semantics in norway
DESCRIPTION
A presentation of the status of the work with semantic interoperability in Norway (a broad overview).TRANSCRIPT
-status and challenges
- presentation to the Semic.eu Advisory Group Meeting in Brussels, 15.10.2009
Semantics in Norway
- Svein Ølnes, Vestlandsforsking
www.vestforsk.no
Resource network for eGovernment
www.rnef.no
Funded by the Norwegian Research CouncilResearchers
Public sector agencies
ICT industry
www.vestforsk.no
Naming things!
The drawing (cartoon) by Gary Larson showing the man who has just painted ’house’, ’tree’, ’door’, ’cat’, ’dog’ ++ on the thing itself and says: ”Now, that shouldclear up a few things around here”
This cartoon says more about how to deal with semantic challenges than most modelsaround!It is a brilliant illustration of the important first step in working with semantics: namingthings (concepts)
The cartoon is also good for what it does not show: relations-it does not say anything about who owns the house, the cat, and the dog (though it probably is the man on the drawing)-it does not say anything about the relation between the cat and the dog (it is probably bad, but it’s still a relation!)
www.vestforsk.no
Outline
Semantics in Norway: Status
Special for Norway: Semantic web/Topic Maps
Current semantic activities
Two cases:Los – a Navigator for Public Sector Services (Front office)
SERES – Semantic Back Office Solution
www.vestforsk.no
Technology waves
Procedure orientedFocus: SyntacsData: Hierarchical
Object orientedFocus: StructureData: Relational
Component basedFocus: ServicesData: XML
Model drivenFocus: SemanticData: Ontologi & Data
19951975 2005 201519851965
Stian Danenbarger, Bouvet.no
www.vestforsk.no
Semantics in Norway
2007: White paper on a common architecture for public sector
focus on Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
little said about the semantic challenges
2009: Work started on describing standards and tools for definition of terms
Marks the start of a more ambitious effort in the work withsemantic interoperability
www.vestforsk.no
Special for Norway: SemWeb and Topic Maps
Contrary to most other European countries Norway has a relativelyhuge installed base of Topic Maps solutions (ISO 13250:2003)
Topic Maps a common semantic platform for public sector portals
Active and knowledgeable ICT consultancyactive in standards development (ISO)
established products supporting the standard
active in implementing Topic Maps based solutions to customers
Some tension and competitions between the two communitieswhich after all is good – competition provides for better solutions
www.vestforsk.no
Los: A navigator to public sector services
www.vestforsk.no
Los: Small pieces loosely joined
Navigator to public services
A controlled vocabulary (thesaurus) describing public servicesexpressions used by the citizens mapped to agencies’ own terms
Used by almost 100 Norwegian municipalities
Metadata expressed in Dublin Core
Example: The term ’kindergarten’ will link resources from various public organisations
Core system implemented in Topic Maps
www.vestforsk.no
Los: Ontologi on a general levelNotice the distinction between services and resources thatdescribe services (Los is about the latter)
Net resourcePublic service
(e.g. Kindergarten) Keyword
Los ontology
Theme(Category)
www.vestforsk.no
Agreement on terms (mostly used in electronic forms)formal terms used by public sector organisations
Support for the new Altinn IIAltinn is Norway’s main channel for electronic reporting (by 2009 29 public service providers use this channel for their online forms)
Central repositoryto be maintained by the agencies themselves
SERES: Serious semantic back office standardization
www.vestforsk.no
Ultimate goal: My metadata is your data (and vice versa)
SERES
Lovdata
LOS
Europeana
KS
Smilno
Volven
Yr.no
Kart-verket
SKD
SSB