Semantic Web Technologies Semantic Web Technologies

• Web Site syllabus still developing- http://courses.ischool.utexas.edu/Turnbull_Don/

2008/fall/INF_385T-SW/

• Everyone signed up?- Listserv- Blog- Tagging system? delicious.com

• Weekly, if not daily Web use & posting to keep up with these topics

• Research Presentation Topics

The Big Question(s)The Big Question(s)

• What is the Semantic Web?• How do semantic technologies work?- What are Web services?- What are the information structures and formats

for semantic data?

• What are Web 2.0 applications?• How can Semantic Web technologies be used

to improve and develop information access?

Semantic Web Semantic Web TechnologiesTechnologies??

• What do you think now?• Let’s expand the term (& the class)• How promising can they be?- For people- With culture- As everyday systems

• Is it a new way to solve problems?- Or

• A new set of capabilities & solutions?

Semantic Web ideasSemantic Web ideas

• Machine (system) use of metadata automatically

• The network is the delivery system & addressing scheme- Network properties are metadata too

• Markup languages can express meaning- Formatting too- Context matters

• Meaning clusters into taxonomies- So does use & intent

• Taxonomies can fit into ontologies- Logical rules define the data & its relationships

Semantic Web tech at workSemantic Web tech at work

• Originally: Semantics provide the mechanism to share data among applications

• Semantic also provide mechanisms to share system resources- Client/server- Browser/server- Server/server

• Markup (XML) is easily translatable- Especially in comparison to pre-existing methods

• Technology as philosophy- Classification for universal application- Small pieces, loosely joined

Semantic Web elementsSemantic Web elements

• XML- Structured markup languages• RDF• DAML + OIL• XHTML

- Universal Resource Identifiers• URLs of course• Structured, parsable addressing

- http://www.shadows.com/tags/semantic_web- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/austin- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-

search/103-3992378-7183068?keyword=ajax&tag=donturnbullweb&mode=books

Structure is the gatewayStructure is the gateway

• Web Services- The URI describes the functional parameters- The system does the REST- The client is a smart interpreter of the results

• Web services have a grammar- Defined by standards- Initiated by the URI

• The request- Implemented by the system

• The supplied

• Logic, Classification & Ontologies all provide additional functionality & structure

• We don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time- Build upon other’s work- Using standards helps ensure their universality

Context is the reasonContext is the reason

• Semantics help us discover context of the information- What it’s about- Who can (best) use it • When• Where

• The growth of products and services based on semantics & context

Why use Semantic Web Tech?Why use Semantic Web Tech?

• Easier development?• Beginning of a focus on structured

information?• An organized Data Warehouse?• Make sense of huge amounts of data- Make sensible small pieces of data, one at a time

• Are we talking about the technology for Knowledge Management?

• Integrating systems logically helps users understand current information & provides new information in context

Application domainsApplication domains

• Ecommerce• CRM• KDD, Data mining & data warehousing• Information Retrieval• Information Seeking

- Findability- Discovery

• EDI- Sharing- Translating- B2B applications

• Integrating user context into selection & presentation of information

Hype, Promise or Practical?Hype, Promise or Practical?

• Where is the Semantic Web now?• Are Semantic Web technologies being used now?

• Where uppercase Semantic Web technologies fail, lowercase semantics may meet them in the middle

• Cooperating systems level the field (somewhat)- Push us to adopt unintended standards that can be improved

as they develop- Help us define the information we have now for use in new

ways

Semantic Organization(s)?Semantic Organization(s)?

• The best ideas for dealing with increasing volumes of information

• Impact at all phases- Capture & Creation- Production (Organization)- Integration (of everything?)

• Records Management• Classification

- Discovery• Putting information to use• Universal access methods & interfaces

- Application (Results)• Actionable tasks from the information

Knowledge Centric OrganizationsKnowledge Centric Organizations

• Validation• Markup• Annotation• Semantic Translation• Storage• Service initialization (registration)• Use- Search- Browse- Access with other services or tools

Is it all really about search?Is it all really about search?- Discovery of knowledge via taxonomies- Web service based data searches- Search by association

• By example• Facets

- Pattern searches• OLAP reporting• Status & monitoring

- Interfaces & agents• Ease of use• Automatic use (or help)

- Rule-based queries• Structured Query Language for structured data?

- Inference• Personalized search

Improving searchImproving search

• What would you do?- Tagging systems for retrieval help- Different kinds of information (images)- Better interfaces for search query formulation- Better interfaces for search results display- Take unstructured information & build taxonomies

or ontologies for organization- Enable easier comparison of information• Expose the metadata & make it understandable

- Improve existing search using Web services

SWT StrategySWT Strategy

• XML Markup• Expose content to Web services• Build Web Services

- Use existing platforms & systems first

• Make APIs & registries for Web services- Build on top of existing systems & toolkits

• Construct ontologies- Start with taxonomies

• Provide interfaces for improvement- Services- Users to markup informaiton

• Integrate with Search systems• Portal

Semantic WebSemantic Web

• “bring structure to the meaningful content of Web pages, creating an environment where software agents roaming from page to page can readily carry out sophisticated tasks for users” (Berners-Lee, 2001)

• Meaningful?• Content?• Agents?• Tasks?

