EnParDis Enabling Parameter Discovery

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EnParDisEnabling Parameter Discovery

• Roy Lowry, Michael Hughes Laura Bird
• British Oceanographic Data Centre

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Background

• In the 1980s oceanographic data management
  handled lt20 parameters
• During the 1990s the number of parameters handled
  increased dramatically, largely due to JGOFS
• BODC adopted a controlled vocabulary approach to
  parameter management
• A parameter dictionary with gt9000 entries has
  been developed
• EnParDis is a project to build on this

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Background

• BODCs data holdings are marked up with
  controlled vocabulary codes
• Mark-up requires copious quantities of skilled
  labour
• In an ideal world the data would be marked up by
  scientists using a standard dictionary
• This wont happen unless scientists can see
  benefits, such as improved data access
• EnParDis aims to address this

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EnParDis Objectives

• Enhance the BODC Parameter Dictionary into a
  worthy international standard vocabulary.
• Develop interoperability between the BODC
  Parameter Dictionary and other organisations
  dictionaries.
• Examine the potential of semantic and ontological
  tools for dictionary management and parameter
  discovery.

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EnParDis Work Outline

• Work Package 1
• Map biological entities in the dictionary to ITIS
• Implement ITIS taxonomy as a dictionary parameter
  grouping tool

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EnParDis Work Outline

• Work Package 2
• Develop keyword group mappings (SeaSearch and
  GCMD)
• Investigate feasibility of user-definable
  groupings
• Investigate techniques to support parameter
  interconversions (e.g. unit conversions)

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EnParDis Work Outline

• Work Package 3
• Expand the BODC dictionary to cover other known
  dictionaries
• SISMER (France)
• SMHI (Sweden)
• DOD (Germany)
• Pangaea (Germany)
• Rijkwaterstaat (Netherlands)
• US JGOFS
• MEDS (Canada)
• BIO (Canada)
• ICES Contaminants Database
• CF?
• Any others I can find

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EnParDis Work Outline

• Work Package 3 (continued)
• Review the current dictionary
• Revise implementation structure
• Eliminate classification that is hard-coded into
  data markup
• Improve the clarity of parameter descriptions
• Improve the valid parameter value ranges stored
  in the dictionary
• Investigate if dictionary could be mapped through
  a data model into an ontology

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EnParDis Progress

• WP1 Progress
• ITIS database installed at BODC
• Initial mapping between dictionary biological
  entities and ITIS
• Over 100 spellings in the dictionary standardised
  to ITIS
• A couple of errors in ITIS identified and their
  correction agreed
• 163 additional genera/species submitted to go to
  ITIS. A further 81 identified for submission
• Access and Web taxonomic browser demonstrators
  developed

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EnParDis Progress

• WP1 Taxonomic Browser
• Driven by two tables
• Map between BODC code and ITIS code plus
  parameter measured
• Implementation of ITIS Taxonomy
• ITIS code plus taxonomy (27 levels) encoded in a
  216-byte string
• Allows all BODC codes for a given parameter to be
  extracted at any taxonomic level (eg abundance in
  water column for all species of a given genus)

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EnParDis Progress

• WP1 Next Stage
• Operational implementation of ITIS mapping
• Revision of map design to facilitate operation
  with RIKZ DONAR and WADI data models
• Map maintenance protocols
• ITIS database update protocols
• Incorporation of demonstrator technology into
  BODC data retrieval tools

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EnParDis Progress

• WP2 Progress
• First-cut mapping to GCMD parameter valids
• SEASEARCH groupings implemented (in June)
• WP2 Next Stage
• Consultations with GCMD on their parameter valids
• Implementation of GCMD groupings as an
  alternative to SEASEARCH
• Look into potential of RDF or OWL for parameter
  classification management

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EnparDis Progress

• WP3 Progress
• Work commenced on RIKZ, SISMER and US JGOFS
  manual mappings
• Dictionary entries in preparation to fill gaps
  identified by mappings
• Units abbreviated titles standardised (NPL)
• Revised dictionary structure implemented
• WP3 Next Stage
• Continue mappings and dictionary extension
• Research more elegant techniques for large scale
  mappings (semantic analysis?)
• Data model mapping and ontology research

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Contacting EnParDis

• An e-mail discussion list has been set up for
  EnParDis
• List address is
• enpardis_at_mailman.nerc-bidston.ac.uk
• URL for subscription to the list
• mailman.nerc-bidston.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/enpar
  dis