Knowledge Representation Breakout

1. Knowledge Representation Breakout • KR: to create content (objects, reltnshps) for SMS (logic/inference) that will be useful for enhancing the discovery capabilities of resources within the EcoGRID, and enable the AM System to locate, integrate, and generally resolve suitability of data and analyses for a pipeline activity • Goals of this breakout: review specifications document; meeting schedules; milestones; deliverables for June 1 report to NSF. • Need to determine who are participants on this WG. Currently Beach, Berkley, Brunt, Gauch, Goguen,Jones, Ludaescher, Schildhauer, Villa, Williams, are committed to WG. (suggested candidates= Tim Bergsma, Sam Scheiner). Need strong links with BEAM, Taxon.

2. Knowledge Representation Working Group • Short-term Marching Orders • Identify 4-5 data sets that enable us to address concrete questions in Ecology (niche model | biodiv/prod) • Can we discover *these in EcoGRID (*query expansion?) • Can we integrate these? (thru use of Ontology) • Create two ontologies for SMS group as soon as possible to help accomplish above tasks– • one that is a domain (upper level) ontology describing concepts (e.g. Biodiv=H’; Niche => GARP + presence data; these point to candidate data sets ie discovery) • one of parameter ontologies to test capability to merge/integrate/discriminate among compatible data; • Requires that we choose language and tools for developing and expressing ontologies (e.g OWL, RDF; Protégé, Jena)

3. Knowledge Representation Working Group Implications for EcoGRID • Not major at this point; major long-term impacts thru enabling capabilities of KR via SMS • Must store and retrieve ontologies using EcoGRID

4. Knowledge Representation Working Group Other Items • KR WG needs close connections with AMS, SMS, & BEAM. Need designated contacts within each of these groups • Are several distinct thrusts of ontology development: data discovery aspects (domain-driven, analysis driven); and data integration/aggregation (parameter ontologies, EML-links) • Thorny issues for ontology development: theory of measurement & scaling (spatiotemporal and other; methodological details); generalized upper ontology of ecological terminology and concepts

5. Knowledge Representation Working Group Goals for June 1 • Choose formal language (with SMS) and end-user tools to edit and visualize ontologies • Create at least one “disposable” ontology to test above choices using real data to address concrete question (coordinate with BEAM, Taxon) • Minor revisions to design document will be posted by mid next week

6. Functional Requirements • FR1:Develop ontologies using standards-based approaches (e.g., XML, OWL/RDF, KIF, DAML+OIL)   • FR2:Create parameter ontology to be used by Semantic Mediation System to enable reasoning about appropriate data sources  and analytical steps   • FR3:Ontology(ies) must specify concepts down to the level of basic units of scientific measurement   • FR4:Create terminological ontology defining concepts and relationships useful for exploring and analyzing data  on {ecological niche modeling | biodiversity and ecosystems function}  

7. Functional Requirements • FR5:Capability to mediate among conflicting or disparate ontologies   • FR6:Develop a constraint language for describing pre- and post- conditions for parameters in analysis and data transformation steps of AM.  For example, constraint language must be able to express restrictions derived from sampling artifacts and statistical assumptions of analyses.   • FR7:Capability to use automated feature extraction techniques to assist in ecological ontology development   • FR8:Ontologies must be created so that they are easily extended or modified 

8. Use Cases • UC1: SMS can locate data sets within SEEK upon which biodiversity and ecosystem function metrics can be calculated   • UC2: SMS can reference a number of {e.g., biodiversity and ecosystem} function measures to be calculated upon specific data using ontologies  • UC3: Scientist can load alternative ontologies to accomplish UC1 and UC2   • UC4: Scientist can edit and view concepts and relationships used in UC1 and UC2

9. Software Components • SW1: ECO2-- parameter ontology encompassing concepts and relationships useful for investigations in {biodiversity and ecosystem} function   • SW2: ECO2CL-- constraint language for specifying pre- and post-conditions for anaytical and data transformation steps on the Anaytical Pipeline. This might be more an SMS deliverable technically, but KR needs to provide input on the capabilities of the language based on domain-experience with modeling and analysis.   • SW3: ECO2alt-- parameter ontology encompassing same concepts as ECO2, but independently derived in order to explore means for aligning and integrating alternative ontologies • SW4: Graphical application to visualize, and possibly edit parameter ontologies and constraint languages

10. Milestones • Milestone1 (Feb 28, 2003): determination of Working Group participants   • Milestone2 (Apr 15, 2003): background materials and candidate technologies up for examination/discussion; first meeting scheduled   • Milestone3 (May 1, 2003): initial follow-up tasks defined based on Milestone 2 discussions   • Milestone4 (June 1, 2003): initial tasks reports; meeting soon thereafter; deliverable of “disposable ontology” and report on process?