The role of networks in a cyberinfrastructure
Zack Murrell, Derick Poindexter
Abstract
The World Wide Web (WWW) has changed science and, in turn, how systematic biology, conservation and biogeographic studies are conducted. The Semantic Web will further revolutionize science by building a mesh of information that will allow scientists to gather and analyze data in a more thorough fashion. The Semantic Web will also provide opportunities for information retrieval by the general public in complex and automated systems.
The innovations of the Semantic Web enable the development of “virtual communities” of scientists. Such a virtual community is SERNEC, the SouthEast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections. This network of herbarium curators provides an electronic database of herbarium specimen labels and images. As this database is built, its contents will be reviewed by the collective taxonomic expertise of this virtual community. This process will result in an increasingly accurate portrayal of the biogeography of the region.
The SERNEC virtual community includes information scientists, social scientists, educators, and artists, as well as the taxonomic expertise of the region’s curators. With the Semantic Web, power comes from the development of “high quality” information. The quality database developed by SERNEC will attract the public, government decision-makers, corporations and educators. This will, in turn, increase the value of curatorial expertise.
Collaboration and innovations such as interactive keys and mapping developed within this virtual community will provide many positive outcomes. Complex information will be delivered in intuitive ways to a range of user groups. We hope that this system will stimulate interest in plant systematics, conservation and biogeography.
The innovations of the Semantic Web enable the development of “virtual communities” of scientists. Such a virtual community is SERNEC, the SouthEast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections. This network of herbarium curators provides an electronic database of herbarium specimen labels and images. As this database is built, its contents will be reviewed by the collective taxonomic expertise of this virtual community. This process will result in an increasingly accurate portrayal of the biogeography of the region.
The SERNEC virtual community includes information scientists, social scientists, educators, and artists, as well as the taxonomic expertise of the region’s curators. With the Semantic Web, power comes from the development of “high quality” information. The quality database developed by SERNEC will attract the public, government decision-makers, corporations and educators. This will, in turn, increase the value of curatorial expertise.
Collaboration and innovations such as interactive keys and mapping developed within this virtual community will provide many positive outcomes. Complex information will be delivered in intuitive ways to a range of user groups. We hope that this system will stimulate interest in plant systematics, conservation and biogeography.