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STERNA - an architecture for networked collections
RNA, short for Reference Network Architecture, is a web-based information architecture that facilitates an easy way of connecting various knowledge resources on the internet and that provides an accessible and unambiguous way of retrieving the heterogeneous content within those resources. The RNA architecture is based on semantic web standards, in particular RDF and SKOS.
In this document the various aspects with respect to building an intricate web of heterogeneous, dispersed but semantically connected content with the RNA architecture, such as the purposes of reference structures, multi modelling and the RNA environment, are explained in detail.
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Annual Report 1
This is the first annual report of the STERNA‐project, a digital library initiative of thirteen European cultural heritage institutions, multi‐media archives, technology providers and research organisations which is partly funded by the European Commission’s eContentplus programme.
With this report, we would like to inform interested parties in general, but in particular other cultural heritage and content‐providing organisations that are considering joining a digital library initiative about our project, the activities we have undertaken so far and the concrete results we have achieved. Another intention of this report is to inform others about the opportunities STERNA can offer to them to join the network and to make their own content available to a wider European audience.
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Methodology for Content Enrichment
The STERNA project mainly focuses on enrichment of existing content of content holding organisations in the natural history domain. Therefore, developing a methodology on how to best integrate one’s content into the STERNA information space is an essential part of the project.
This document is the outcome of that developing process. It describes in detail a six‐step procedure on how to select content, how to submit the necessary information to enable our technology providers to develop a domain‐specific data model that incorporates all the required parts, and how to approach the actual content enrichment process.
In addition this document contains four annexes, that focus on data modelling in STERNA, on relevant examples of content items in the STERNA data model, on getting to know your way around the RNA Toolset, a set of versatile, easy‐to‐use tools that support various aspects of the content enrichment process and finally, on the technical requirements for successful content enrichment.
STERNA Technology Watch Report. Full Report. STERNA Del.6.5, 10 December 2008. Author: Guntram Geser, Salzburg Research. (161 pages)
This report aims to provide STERNA and other projects related to the European Digital Library (EDL) initiative with a “radar” that identifies state-of-the-art approaches to the integration of heterogeneous digital collections based on Semantic Web standards (RDF, SKOS, OWL). As STERNA is an initiative of organisations from the fields of natural history and biodiversity, a particular focus is on digital environments and tools that are used in theses fields to create, manage and share information resources. The report also includes recommendations on semantic approaches to leverage cultural heritage content integration in the context of the EDL initiative as well as how to integrate natural history and biodiversity resources in the initiative.
Part A, Knowledge organisation systems for leveraging access to cultural and scientific heritage:
Focuses on Semantic Web languages and techniques, provides several introductory chapters (e.g. European Digital Library technological interoperability roadmap, Semantic Web languages “layer cake”; Knowledge Organisation Systems, SKOS standard), and describes projects (mainly) in the domain of cultural heritage domain that use RDF, SKOS and OWL (and CIDOC-CRM).
Part B, Natural history and biodiversity resources for the European Digital Library initiative:
Presents a wider spectrum of technologies, incl. digitisation of specimen labels and taxonomic literature, taxonomic databases and services, online collaboration tools, strategies in content aggregation and access, Life Science Identifiers (LSIDs), TDWG LSID metadata vocabularies and core ontology, and a number of ontologies developed in research projects.
Part C, Annexes and Literature:
Provides additional information to the Parts A and B: Selected natural history and biodiversity metadata standards and thesauri that are available in SKOS format; descriptions of selected major organisations and projects, and lists of all organisations, projects and resources that are mentioned in the report in both the natural history and cultural heritage domains.
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STERNA Technology Watch Report. Summary of Part B: Natural history and biodiversity resources for the European Digital Library initiative, 10 December 2008. Author: Guntram Geser, Salzburg Research. (20 pages)
Includes sections on the STERNA project context, natural history and biodiversity resources as potential for the European Digital Library, overviews of novel approaches to the digitisation, enhancement and integration of such resources, and a set of recommendations on how to integrate such resources in the EDL initiative.
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