Semantic Web ElementsSemantic Web Elements

• Expressing Meaning• Knowledge Representation• Ontologies• Agents• Evolution of Knowledge

• The Meaningful Web?- For us or for agents?

Expressing MeaningExpressing Meaning

• Documents for People• Information for Systems• Structure & Meaningful content• Real World Rules

- “Carry out sophisticated tasks for users” p1

• Real World Limitations• Extension of the Current Web• Decentralized

- Access from anywhere- Addressable

Knowledge RepresentationKnowledge Representation

• Structured Collections of Information• Sets of Inference Rules• Automated Reasoning• Without Centralized Control

- How can this be negotiated between systems?- How can users verify or trust information & actions?

• Massive Concurrency Coordination- Does everything have to be dumb so it can be smart?

• Using logic (grammar) for description & action- RDF - subject, verb & object

OntologiesOntologies

• A philosophical view of the world- For SWT: “a file that formally defines the

relationships among items” p3

• Consistency of Object Classification- Object Oriented information organization

• Inferences build a Taxonomy of Object Uses• Ontological logic helps remove ambiguity &

allows for sharing & coordination- Translations, not canonical definitions- Context

AgentsAgents

• Programs That Use Semantic Web Content- These programs build upon each other- Exchanging information between them

• More Automated as Systems and Content Support Increases

• Digital Signatures- The Semantics of Trust- Exchanging proofs

• Service Discovery• Ontology Exchanges

- Fitting my ontology into yours & sorting out the rules

• Coordination of machines first, then information?

Evolution of KnowledgeEvolution of Knowledge• Extend from Virtual to Physical World- Other Devices & Platforms- Composite Capability/Preference Profile - Complex Relationships and Interactions- Extend to Individuals (Characteristics)- Locations (Temporal)

• A way for small pieces of information to be integrated with others

• Mapping relationships between information- Ideas & practices

• URIs are the gateway with discoverable services & semantic markup

Semantic Web IssuesSemantic Web Issues• Is it the Biggest Database Ever

- Is it the ONLY Database?

• Should data be Decentralized or Partitioned?- Concurrency? (Time)- Currency? (Money)

• Knowledge Representation- Computational Issues

• How can all this meaning be derived for everyone?- Just for me on my system?

- Cultural Issues• Meaning & conventions

- Classification Issues• One scheme for everyone & every system?

• Does “People Readable” Information go away or get better?

AssignmentsAssignments

• 20% Class Participation- Discussion in class- Blogging- Tagging- Overview notes of the weekly Primary Readings• Use as our class discussion notes and turn in at

the end of class

• 20% Technology Topic Presentation• 20% Vertical Topic Presentation• 40% Final Research Overview Paper or

Development Project

Technology Topic PresentationsTechnology Topic Presentations

• Choose a topic (and corresponding week) to overview• Topic Presentations should include:

- Overview of the technology- Provide examples of the technology in use- Show how to build using the technology (examples)- A list of citations and readings that you drew from and for

extended reference• Do not rely on wikipedia & blogs as your only sources• Academic journal & conference papers• Books (development or conceptual design)

• How can these Semantic Web technologies help coordinate, discover, organize information and knowledge?

• Your own point of view about the practicality & promise of these tools & procedures

Technology Presentation TopicsTechnology Presentation Topics

• RDF• Metadata (e.g. Dublin Core)• Ontology building & editing (applications)• REST, XMLHttpRequest & AJAX• Greasemonkey• Javascript Introduction• Javascript Advanced • Social Media• Tagging systems• Mashups • eCommerce• WebServices, APIs• Cloud Computing

Vertical Presentations TopicsVertical Presentations Topics

• Semantics and a vertical market or industry- Semantic Law- Semantic Education- Semantic Biology- Semantic Medicine- Semantic Government- Semantic Geography- Semantic Games- Semantic Finance- …

Research PaperResearch Paper

• Put together your own thoughts in a researched opinion about a subject related to the Semantic Web (or semantic web)

• 7 -10 pages (not including endnotes & citations)

• Topical & original thought on the topic• Could be read as an essay, but with scholarly

evidence to support your ideas & opinions

Development ProjectDevelopment Project

• A demonstration-quality application that uses Semantic Web, Web Services or Web 2.0 functionalities & philosophies- AJAX application development- GreaseMonkey scripts- Taxonomy generation for a set of resources- GUIs for applications using Web vendor APIs (e.g.

the Amazon API)- Novel visualization interfaces for viewing

ontologies, taxonomies or tag clouds

Next WeekNext Week

• Readings & Discussion- Bring your first Single Page Review paper

• Blogging & Tagging (ongoing)• Initial topics & presentation dates• Rough speaker schedule- Suggestions welcomed