TDWG Standards Roadmap Roger Hyam Technical Architecture Group

TDWG Standards Roadmap Roger Hyam (Technical Architecture Group)

What is a System? A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without an aim, there is no system. The aim of the system must be clear to everyone in the system. The aim must include plans for the future. The aim is a value judgement. W. Edwards Deming (1900 - 1993)

The Old Days

Friendly Federation • Exchanging data between friends doesn’t need a standards architecture • A federation is a closed system • Producer and consumers are similar • A single exchange format can be agreed on • e. g. Federated herbarium search

The Future

Stranger Danger • Exchanging data with strangers is different • Multipurpose and mixed types of data • Producer doesn’t know consumer • Consumer doesn’t know producer • Data flows through different routes • e. g. GBIF & Eo. L & ‘an ecologist’

Need an Architecture Geospatial Host/Parasite Pollinators Nomenclature ? Molecular Taxonomy Literature Invasiveness Occurrence

The Architecture

Data Integration GUIDs Exchange Protocols Ontology

GUIDs

What are GUIDs? • An Identifier (an identity? ) • Unique • Global in scope • Resolvable (an address)

Are GUIDs Good? Yes !

Why GUIDs are Good • Multiple Routes Problem • Are these the same ‘real’ thing? • Ownership & Trust • Has this been changed? • Is it out of date? • Who do I credit for this? • GUIDs are the most important part of the architecture

Ontology

What is an Ontology?

TDWG Ontology • A Dictionary • A list of shared concepts • Classes • Properties • Instances • URI - for each concept • Answers the question “What is it? ”

Protocols

What Protocols? • TAPIR is the future for XML based services • OAI-PMH is a possibility for harvest • Delimited Files are happening in 2009 • Do what your project says you should do • We still can’t make a general ‘publish like this’ recommendation.

TDWG Technical Roadmap 2008