Developments of the Semantic Web at
the Museum of the History of Science
Florence, 16 June 2003
Marco Berni
Main question:
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How can we go ahead on Semantic Web
and ontologies at IMSS?
Florence, 16 June 2003
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Try to answer:
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Evaluation of the achieved outcome
How we can make an ontology
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Mesmuses experience
Beyond Mesmuses
Resources to make the ontology run
Critical points
Hypothesis on achievable results
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Evaluation of the achieved
outcome
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Mesmuses prototypes are very useful
samples of Semantic Web application
Allows data browsing with “intelligent”
search
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Opportunity to make searches not only on
words, but on the meaning of words too
(semantic search)
Test semantic search on a history of
science domain
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How we can make an ontology
Mesmuses experience 1
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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
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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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How we can make an ontology
Beyond Mesmuses 1
IMSS Database
ARAM – Multimedia Archive
STS – Scientific Instruments
ICONA – Ichonographic Archive
BIBLIO – Catalogue of the Library
IMSS
IMSS
Ontology
Itineraries
ARMU – Historical archives
GT@ – GalileoTek@
etc.
Florence, 16 June 2003
Extended
Dublin Core
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How we can make an ontology
Beyond Mesmuses 2
IMSS Database
IMSS Ontology
ARAM – Multimedia Archive
STS – Scientific Instruments
ICONA – Ichonographic Archive
BIBLIO – Books Catalogue
ARMU – Historical archives
GT@ – GalileoTek@
etc.
Florence, 16 June 2003
Extended Dublin Core
DCTitle
DCCreator
Creator
Inventor
DCSubject
DCDescription
DCPublisher
DcContributor.PersonalName
DcContributor.CorporatelName
User
Receiver
Giver
Purchaser
IsDedicated
.....
Semantic web at IMSS
DCrelation
IsVersionOf
HasVersion
IsReplacedBy
IsRequiredBy
Requires
IsPartOf
HasPart
IsReferencedBy
References
IsFormatOf
HasFormat
.....
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How we can make an ontology
Beyond Mesmuses 3
Scientific Places in Tuscany
Old version
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Florence, 16 June 2003
Plain hypertext
Links have not any semantics
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How we can make an ontology
Beyond Mesmuses 4
Scientific Places in Tuscany
Forthcoming version
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Structured hypertext
Links have a semantics
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e.g. Brunelleschi MAKER Dome
Brun.
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Maker
Dome
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How we can make an ontology
Beyond Mesmuses 5
History of science community
shared ontology
IMSS
Institution 2
Institution 3
Institution 4
Institution n
ontology
ontology
ontology
ontology
ontology
Web
resource
Web
resource
Florence, 16 June 2003
Web
resource
Web
resource
Web
resource
Semantic web at IMSS
Web
resource
Web
resource
Web
resource
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How we can make an ontology
Beyond Mesmuses 6
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Start to re-design database for ontology and semantic
search
Mapping of existing database schemas into classes
and properties
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Extended Dublin Core
IMSS specifics
Partial automatic indexing of data according to the
mapping rules
Manual actions required to complete indexing process
Design an ontology valid for the whole history of
science community
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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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Critical points
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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
Iterates many times this step
Agreement on a community web ontology for history of
science
Impact of a schema modification on existing data
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Have mapping of data to be redone?
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Hypothesis on achievable results
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Strongly improve access to IMSS documents
and database
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Provide a framework for history of science elearning
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Share navigable data with the community
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Create an access point to the history of science
resources on the web
Create a virtual museum of history of science on the
web independently from the physical location of the
objects
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