Linking to Scientific Data: Identity Problems of Unruly and Poorly Bounded Digital Objects

Within information systems, a significant aspect of search and retrieval across information objects, such as datasets, journal articles, or images, relies on the identity construction of the objects. This paper uses identity to refer to the qualities or characteristics of an information object that make it definable and recognizable, and can be used to distinguish it from other objects. Identity, in this context, can be seen as the foundation from which citations, metadata and identifiers are constructed. In recent years the idea of including datasets within the scientific record has been gaining significant momentum, with publishers, granting agencies and libraries engaging with the challenge. However, the task has been fraught with questions of best practice for establishing this infrastructure, especially in regards to how citations, metadata and identifiers should be constructed. These questions suggests a problem with how dataset identities are formed, such that an engagement with the definition of datasets as conceptual objects is warranted. This paper explores some of the ways in which scientific data is an unruly and poorly bounded object, and goes on to propose that in order for datasets to fulfill the roles expected for them, the following identity functions are essential for scholarly publications: (i) the dataset is constructed as a semantically and logically concrete object, (ii) the identity of the dataset is embedded, inherent and/or inseparable, (iii) the identity embodies a framework of authorship, rights and limitations, and (iv) the identity translates into an actionable mechanism for retrieval or reference

Evolution of documents - Information and Data objects

The vast amount of data leading to the digital data explosion highlights the fact that the current data definition needs a change as the current systems are unable to track the evolution in a document over time without manual intervention. The concepts of Information and Data objects are introduced in this thesis to track the evolution information in a document. We developed the requirements for such a system in which the evolution information is automatically tracked by tracking the user copy and paste action and then using the data to create the evolution information about a specified document. A case study is discussed to further analyse the information and data flow in a collaboration. We have used this knowledge to design the system and then to implement the system so that the user copy and paste actions can be tracked to create the evolution information. The implementation is then presented to a group of experts to identify the problems and to get the feedback to improve the system

C-ME: A 3D Community-Based, Real-Time Collaboration Tool for Scientific Research and Training

The need for effective collaboration tools is growing as multidisciplinary proteome-wide projects and distributed research teams become more common. The resulting data is often quite disparate, stored in separate locations, and not contextually related. Collaborative Molecular Modeling Environment (C-ME) is an interactive community-based collaboration system that allows researchers to organize information, visualize data on a two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D) basis, and share and manage that information with collaborators in real time. C-ME stores the information in industry-standard databases that are immediately accessible by appropriate permission within the computer network directory service or anonymously across the internet through the C-ME application or through a web browser. The system addresses two important aspects of collaboration: context and information management. C-ME allows a researcher to use a 3-D atomic structure model or a 2-D image as a contextual basis on which to attach and share annotations to specific atoms or molecules or to specific regions of a 2-D image. These annotations provide additional information about the atomic structure or image data that can then be evaluated, amended or added to by other project members

Facilitating Access to Digital Records of Practice in Education with Technology

Many disciplines are changing their traditional approaches to data, encouraging data producers to share data and enable researchers and practitioners to reuse data to answer new research questions and address educational needs. In response, data repositories have emerged, and the availability of data has increased. Repositories build infrastructure to facilitate data access and provide software tools for reuse. This paper analyzes the reuse of digital records of practice (DROP) in education through the lens of one software tool, Zaption, focusing on DROP reuse by teachers, teacher educators, and individuals involved in professional development activities. Using analytics data from one repository’s Zaption integration from 2012-2016, we found that producers and reusers of DROP preferred an array of rich communication tools over tools that added technical functionalities. The results contribute both to our knowledge of DROP reusers as well as inform repositories about software choices to facilitate reuse.Institute of Museum and Library Services (LG-06-14-0122-14)Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147456/1/ELearn_2018_proceedings_FINAL_Deepblue.pd

Role of Communication in Data Reuse

In acknowledging the potentials of existing data, researchers’ interests in sharing and reusing data have recently emerged. However, sharing and reusing data is not a simple one-step process for researchers. Because data reusers build their work on other researchers’ findings, the process of data reuse involves various interactions and communications with other relevant parties. Exploring the nature of communications around data is thus important to fully understand data reuse practices and to support smoother processes of data reuse. This study investigates communications occurring around data during data reusers’ experiences through qualitative interview studies involving this group. This study’s results show that the communications with different stakeholders mainly support data reuse in three areas: searching, learning, and problem solving. The findings provide valuable insights into the domain of scholarly communication, data reuse, and data services

"They're all going out to something weird": workflow, legacy and metadata in the music production process

In this paper we use results from two ethnographic studies of the music production process to examine some key issues regarding how work is currently accomplished in studio production environments. These issues relate in particular to workflows and how metadata is adapted to the specific needs of specific parts of the process. We find that there can be significant tensions between how reasoning is applied to metadata at different stages of production and that this can lead to overheads where metadata has to be either changed or created anew to make the process work. On the basis of these findings we articulate some of the potential solutions we are now examining. These centre in particular upon the notions of Digital/Dynamic Musical Objects and flexible metadata shells

Regulation and function of R-loops at repetitive elements

R-loops are atypical, three-stranded nucleic acid structures that contain a stretch of RNA:DNA hybrids and an unpaired, single stranded DNA loop. R-loops are physiological relevant and can act as regulators of gene expression, chromatin structure, DNA damage repair and DNA replication. However, unscheduled and persistent R-loops are mutagenic and can mediate replication-transcription conflicts, leading to DNA damage and genome instability if left unchecked. Detailed transcriptome analysis unveiled that 85% of the human genome, including repetitive regions, hold transcriptional activity. This anticipates that R-loops management plays a central role for the regulation and integrity of genomes. This function is expected to have a particular relevance for repetitive sequences that make up to 75% of the human genome. Here, we review the impact of R-loops on the function and stability of repetitive regions such as centromeres, telomeres, rDNA arrays, transposable elements and triplet repeat expansions and discuss their relevance for associated pathological conditions

Using internet-enabled remote instrumentation for research and training in physics: evaluation of different diffusion barriers for silver metallization

>Magister Scientiae - MScThe growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion barriers on Ag