Where next….
Stakeholder workshop, 29 Jan 2003
To the end of the project
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Metadata matters
• employ a range of procedures to encourage metadata publication – want to determine which strategies are the most effective
• expand the HE/FE Application Profile Guidelines – need to serve an eclectic audience that spans multiple
disciplines
• integrate HE/FE Application Profile Guidelines document into the geo-data portal to serve as a reference guide to the individual metadata elements
• monitor possible changes to metadata standards that could take place in the coming months
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Technical development
• continue to develop portal client– e.g. result set sorting function, geographic and temporal
visualisations, inclusion of gazetteer and thesaurus pick-menu, email record and so on
• link in HDS database & GE:source so cross-searchable from Portal
• write mechanisms to output metadata as Dublin Core & NGDF Discovery Metadata Guidelines formats
• provide gateway so NGDF GIGateway can search local Portal database (and geo-data network)
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Investigations
• use of OAI to disclose metadata as an output from the portal
• how access could be provided to 'deep' geo-spatial resources (data mining)
• how a comprehensive service would include search and browse, visualisation, exploitation and analysis of geo-spatial data
• will propose that OGC interoperability specifications are used
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OGC and interoperability
• Open GIS Consortium (OGC), a private sector initiative, formed in 1994
• aim is to develop software specifications to advance geo-processing interoperability across the GIS industry
• employing practical testbeds and a consensus specification development process to arrive at open specifications for standard interfaces and protocols
• defined web service implementation specifications for– Map Services – Gazetteer Services*– Feature (data) Services – Geo-parser Services*– Coverage services – Catalog Services
• could be used by Data Centres and research institutes to serve up their data to the portal (and elsewhere)
• ££££ - who pays to establish this infrastructure?
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WFS Service
WAAS Service
WWW-Browser
WAAS Client
WFS ClientWMS Client
Go-Geo! Portal
WMS Service
Geo
-D
ata
WMS Service
Geo
-D
ata
Ath
ens
Dat
ase
t2
Dat
ase
t 1
Services
Clients
Security Zone
JISC Data Centre HE Research Institute
JISC Data Centre
Exposing geo-data through the Portal User
Based on R. Wagner 2002
WAAS Service
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Revisiting the data access issue
• proposing a short feasibility study looking at 2 approaches
• P2P– data holders/custodians would set up a P2P server on
institutional machines and store data within it
– metadata published announcing existence of servers and data
• metadata would also be published to the Go-Geo database
– users would use P2P client to search for data on the Go-Geo portal, locate a copy and download to their machine
• self archiving service– data producers/holders use it to publish data for use by others
– requires mechanism for them to provide data, metadata and accompanying documentation
– metadata would also be published to the local Portal database
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Evaluation and outreach
• formal report of this meeting– further development based on information gained at this meeting
• further evaluation – internal to UKDA & HDS
– via online questionnaire & JISCmail list
– usability testing by students and trainers
• enhancement of information on web page
• outreach– contributions to newsletters/ publications
– attendance at conferences & workshops
• offer trial access from April
• offer potential metadata producers the opportunity to submit their comments towards the future design and development of a metadata tool
Our exit strategy
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Transition to service
• our goal is for the portal to become a service within the JISC Information Environment
• following a set up phase, would aim to launch the service in January 2004
• creation of portal content will be undertaken and managed by HDS
• EDINA responsible for hosting the service and for technical development
• the current project will result in a demonstrator service, further development will be required prior to & post launch
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Further development
• proposed activities include– linking in of metadatabases provided by other geo-spatial
data service providers e.g. MIMAS and ADS, to establish the geo-data network
– tools for submitting metadata records and editing
– linking in additional resources
• this could include relevant subscription A&I databases
– addition of user profiling
– improvements in spatial searching
– development of a facility (the ‘Geo-Locator’) to allow the geo-data network to be searchable via the Gateway from other Portals
• this could include institutional portals
• all subject to continuing funding from the JISC
Any comments?
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