provide a conceptual model for capturing contextual and environmental dependencies contributing to long-term digital preservation. This paper presents one of the key outcomes of the PERICLES FP7 project, the Linked Resource Model, for modelling dependencies as a set of evolving linked resources. The proposed model is evaluated via a domain-specific representation involving digital video art.

Distributed User Modeling for Personalized News Delivery in Mobile Devices

This paper presents a distributed client-server architecture for the personalized delivery of textual news content to mobile users. The user profile is distributed across client and server, enabling a high-level filtering of available content on the server, followed by matching of detailed user preferences on the handset. The high-level user preferences are stored in a skeleton profile on the server, and the low- level preferences in a detailed user profile on the handset. A learning process for the detailed user profile is employed on the handset exploiting the implicit and explicit user feedback. The systems learning performance has been evaluated based on data collected from regular system users.

AQUAM: automatic query formulation architecture for mobile applications

When a user performs a web search, the first query entered will frequently not return the required information. Thus, one needs to review the initial set of links and then to modify the query or construct a new one. This incremental process is particularly frustrating and difficult to manage for a mobile user due to the device limitations (e.g. keyboard, display). We present a query formulation architecture that employs the notion of context in order to automatically construct queries, where context refers to the article currently being viewed by the user. The proposed system uses semantic metadata extracted from the web page being consumed to automatically generate candidate queries. Novel methods are proposed to create and validate candidate queries. Further two variants of query expansion and a post-expansion validation technique are described. Finally, insights into the effectiveness of our system are provided based on evaluation tests of its individual components.

Cloud repositories for research data – addressing the needs of researchers

This paper describes the problems and explores potential solutions for providing long term storage and access to research outputs, focusing mainly on research data. The ready availability of cloud storage and compute services provides a potentially attractive option for curation and preservation of research information. In contrast to deploying infrastructure within an organisation, which normally requires long lead times and upfront capital investment, cloud infrastructure is available on demand and is highly scalable. However, use of commercial cloud services in particular raises issues of governance, cost-effectiveness, trust and quality of service. We describe a set of in-depth case studies conducted with researchers across the sciences and humanities performing data-intensive research, which demonstrate the issues that need to be considered when preserving data in the cloud. We then describe the design of a repository framework that addresses these requirements. The framework uses hybrid cloud, combining internal institutional storage, cloud storage and cloud-based preservation services into a single integrated repository infrastructure. Allocation of content to storage providers is performed using on a rules-based approach. The results of an evaluation of the proof-of-concept system are described.

On the Preservation of Evolving Digital Content – The Continuum Approach and Relevant Metadata Models

We consider the preservation of digital objects in continually evolving ecosystems, for which traditional lifecycle approaches are less appropriate. Motivated by the Records Continuum theory, we define an approach that combines active life with preservation and is non-custodial, which we refer to as the continuum approach. Preserving objects and their associated environment introduces high level of complexity. We therefore describe a model-driven approach, termed the Continuum approach, in which models rather than the digital objects themselves can be analysed. In such setting, the use of appropriate metadata is very important, we therefore outline the PERICLES Linked Resource Model, an upper ontology for modelling digital ecosystems, and compare and contrast it to the Australian Government Recordkeeping Metadata Standard, developed within the record keeping community.

Harmonising Research Reporting in the UK – Experiences and Outputs from UKRISS☆

Abstract The Jisc-funded UK Research Information Shared Service (UKRISS) project investigated the reporting of research information across the UK HE sector and assessed the feasibility of a national infrastructure based on CERIF with the objective of increasing the efficiency, productivity and reporting quality across the sector. A core reporting profile was developed that would enable harmonised reporting on RCUK-funded research, taking into account the HE-BCI survey as well as REF reporting elements. In this paper we describe the UKRISS modelling approach and provide some insight into the UKRISS reporting objects to support understanding of their formal CERIF representations, i.e. the selection of underlying CERIF entities; the challenges with managing objects and aggregations in CERIF. Example data extracts demonstrate the work.

Feasibility Study Into the Reporting of Research Information at a National Level Within the UK Higher Education Sector

This article presents the key findings of feasibility and scoping study into the reporting of research information at a national level within the United Kingdom, based on Common European Research Information Format (CERIF). The study was carried out by the Jisc-funded UK Research Information Shared Service (UKRISS) project. The reporting of research information to funders and statutory bodies is a major burden on researchers and institutions. The landscape for research reporting in the UK Higher Education sector is complex and fragmented. There is limited harmonization in reporting requests made on institutions and researchers, resulting in duplication of effort and limiting the potential for reuse of the information. The paper describes the current landscape for research reporting in the United Kingdom. The methodology and findings from a study involving interviews with a cross-section of major stakeholders is described. Recommendations for further work in the area are proposed.

Dependency modelling for inconsistency management in Digital Preservation – The PERICLES approach

The rise of the Semantic Web has provided cultural heritage researchers and practitioners with several tools for providing semantically rich representations and interoperability of cultural heritage collections. Although indeed offering a lot of advantages, these tools, which come mostly in the form of ontologies and related vocabularies, do not provide a conceptual model for capturing contextual and environmental dependencies, contributing to long-term digital preservation. This paper presents one of the key outcomes of the PERICLES FP7 project, the Linked Resource Model, for modelling dependencies as a set of evolving linked resources. The adoption of the proposed model and the consistency of its representation are evaluated via a specific instantiation involving the domain of digital video art.