XML content warehousing: Improving sociological studies of mailing lists and web data

In this paper, we present the guidelines for an XML-based approach for the sociological study of Web data such as the analysis of mailing lists or databases available online. The use of an XML warehouse is a flexible solution for storing and processing this kind of data. We propose an implemented solution and show possible applications with our case study of profiles of experts involved in W3C standard-setting activity. We illustrate the sociological use of semi-structured databases by presenting our XML Schema for mailing-list warehousing. An XML Schema allows many adjunctions or crossings of data sources, without modifying existing data sets, while allowing possible structural evolution. We also show that the existence of hidden data implies increased complexity for traditional SQL users. XML content warehousing allows altogether exhaustive warehousing and recursive queries through contents, with far less dependence on the initial storage. We finally present the possibility of exporting the data stored in the warehouse to commonly-used advanced software devoted to sociological analysis

Webstand, une plateforme de gestion de données web pour applications sociologiques

International audienceWebStand is a multidisciplinary ANR project that started in 2006, involving database computer scientists and sociologists specializing in the study of the standardization of new technologies. Its main results are a platform the enables the social analysis of people posting on mailing lists. We illustrate our results by applying it to the W3C public mailing lists, discussion groups on specific technical issues, in the context of XQuery

Webstand, une plateforme de gestion de données web pour applications sociologiques

International audienceWebStand is a multidisciplinary ANR project that started in 2006, involving database computer scientists and sociologists specializing in the study of the standardization of new technologies. Its main results are a platform the enables the social analysis of people posting on mailing lists. We illustrate our results by applying it to the W3C public mailing lists, discussion groups on specific technical issues, in the context of XQuery