Exemplar Projects in Exemplar Projects in Humanities Grid ComputingHumanities Grid Computing
Paul S. EllPaul S. EllCentre for Data Digitisation & Centre for Data Digitisation &
AnalysisAnalysisQueen’s BelfastQueen’s Belfast
ISGC 2007ISGC 2007
SummarySummary
e-Science and the arts and e-Science and the arts and humanitieshumanities
Vision of Britain exemplarVision of Britain exemplar Electronic Cultural Atlas InitiativeElectronic Cultural Atlas Initiative Virtual VellumVirtual Vellum Irish StudiesIrish Studies The way forwardThe way forward
Grid technologiesGrid technologies
In the UK the Arts and Humanities Research Council has In the UK the Arts and Humanities Research Council has argued “Grid technologies fall into three main strands, with argued “Grid technologies fall into three main strands, with different degrees of significance for the A&H:”different degrees of significance for the A&H:”
The three aspects of e-Science are likely to have varying The three aspects of e-Science are likely to have varying impacts in the humanities and artsimpacts in the humanities and arts
Access Gird: Is this really distance learning with a better Access Gird: Is this really distance learning with a better internet connection? Are humanities scholars going to internet connection? Are humanities scholars going to change the fundamental way they do research?change the fundamental way they do research?
Computation Grid: Do humanities and arts scholars need Computation Grid: Do humanities and arts scholars need high-powered computing power?high-powered computing power?
Data Grid: The key technology that will fundamentally Data Grid: The key technology that will fundamentally change scholarship in the humanities and arts. Also the key change scholarship in the humanities and arts. Also the key challengeschallenges
Unique challenges in the Unique challenges in the humanities and arts: The Data humanities and arts: The Data
GridGrid In the humanities the data grid is less concerned with In the humanities the data grid is less concerned with
moving large amounts of data around…moving large amounts of data around… Heterogeneous, fragmented, partial, disparate e-Heterogeneous, fragmented, partial, disparate e-
resourcesresources Information overload - the digital delugeInformation overload - the digital deluge Resource discovery problemsResource discovery problems Interface and data harvesting problemsInterface and data harvesting problems Integratory difficultiesIntegratory difficulties Data in ever more complex multimedia formats - not Data in ever more complex multimedia formats - not
just text but numbers, images, objects, video, sound just text but numbers, images, objects, video, sound filesfiles
How to organise data - by subject, by chronology, by How to organise data - by subject, by chronology, by location - or all three…location - or all three…
But there are exemplars…But there are exemplars…
The proof: early exemplarsThe proof: early exemplars The Vision of Britain through time The Vision of Britain through time
Based on a ‘traditional’ HGIS of Based on a ‘traditional’ HGIS of quantitative data and polygonsquantitative data and polygons
Supplemented with additional e-Supplemented with additional e-resources – historical gazetteers resources – historical gazetteers describing places in time, travellers describing places in time, travellers tales, historical mapstales, historical maps
Materials organised by place, time Materials organised by place, time and subjectand subject
Historical mapsHistorical maps
Census reportsCensus reports
Historical GazetteersHistorical Gazetteers
Travellers’ TalesTravellers’ Tales
An integrated resourceAn integrated resource
The proof: early exemplarsThe proof: early exemplars The Electronic Cultural Atlas The Electronic Cultural Atlas
InitiativeInitiative UC Berkeley-based project with almost UC Berkeley-based project with almost
1,000 humanities and arts academic 1,000 humanities and arts academic affiliates from around the world holding affiliates from around the world holding spatially referenced e-resourcesspatially referenced e-resources
Metadata that allows registered Metadata that allows registered distributed datasets to be retrieved on the distributed datasets to be retrieved on the fly at object levelfly at object level
Software – TimeMap – which allows Software – TimeMap – which allows retrieved data to be selected and retrieved data to be selected and visualised and exportedvisualised and exported
The Proof: Virtual VellumThe Proof: Virtual Vellum
Provides distributed Provides distributed access to research-access to research-quality digitisations of quality digitisations of foliosfolios
Involves around 20 Involves around 20 organisations around organisations around the worldthe world
Easy access and Easy access and preservationpreservation
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
The Proof: Irish StudiesThe Proof: Irish Studies
Poorly defined subject areaPoorly defined subject area No cohesive e-resources currently existNo cohesive e-resources currently exist But quite a lot of e-resources data our But quite a lot of e-resources data our
there - Database of Irish Historical there - Database of Irish Historical Statistics, Act of Union Virtual Library, Statistics, Act of Union Virtual Library, Historical Hansard, JSTOR journalsHistorical Hansard, JSTOR journals
Challenge to bring these togetherChallenge to bring these together
e-Science infrastructural e-Science infrastructural needsneeds
Examples ‘fixed’ to a degreeExamples ‘fixed’ to a degree Need for e-infrastructure – place name gazetteers Need for e-infrastructure – place name gazetteers
(JISC EPNS Project); chronological gazetteers (JISC EPNS Project); chronological gazetteers (‘Going Places in the Catalog: Time Periods’ from (‘Going Places in the Catalog: Time Periods’ from US National Leadership Grant for Libraries); US National Leadership Grant for Libraries); subject indexes (ECAI ‘Support for the Learner: subject indexes (ECAI ‘Support for the Learner: What, Where, When, and Who’ – second NLGL What, Where, When, and Who’ – second NLGL grant) grant)
Need for a subject based geo-temporal data Need for a subject based geo-temporal data browser?? How is the ‘stuff’ that’s retrieved going browser?? How is the ‘stuff’ that’s retrieved going to be managed?to be managed?
Enhanced metadata or context sensitive Enhanced metadata or context sensitive intelligent searchingintelligent searching
ConclusionsConclusions
The Data Grid will be the key area of e-Science The Data Grid will be the key area of e-Science activity in the humanities and artsactivity in the humanities and arts
Data Grid based e-Science in the humanities and Data Grid based e-Science in the humanities and arts is far more challenging than in the sciencesarts is far more challenging than in the sciences
Key infrastructure is required together with Key infrastructure is required together with enhanced search capabilitiesenhanced search capabilities
Opportunity for fundamental change in Opportunity for fundamental change in humanities and arts researchhumanities and arts research
Chance to fully exploit the vast array of e-Chance to fully exploit the vast array of e-resources already availableresources already available
Humanities scholars will not need to change the Humanities scholars will not need to change the way they workway they work
Integrating e-resources by place and chronology: GIS e-Science: statistics, maps, photographs, text,manuscripts, existing e-resources, websites, museum objects . . .
