Semantic Web and Ontologies
experience at the IMSS
Marco Berni, Fabrizio Butini
6 July 2004
Semantic web at IMSS
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Summary

Documents and Objects
 Database
 Conceptual viewpoint
 Framework model
 Itineraries
 Navigation sample
 How we can make an ontology
 Critical points and future developments
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Documents and Objects

Instruments
 Printed material
 Manuscript material
 Photos
 Multimedia applications
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Database
BIBLIO
ARMU
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ARAM – Multimedia Archive
STS – Scientific Instruments
ICONA – Iconographic Archive
BIBLIO – Catalogue of the
Library
ARMU – Historical archives
GT@ – GalileoTek@
etc.
ICONA
IMSS base
STS
IRIS
GT@
ARAM
EPACT
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Towards the Semantic web:
Mesmuses conceptual viewpoint
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Conceptual viewpoint: example from IMSS
String
Period
BaseDo
c
IMSS_Bas
e
DocSource
Knowledge
Confirms
Criticism
Ontology schema
Theory
Experiment
Instrument
Contradicts
Theo
contradicts
1783-1788
Metadata
Uses
Theory of the four
Theo
elements
contradicts
Confirms
Perio
Uses
d
Experiment on
composition of water
BaseDoc
Theory of Oxygen
Gasometer
Scheele's
Letter to
Lavoisier
Web resource
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Framework model
IMSS DB / Internal resources
Ontology mapping
Integrated
Archives
ARMU
IRIS
ARAM
STS
ICONA
EPACT
BD
Internet/Intranet Application
SCHEMA AND
METADATA
REPOSITORY
Dublin Core,
RDF,
etc.
AMICUS
Digital libraries
Whyre
Itineraries
Semantic web
OAI
GT@
OPAC
Pinakes
GT@
etc.
Other applications
External resources
Web
pages
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Ontologies and itineraries
Scientific Places in Tuscany
Old version
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Plain hypertext
Links have not any semantics
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Ontologies and itineraries
Scientific Places in Tuscany
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Structured hypertext
Links have a semantics

e.g. Brunelleschi MAKER Dome
Brun.
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Maker
Dome
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Navigation sample: search an “Instrument”
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an “Instrument” invented by G. Galilei
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Found 5 “Instruments” invented by G. Galilei
located at the IMSS. Let’s choose “Giovilabio”
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Full description of the chosen instrument:
‘Giovilabio’ and access to the web resource
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The web resource and its relations to the sub
set of web resources thereby available
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Navigation towards the sub set of web
resources available
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How we can make an ontology
Mesmuses experience 1

First try
 Theoretical approach
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Ontology was designed in
order to model domain of
historic science knowledge
No data were available.
Need for a totally manual
data input
Schema and instances were
very subjective
Useful for itineraries, not for
search
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How we can make an ontology
Mesmuses experience 2


Second try
Bottom-up approach

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Ontology was designed just looking to
available databases
Deep analysis of databases structure in
order to map relational structure on
ontology concept/property
Data input from relational databases
with little manual attendance
Schema and instances are quite
“objective”, but at the moment don’t
cover all the history of science domain
Useful for search
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Critical points and
future developments
 Critical
points
 How
to make an ontology
 Resources to make the ontology run
 Future
developments
 Search
 E-learning
 Community
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How to make an ontology
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Ontology production
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User interface usability
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Integration between ontology and itineraries
Iterative construction of new ontology to make a
better coverage of domain and data
Test of existing interfaces
Requirements to improve interaction effectiveness
Impact of a schema modification on existing
data

Have mapping of data to be redone?
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Resources to make the
ontology run
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Domain experts to map database to ontology
Software for data harvesting
Operators to manually adjust data
Portal
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Schema / data loader
Browsing / searching engine
Graphical user interface
Set up a community-web and coordinate it
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Produce (and agree on) a shared ontology
Share resources
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Future developments

Strongly improve accessibility to IMSS documents
and database
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Provide a framework for history of science e-learning


Web applications with Semantic Navigation (Itineraries)
Share knowledge and resources with the community


Create an access point to the history of science resources
on the web
Create a virtual museum of history of science on the web not
dependent from the physical location of the objects
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