6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real 2005-07 1 Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation...

6th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real 2005-07 1Johannes Keizer

Library and Documentation Systems Division

Coherence in Agricultural Information Systems –

Fighting Hunger with Information requires more than the FAO website

Johannes Keizer

Library and Documentation Systems Division, FAO



NAL

Before Internet – Mostly Isolated collections –

FAO

CABI

Universities

Publishers

GovernmentAgencies

Institutes

NGOsAGRIS

Others



Internet – Virtually connected collections

GOOGLE

FAO

NAL

CABI



Tim Berners Lee: The web is like a big relational database without relations

And more: New databases are added every day without considering existing content and interoperability



• Portalsempty shells

• Aggregatorscostly and many collections end with the project

money spent

• Harvesterssimple accumulation does not resolve the problem

Solutions……(tried)..



©Berners-Lee



Starting with a simpler Problem

AQUASTAT

AGRIS

AGRIPPA

new database

service2

common exchange layer

serviceetc.

AQUASTAT

AGRIS

AGRIPPA

new database

services

©Salokhe



Value-added information

services

Shared layer of interoperability

Distributed DatasetsDatabase

1Database

2

Common exchange layer (Vocabularies,Ontologies, RDF/XML)

Database n

Aggregated Database

View

Subject specific Portals

…

Information System

(n)

News feed

service…

©Liang/Sini/Salokhe



3 Layers for Interoperable Information Systems

Agricultural Information Services(Views based on user requirements)

Agricultural Information Systems (datasets with heterogeneous resource types and data models

heterogeneous)

Agricultural Information Management Standards Clearinghouse(sharing methodologies, standards, applications within the

community of practice)

Database

Database Database

Database

Subject Specific Portals

Paper indexes of recent

publications

Feeds for Web Pages

Email Alert

Services




The Vision (before the semantic web…)

Network of Data and Service Providers with agreed procedures and standards – and common ontological layers

Data Provider: exposes institutional open archives of data and information

Service Provider: provides services based on these institutional open archives

• Libraries and other traditional Aggregators• Thematic or Regional Centres of Excellence• Development Agencies and NGOs• Research Institutions• Industry Information Centres



0

2

4

6

8

10

12

do as usual

invest

What stops going forward_



1999: IDML Initiative2000: Brussels meeting and AGstandards initiative2001: Launch of the Agricultural Ontology Service2002: Extension of AGROVOC Language Coverage 2003: Fertile Ground meeting for more coherence in

Agricultural Information SystemsRelease of AGMES

2004: AGRIS Application Profile2005: Integration of the AOS workshops with INFITA

Strong Collaboration FAO ICT-Program CG network (CGIAR Application Profiles)

Coherence Consortium,

What has been done up to know?



Metadataschemas

• concentrated on “DLIOs”

• AGMES Specifications for Projects, News, Events, experts and Institutions still missing

• Breakthrough for the AGRIS –AP in 2005

(CGIAR, GFIS, Agr.Un. Norway…=



Subject - Vocabularies

• concentrated on Language Coverage of Agrovoc (languages and downloads)

• Integration of other Subject Vocabularies

• Restructuring

• Collaboration with other Institutions



• Ontologies

• Applications



SharedCommunication

Platform

Expert Meetings

Information System Designers/Developers

Information System Managers

Consultations

Donor Organizations

Information System Owners

External Actors

An Alliance for Coherence in Agricultural Information Systems



Functions of the Alliance

• Registration and documentation of common standards (namespaces, application profiles, protocols)

• Registration and documentation of information systems and ways to use them

• Facilitation of the coherent use of standards and tools• Advocacy for a “Code of Conduct”• Establishment of mechanisms to agree on common

standards and procedures• Collaborative efforts in maintaining standards• Facilitation of fund raising for coherence efforts



Mechanisms of The Alliance

• Website for documentation, communication and exchange (within the FAO domain or with it s own domain?

• Steering committee of participating organizations for decisions?

• Secretariat with FAO for running tasks?• Annual (Biannual meetings of participating institutions)?• Expert meetings to elaborate standards and procedures?



Partners

• Publishers• Important Agricultural Libraries• Development Agencies• Universities• IARs (CG-network)• Industry• Organizations from Related Areas (UNEPS

EnOS)



Legal construction

• Consortium like the W3C?

• Informal agreements through simple exchange of Letters with FAO as handling agent?

• ???



Way Forward

• Working group on “projects, institutions, persons” has been set up

• Pilot study on a common events calendar has been decided and commissioned

• FAO will further clarify the use of the “Agris-Application Profile and prepare a report about the effects of the “roll out”

• A clearer proposal for the consortia idea is necessary• Bilateral contacts between decision makers in the

participating organizations are necessary• Presentation and advocacy for the concept of the

Clearinghouse at EFITA 2005• Next meeting in October (period 19-23)

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real 2005-07 1 Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation...

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