View source for EScience and the Role of Semantic Web-Content-Management-Systems in the Life Sciences

=== eScience and the Role of Semantic Web-Content-Management-Systems in the Life Sciences ===

Within the last decades, research in the life sciences has changed considerably. Today, many researchers use computers for '''data exploration''', compile new and often very large datasets from openly available data and analyze them under new premises. This eScience approach requires data to be openly available through the Internet and utilizes applications of the Semantic Web. Key to the success of eScience is open accessibility and availability of data through corresponding Web-Content-Management-Systems that apply semantic technologies, such as ontologies, for increasing the semantic transparency and enabling computer-parsability of their data. This not only requires the development of '''eScience-compliant data and metadata standards''', but the respective '''Semantic Web-Content-Management-Systems (SeWCMS)''' with '''adequate graphical user interfaces'''. Currently, we are involved in two projects that address these requirements.

==== 1) eScience-Compliant Standards for Morphology ====


[[File:DFG-logo-blau.svg|thumbnail|link=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/|frame|200px|Funded by DFG]]

The '''''eScience-Compliant Standards for Morphology''''' project is part of the ongoing projects of the online morphological data repository '''[https://www.morphdbase.de Morph·D·Base]'''. It is presently primarily maintained on funds of the LIS call ''[http://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/announcements_proposals/archive/2013/info_wissenschaft_13_08/index.html Standards for Indexing and/or Digitisation of Object Classes in Scientific Collections]'' of the DFG through the [https://www.uni-bonn.de/ Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn] (programming and management), the Foundation [http://zfmkk.de Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK)] (programming, management and use case), the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (use case), the [https://www.naturkundemuseum.berlin/ Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN)] (use case), and the [https://www.uni-rostock.de/ Universität Rostock] (use case). The ZFMK is adding a guarantee for long-term online availability should dedicated project funds run out. In addition, several projects and individuals using the online morphological data repository [https://www.morphdbase.de Morph·D·Base] provide a significant contribution to improving the overall functionality of all new features and application-modules developed for [https://www.morphdbase.de Morph·D·Base] during this project, as well as suggested eScience-compliant data and metadata standards applied in [https://www.morphdbase.de Morph·D·Base] that result from this project.

==== 2) Ontology-Controlled Application for Semantic Web-Content-Management-Systems ====

The '''Ontology-Controlled Application for Semantic Web-Content-Management-Systems (SeWCMS)''' we are developing a ready-to-use SeWCMS application that is controlled by a set of application ontologies. This application is not restricted to a particular data scheme or knowledge domain and allows the set up of a SeWCMS and individual customization without requiring a specific informatics background or having to learn how to develop ontologies or how to use ontology editors. The application allows for customization of each instance of the SeWCMS, including the specification of data views, input forms and workflows. With knowledge in CSS, the entire look of the graphical user interface can be customized.

=== About this Wiki ===

'''http://escience.biowikifarm.net''' is a technical platform supporting the representation of ongoing work of these two projects. The primary purpose of the platform is to facilitate the ongoing internal communication between the project participants, the representation of intermediate results and preliminary standards as well as [[Development_Report|accomplished milestones]], and the communication of specific contents with external collaborators and the morphological community in general.