Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge
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Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge









 

 

 



All Hands Meeting SMS Notes Nov 04

Difference between version 24 and version 8:

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- ! November 2, 2004
+ Notes created by Shawn Bowers
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+ ! Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004
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+ **** Actor Search and Browse: support multiple views (tuned to ecologist) ... switchable at runtime
+ **** Kepler for Ecological Modeling
+ **** Biodiversity indices (from Dan)
+ **** R in Kepler
+ **** ROADNet Realtime (Revelle ship)
+ **** Kepler This Year:
+ ***** User Interface ... need a full eval and reworking of all UI for our target group
+ ****** Semantic annotation interface / ontology browsing interfaces
+ ***** Distributed computing / grid computing
+ ****** large jobs; lots of machines; detaiched execution
+ ***** "Smart" data discovery (as for actors)
+ ****** support for data sources that are distributed
+ ***** Actor repository / downloadable actors
+ ***** Integration and transformation using semantics
+ ****** generate required transformation for: data-actor integration; actor-actor integration
+ ****** handle "semantics" for R scripts, etc.
+ ******* file based buffering reduces our ability to reason about the data flow
+ ******* SMB: ''not exactly sure where the precise problem is here ...''
+ ****** Finish EcoGrid Access
+ ******* full EML support
+ ******* support for "large" data and 3rd party transfer
+ ******* more data sources and types of data sources (e.g., JDBC, GEON data)
+ ****** Provenance and metadata propagation
+ *** Shawn Bowers (me)
+ *** Jessie Kennedy
+ **** SEEK Taxon Scenario
+ **** Goal is to develop the taxon name server
+ **** High-level approach
+ ***** extract information from taxonomic concept providers; and convert to taxonomy transfer schema (TML)
+ ***** "Semantic Mediation System" used to do concept matching/expansion/weighted concepts; leveraged from EML
+ ***** Most focus on Taxonomy Transfer schema
+ **** Names versus concepts problems
+ ***** use concepts instead of names .... decouple concepts from names
+ ***** taxon name: label/word/string
+ ****** used for communicating ideas about organisms or groups of organisms ... meaningless without a definition, but it is used as if it has a clear meaning
+ ****** full scientific name: sci name + author abbreviation [+date]
+ ******* implies a concept: as intended and documented by the original author of then ame
+ ****** vernacular name: scrub history
+ ***** What is a concept?
+ ****** taxon concept: unique name plus definition
+ ******* full sci. name + "according to" (author + date)
+ ****** Taxon goals
+ ******* define use case; acceess current taxon working practice; design schema for object server; implement prototype; eval globally unique ids and their applicability
+ ****** investigate interface between SMS and taxon group
+ ****** end user tools
+ ***** progress:
+ ****** use cases finished, but still under review
+ ****** taxon working practice: developed a langauge definition, etc ...
+ ***** version 1.01 ... aimee and robert will demo
+ ***** globally unique ids: UUIDs, handle system, DOIs, LSIDs
+ ***** prototype ...
+ ***** interface with sms: session during the week to discuss
+ ***** case study, anticipating north american mammals example
+ *** Deana Pennington
+ **** Original goals
+ ***** case studies in ecology and biodiversity
+ ***** assemble a framework that interconnects ...
+ **** First project: eco niche modeling
+ ***** mammal project
+ ***** 2-3 dispersal scenarios; 2 major evolutionary-computing algorithms (GA and NN); 21 GCM scenarios, including all IPCC scenarios
+ **** eco niche modeling
+ **** 2nd beam project, focusing on biodiversity
+ ***** use biodiversity and productivity field data
+ ***** link with enm project
+ ***** use biodiversity indices
+ ***** expand group of scientists
+ **** nceas group: Waid, Scheiner, Willig, Cox, Chalcraft; biodiv/productivity scaling rels in semi-arid grasses
+ **** pdtnet group: Suding, Weiher, Collins, Cleland, Clark; biodiv/productivity functional rels in semi-arid grasses
+ **** ENM/biodiv integrated analysis
+ ***** remotely sensed imagery -> from Jim Quinn at Davis
+ *** Samantha Romanello
+ **** EOT
+ ***** Current activities: on-site trainings; conf. workshops and related activities; new website
+ ***** future activities: on-line modules; distributed graduate seminar
+ **** on-site trainings
+ **** new fac. and postdoc workshop
+ ***** how to incorporate into their teaching
+ ***** results of the workshop from last january
+ *** Raja
+ **** GOAL: EcoGrid as a standardized interface (using web and grid services)
+ **** Grid-standardized interfaces: uniform interface to metacat, srb, digir, xanthoria; anyone can implement these interfaces; hides complexity of underlying systems
+ **** metadata-mediated data access
+ ***** supports multiple metadata standard, EML, Darwin Core as foci
+ ***** computational services: pre-defined analytical services; on-the-fly analytical services
+ **** all based on gwsdl service
+ **** metacat and srb services implemented
+ **** metadata: EML and darwin core
+ **** authentication
+ **** query sevice level 1: get/query services; web-based available
+ **** registry services: implemented in 2 phases -- reimplemented -- list of avail services on web
+ **** Next steps:
+ ***** design and impl. other ecogrid services
+ ***** extend existing services
+ ***** more ams integration - kepler
+ ***** more sms integration - growl (?)
+ ***** add new services: onto servers, taxon servers, LSID server
+ ***** user interface development
+ ***** documentation and training
+ ***** enable more apps and data ingestions
+ ***** increase user collaborations
+ *** Laura Downey
+ **** usability
+ ***** "the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effictiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of users"
+ ***** "an approach that incorporates direct user feedback througout the development cycle to reduce costs and create products and tools that meet user needs."
+ **** benefits o fusability: increased productivity, sales and revenues, customer satisfaction; decrease traning and support costs, etc.
+ **** real world example: after move.com completed the redesign of two problem features, users ability to find a home increases from 62 to 98 percent, sales lead generation to real estate agents increased 150%.
+ **** user interface + functionality = usability
+ ***** elegant or sophisticated internal algorithms don't make any diff inf the interface is bad ...
+ **** software versus usability engineering: ui code 30 percent, now almost 50-60; maintainence, etc.
+ ***** typical software program is released with 40 usability design problems; over 70% of CIO's state on of biggest problems is communicating with users
+ **** incorporate usability in seek
+ ***** collect demographic data
+ ***** task analysis (interviews and observations)
+ ***** apply good human factors and design principles
+ ***** iterative design
+ ***** gather user feedback and input: ind. interviews; group discussions; usability evals and testing; categorization exercises; self-reporting; satisfaction surveys
+ **** general design principles
+ ***** use minimalist approach but provide details on demand
+ ***** apply consisten visual and information design (readability, coding, color, icons, metaphors, data organization)
+ ***** apply appropriate interaction design (tasks, and user's understanding)
+ ***** minimize memory and attention load (memory and processing information limitations) [http://www.laoairlines.com]
+ ***** speak users' language (user terminology not geek-speak)
+ **** providing flexibility (shortcuts, RCMs, wizards); provide status and feedback; provide meaningful error and feedback messages
+ **** upcoming usability activities
+ ***** seek annual meeting: general usability discussion
+ ***** kepler - december: needs dicsussion, observation during training, group executioin of two simple scenarios
+ ***** esa data registry -- february: individual or group usabilitiy testing on registering data
+ ***** issues or ideas on the usability of SEEK tools then contact me: Laura L. Downey
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+ ! Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004
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+ ! Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004
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+ ! Friday, Nov. 5, 2004

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