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Workshop Report: Advancing Semantic Interoperability: A Practical Workshop on DMPonline's Contributions and Collaborative Future

Magdalena Drafiova | 16 December 2024

On November 6, 2024, the DMPonline team Magdalena Drafiova, Don Stuckey, Marta Nicholson, alongside DCC colleague Agnes Jasinska, engaged at the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) 2024. We organised a domain-specific and application-wide semantic interoperability workshop, highlighting how DMPonline facilitates seamless data exchange and usage across diverse research contexts. 

Workshop Insights 

The workshop's main goal was to educate attendees on interoperability’s pivotal role in research data management. It explored its various forms—legal, organisational, technical, and semantic—and demonstrated its practical applications within DMPonline. 

Key Sessions Included: 

Introduction to Interoperability:

We initiated discussions on the fundamental importance of interoperability facilitated by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC)  setting the stage for deeper dives into specific interoperability types. 

Deep Dive into Semantic Interoperability Components: 

Practical Implementation in DMPonline: 

  • Frameworks and Types of Interoperability: Exploration of how intersecting legal frameworks and organisational policies affect data sharing and technology integration. 

  • Metadata and Ontologies: Discussion on the role of metadata schemas, shared ontologies like thesauri, and data standards in enhancing data usability and standardisation. 

  • We demonstrated how DMPonline applies semantic interoperability with examples such as incorporating RDA metadata standards, OECD research domain taxonomy, and tools like the SPDX license registry and DMPonline API. 

Activities and Discussion Highlights 

  • Real-Life Impact: Through personal anecdotes, participants evaluated how interoperability directly affects efficiency and compliance in settings like healthcare, where data integration challenges are prevalent. 

  • Group Reflections: Attendees reviewed the state of interoperability in their respective sectors, addressing successes and areas needing improvement. 

  • Semantic Interoperability Benefits: Discussion on how precise data identification and mapping enhance data integrity and support advanced integration across systems. 

Challenges and Solutions 

We tackled challenges related to complex metadata and system integration, focusing on: 

  • Enhancing Data Mapping: Strategies for more sophisticated mapping across systems to handle language and structural differences. 

  • Improving Software Integration: Navigating the complexities of mixed-software environments and standardising APIs to facilitate smoother data exchanges. 

Future Directions 

We are keen to advance these discussions and plan to submit a proposal for the next HMC conference in Cologne. We invite collaboration from all participants interested in exploring these themes further. 

Contact and Resources 

For any questions about this workshop or to express interest in future collaboration, please contact Magdalena Drafiova at magdalena.drafiova@ed.ac.uk. For more information or help with DMPonline, reach out to dmponline@dcc.ac.uk 

Helpful Links: 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for their engaging contributions and look forward to further fruitful collaborations!