[DDI-users] Data Documentation Initiative and the Semantic Web

[Thomas Bosch]

Data Documentation Initiative and the Semantic Web

 

 

First I want to introduce myself. My name is Thomas Bosch, I'm a new
research associate at GESIS, the Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences,
in Mannheim and I collaborate with Joachim Wackerow in the area called
Social Science Metadata Standards.  

I would like to show you the abstract of my dissertation with the working
title 'Data Documentation Initiative and the Semantic Web'. In the case you
have ideas or questions don't hesitate contacting me
(thomas.bosch at gesis.org).

 

Problem

The Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) is an effort to create an
international standard for describing data from the social and behavioral
sciences. In order to establish DDI as a de facto metadata standard in this
field DDI should reach a broader audience. The target group could be
expanded if DDI structures are used in the increasingly popular Linked Open
Data network. The approach is to publish data and metadata in form of a
standard based exchange format like the widely accepted and applied Resource
Description Framework (RDF), a Semantic Web technology specified by the
World Wide Web Consortium. The Semantic Web community could be aware of the
benefits concatenated with the application of DDI as well and on this
account this expert group could start using DDI in appropriate projects. As
a consequence DDI could be disseminated on a large scale.As RDF is an
established standard there is a plethora of tools which can be used to
interoperate with data and metadata represented in RDF. 

 

Purpose

Use cases will be exemplified in which specific problems can't be resolved
without or could be solved in a better way using the RDF representation of
data and metadata specified in DDI 3. In order to describe data and metadata
specified in DDI 3 in form of RDF an ontology has to be built based on the
conceptual model of DDI 3. This ontology should encompass only the most
relevant DDI 3 components, not all available elements of DDI 3. Further
research will concentrate on expanding the developed ontology. Possible
applications using the RDF representation of data and metadata will be
discussed to show solutions for the issues associated with the identified
use cases.

 

Thank you for your interest.

 

 

Kind regards,

Thomas Bosch

 

--

Thomas Bosch, M.Sc. (TUM)

Social Science Metadata Standards

GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences 

B 2, 4, 68159 Mannheim 

Phone: 0621/1246-265

Fax: 0621/1246-100

Mail:  <mailto:thomas.bosch at gesis.org> thomas.bosch at gesis.org

Web:  <http://www.gesis.org> http://www.gesis.org

 

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