Title: A Knowledge 2.0 Platform
Proposer: Hans-Wolfgang Loidl
Suggested supervisors: Hans-Wolfgang Loidl
Description:
With Web 2.0 tools readily available the nature of "publishing" new knowledge and of knowledge management changes significantly. Where so far the focus was on static presentation of new knowledge, the focus shifts to dynamic presentation and to applying it to specific use cases. Traditional avenues of publishing must be complemented by faster, yet quality checked, ways. Interconnections not only between research efforts within one community, but also in an inter-disciplinary fashion becomes increasingly important.
The aim of this project is to contribute to the development of a Knowledge 2.0 platform, that uses Web 2.0 technology to implement the above-mentioned features. Core to this platform is a database of traditionally published knowledge, with the associated meta-data. This static information shall be complemented with dynamic information that can be presented in the form of on-line demos or other applications that permit direct interaction with some external software through a standard web interface. Realising such an interface puts strong demands on security, safety and privacy. These aspects must be covered in all modules implementing this platform. Additional modules to the system should provide a fast means of communication through blog-type publication and other social networking facilities. The presented system must demonstrate concrete advantages in terms of ease-of-use, knowledge management and knowledge dissemination over comparable systems today. In realising the interaction modules of the system it must account for specific requirements of the application domain of scientific publishing.
The entire effort is structured into several projects described below.
Project 1: Core Knowledge 2.0 platform
The concrete goal of this project is the development of a system for storing, querying and representing publication data, based on the Knowledge 2.0 platform. This covers both core functionality of the platform, as well as a specialised platform for publication presentation. The main steps in the project will be:
The system should be implemented in PHP using mySQL as database backend. Special attention should be paid to the overall software design, employing object-oriented technology, and to the interfaces between component, using established APIs. In all modules of the system, the aspects discussed in the previous paragraph must be sufficiently covered.
Resources required:
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Background needed: PHP, mySQL.
References:
Project 2: A front-end for a Knowledge 2.0 platform
The concrete goal of this project is to develop a web-based front-end for the Knowledge 2.0 platform in the form of a rich internet application, providing desktop functionality in querying, retrieving and adding data to the core database. The functionality must go beyond basic database query operations, providing means of cross-referencing and semantic ranking of publications. An on-line publication mechanism, involving an electronic, fast-track refereeing process, should be supported. The aspects of safety, security and privacy have to be addressed in all components of the design and implementation.
The main steps in the project will be:
The system should be implemented in Java and must interface to a central mySQL database holding the relevant information. Special attention should be paid to the overall software design, employing object-oriented technology, and to the interfaces between component, using established APIs. In all modules of the system, the aspects discussed in the previous paragraph must be sufficiently covered.
Resources required:
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Background needed: Java, mySQL.
References:
Project 3: Extending the Core Knowledge 2.0 platform
The concrete goal of this project is to assess the existing implementation of the Core Knowledge 2.0 platform in terms of performance and usability, and to extend its functionality by integrating more Web 2.0 features, covering peer-assigned esteem ratings, enhanced mechanisms for low-volume publication feedback etc, into this implementation. The final implementation must demonstrate concrete added value over existing systems building on the chosen Web 2.0 features. The main steps in the project will be:
The system will build on an existing implementation in Python and Django. Special attention should be paid to the overall software design, employing object-oriented technology, and to the interfaces between component, using established APIs. In all modules of the system, the aspects discussed in the previous paragraph must be sufficiently covered.
Resources required: Sources and documentation of the existing implementation are available from a previous MSc project.
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Background needed: Python, PHP, mySQL.
References: