Enabling Tools and Methods for International, Inter-disciplinary and Educational Collaboration

E. M. Robinson, K. Hoijarvi, S. Falke, E. Fialowski, M. Kieffer, R. B. Husar Washington University, St. Louis

Spring AGU, May 29, 2007, Ft. Lauderdale

Outline

• Current status of data network

• Current status of human-human connection

• Virtual Wiki Workspaces– DataSpaces– ActivitySpaces– ToolSpaces

• Conclusions

OGC WCS Data Access Protocol

GEOSS Provides SOA for Coupling for Autonomous Nodes Facilitates Publishing, Finding and Accessing Data

Emerging Air Quality Data Flow Network

The Information Interoperability Stack

The Information Interoperability Stack

Prototypical Virtual Workspace

Purpose

Product/Outcome

DiscussionResources

Prototypical Virtual Workspace

Purpose

Product/Outcome

DiscussionResources

Wiki Workspaces

• The wiki workspace is an example of the right amount of networking.

• The circle emphasizes that people are entering, participating and leaving the space as interested or needed.

• Wiki workspaces act as an archive of both the product and the artifacts needed to create it. Therefore collaboration can span the time dimension

Right Level of Networking?

Sub-classes of Workspaces

• DataSpaces – Workspaces which connect data providers, transformers and users

• ActivitySpaces – Workspaces which connect people participating in an activity (e.g.

proposal, report, meeting, …)

• ToolSpaces– Workspaces which connect tool creators (service programmers),

tool orchestrators and tool users.

• These three types of spaces connect and draw upon the other two for resources.

Community Data Sharing - ‘DataSpaces’

Catalog - Find Dataset

Describe Dataset

Discuss Dataset

Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)

• Semantic Wiki: Structured (RDF and Unstructured Content

• Open, Standard Metadata - RDF

• Ready for Export/Harvesting by Registries, Catalogs

EECE 449/549 – Sustainable Air Quality

• Class project performed using the wiki

• All data artifacts uploaded on the wiki• The project will continue next year

and this workspace will be used as the starting point for continued work

ActivitySpace

Resources Final Report

Air Chemistry CF Naming Conventions

• Several iterations of proposed names occurred before the list was submitted

• Discussion was crucial• Considerable resources on the CF

convention were also pooled for this project.

• Collaboration was international

ActivitySpace

Discussion Submitted Names

EPA Air Quality Data Summit

• Created the workspace before the meeting for coordination and preparation

• Profiled Data Systems to find key features

• Meeting activities were recorded post-meeting.

ActivitySpace

Data System Profiles Meeting Notes

Community Air Quality Data System

• Post-Data Summit the group evolved into a committee to design the Community AQ Data System.

• Yellow box links the previous workspace to the current space• The workspace is now focused on a tool, and is currently used

to capture decisions made in bi-weekly telecons

ToolSpace

Workspace Best Practices

• Collect distributed, but very related content and provide context

• Workspaces can be easily set up and evolve for the group needs

• The open nature of the wiki allows unanticipated contributions

• Provides rich archive of artifacts: discussion, resources and process the group took as well as the outcome

• Allow new users to easily enter the group and see the evolution of the space

Acknowledgments

• ESIP AQ Cluster

• Participants of workgroups that have been described here: – Christiane Textor, CF Naming Conventions– EECE 449/549 Spring 08 Class – Rich Scheffe, Data Summit/Community AQ Data System