Stevan Gostojić

Context-Sensitive Access Control Model for Government Services

During the past two decades, e-government information systems have become less paper-based and more computer-based. Those information systems usually take the form of workflow systems. Due to the large social impact of e-government systems, computer security plays a pivotal role in ensuring its efficiency and effectiveness. Access control is one of the key aspects of computer security. Current access control models do not take into account the context of the system and its environment. In this article, we argue that a formal context-sensitive access control model can improve the development of e-government workflow systems and present a particular context-sensitive access control model. The subject of the article is a specification of the context-sensitive access control model for business processes (COBAC). By using a context-sensitive access control, it is possible to define more sophisticated access control policies that cannot be implemented by existing access control models. The COBACs context is modeled using Web Ontology Language (OWL) in order to provide formal representation of context, rich representation of diverse contextual information, semantic interoperability between various context-aware systems, and a high degree of inference making. The presented model is applicable in different e-government systems, and supports the definition of access control policies for both simple and complex business processes. The models prototype is verified by a case study on a real e-government business process—the national petty offense trial proceedings.

Semantic integration of enterprise information systems using meta-metadata ontology

This paper proposes a non-domain-specific metadata ontology as a core component in a semantic model-based document management system (DMS), a potential contender towards the enterprise information systems of the next generation. What we developed is the core semantic component of an ontology-driven DMS, providing a robust semantic base for describing documents’ metadata. We also enabled semantic services such as automated semantic translation of metadata from one domain to another. The core semantic base consists of three semantic layers, each one serving a different view of documents’ metadata. The core semantic component’s base layer represents a non-domain-specific metadata ontology founded on ebRIM specification. The main purpose of this ontology is to serve as a meta-metadata ontology for other domain-specific metadata ontologies. The base semantic layer provides a generic metadata view. For the sake of enabling domain-specific views of documents’ metadata, we implemented two domain-specific metadata ontologies, semantically layered on top of ebRIM, serving domain-specific views of the metadata. In order to enable semantic translation of metadata from one domain to another, we established model-to-model mappings between these semantic layers by introducing SWRL rules. Having the semantic translation of metadata automated not only allows for effortless switching between different metadata views, but also opens the door for automating the process of documents long-term archiving. For the case study, we chose judicial domain as a promising ground for improving the efficiency of the judiciary by introducing the semantics in this field.

Modeling MetaLex/CEN compliant legal acts

This paper proposes modeling of MetaLex/CEN compliant legal acts based on MetaLex/CEN working group proposal and specific legal act drafting guidelines. XML model of drafting guidelines of the Parliament of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina compliant with MetaLex/CEN working group proposal is created to illustrate the modeling.

Open Judicial Data: A Comparative Analysis

Open data gained considerable traction in government, nonprofit, and profit organizations in the last several years. Open judicial data increase transparency of the judiciary and are an integral part of open justice. This article identifies relevant judicial data set types, reviews widely used open government data evaluation methodologies, selects a methodology for evaluating judicial data sets, uses the methodology to evaluate openness of judicial data sets in chosen countries, and suggests actions to improve efficiency and effectiveness of open data initiatives. Our findings show that judicial data sets should at least include court decisions, case registers, filed document records, and statistical data. The Global Open Data Index methodology is the most suitable for the task. We suggest considering actions to enable more effective and efficient opening of judicial data sets, including publishing legal documents and legal data in standardized machine-readable formats, assigning standardized metadata to the published documents and data sets, providing both programmable and bulk access to documents and data, explicitly publishing licenses which apply to them in a machine-readable format, and introducing a centralized portal enabling retrieval and browsing of open data sets from a single source.

Multilayer document model for semantic document management services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the benefits of an approach in which document management systems (DMSs) are based on a formal and explicit document model, primarily in terms of facilitating domain-specific customization. Design/methodology/approach Within this paper, a generic document model is proposed. The model consists of two layers. A general purpose layer, which represents common features of the documents, and a domain-specific layer, modeling properties particular to application domain. The general purpose layer is based on ISO 82045, providing high degree of interoperability with other systems developed with respect to this set of standard. Findings Splitting document model into the layers enables DMSs to be tailored for each particular domain of application, depending on the general purpose layer. The existence of domain-specific layer allows documents to be interpreted differently in different domains of application. Practical implications In order to enable customization of DMS for a particular domain, the implementation of domain-specific document layer is required. Also, the proposed model does not explicitly deal with document dynamics. Originality/value The proposed document ontology is general enough to provide the representation of documents not depending on a specific scope of application, yet flexible enough to enable extensions through which domain-specific document features can be expressed. The separation of document model enables development of core DMS offering services relying explicitly on the general purpose layer on one hand, as well as domain-specific customization of DMS on the other.

A machine-readable description of generic instructional strategies in e-courses

The paper describes a language for specifying generic and content‐neutral instructional strategies in e‐courses. The language has been designed to be generic, instructionally expressive, and machine‐readable. The paper presents the language syntax, case study on representative instructional strategies and an evaluation of the language characteristics.

Structural and semantic markup of complaints: Case study of Serbian Judiciary

In order to understand judicial complaints more clearly (to avoid misinterpretations and to provide additional clarification of its content), structural and semantic markup can be rather helpful. By structural and semantic markup, claims can be semantically enhanced using legal ontologies and legal knowledge interchange format argument graphs making them more understandable for machines, but also for humans. This paper proposes Akoma Ntoso XML schema, LKIF-Core, Legal Case Ontology, JudO and Carneades Argument Format for such structural and semantic annotation of the complaints and illustrates the usability of the proposed solution through the Case Study of the Serbian Judiciary.