2nd Workshop on Semantic Statistics for Social, Behavioural, and Economic Sciences: Leveraging the DDI Model for the Linked Data Web

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CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
2nd Workshop on Semantic Statistics for Social, Behavioural, and Economic Sciences:
Leveraging the DDI Model for the Linked Data Web
October 15-19, 2012
Leibniz Center for Informatics, Schloss Dagstuhl, Wadern, Germany
Workshop Organizers
Richard Cyganiak (DERI - Digital Enterprise Research Institute<http://linkeddata.deri.ie/>, Galway, Ireland)
Arofan Gregory (ODaF - Open Data Foundation<http://www.opendatafoundation.org/> , Tucson, Arizona, USA)
Wendy L. Thomas (MPC - Minnesota Population Center<http://www.pop.umn.edu/>, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Joachim Wackerow (GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences<http://www.gesis.org/en/>, Mannheim, Germany)
Overview
This workshop will examine the metadata model of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)<http://www.ddialliance.org/> used in the Social, Behavioural, and Economic (SBE) sciences, and design an implementation of that model using the Semantic Web standards (RDF, OWL, etc.). Invited participants will represent the user community (data librarians, archivists, researchers, and data producers), DDI experts, and experts in the Semantic Web technologies and standards.
Goals
The previous year's workshop resulted in the creation of a draft RDF vocabulary for the discovery of microdata (unit-record data), based on the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) model.  One goal will be to build on this model, finalizing it and possibly expanding it to cover a broader set of use cases. A second DDI-based vocabulary was drafted, focusing on an extension of SKOS to describe official classifications used by government agencies and statistical producers - this also should be finalized as a critical set of metadata. DDI further provides mechanisms for addressing some problematic issues within the Web of Linked Data such as provenance, ownership, and versioning, and these themes could be explored. The existing outline and draft of a best practice paper on the publication of microdata and the related metadata into the Linked Data Web will be discussed and may be put forward as a standard for use with data in this domain for dissemination of the Web. Core knowledge on the DDI model and Semantic Web Technologies will be provided for those who need it.
Description
The movement towards more open access to data is being fueled by government initiatives as well as the research community. Statistical data and metadata is already being standardized within the Linked Data Web with the RDF Data Cube vocabulary<http://www.w3.org/TR/vocab-data-cube/> (W3C Working Draft), based on the SDMX<http://sdmx.org/> model. There is no equivalent for the discovery and possible use of microdata. In addition, microdata are often confidential, and this aspect of the problem is one which will be a point of discussion in the workshop - how best to advertise the existence of data which cannot be openly exposed? Other aspects of the problem such as quality and documentation issues and provenance need similarly to be addressed.
The Semantic Web and DDI experts approach these issues from different perspectives. By sharing our perspectives, and learning from each other's experience the goal of the workshop is to develop a best practice for the publication of microdata and related metadata into the Linked Data Web, which might be put forward as a standard for use with data in this domain for dissemination on the Web.
This workshop will examine the metadata model of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)<http://www.ddialliance.org/> used in the Social, Behavioural, and Economic (SBE) sciences, and design an implementation of that model using the Semantic Web standards (RDF, OWL, etc.). Invited participants will represent the user community (data librarians, archivists, researchers, and data producers), DDI experts, and experts in the Semantic Web technologies and standards.
The demand for discovery of both aggregate statistics and the underlying data is strong, and growing through open government initiatives and the efforts of many data producers, data archives, and research centers. Further, Linked Data technologies are becoming increasingly popular within universities, as the basis for tools which can be used to assist research and teaching. Working together to lay out best practices on the publication of microdata and related metadata into the Linked Data Web will benefit both communities and assist researchers in gaining access to digital resources.
Richard Cyganiak is working at the Linked Data Research Centre (LiDRC)<http://linkeddata.deri.ie/> of DERI. Arofan Gregory (XML standards expert), Wendy L. Thomas (chair of TIC), and Joachim Wackerow (vice-chair of TIC) are active in the Technical Implementation Committee (TIC)<http://www.ddialliance.org/alliance/working-groups#tic> of the DDI Alliance. The workshop is organized in cooperation with the DDI Alliance<http://www.ddialliance.org/alliance>.
Venue
The workshop will take place at the Leibniz Center for Informatics, Schloss Dagstuhl<http://www.dagstuhl.de/>, Wadern, Germany. The non-profit center is a member of the Leibniz Association<http://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/> and is funded jointly by the German federal government and a number of state governments.
The venue provides an intense working atmosphere in a relaxing environment. It is located in a remote region in Saarland near the small town Wadern<http://www.wadern.de/>. Dagstuhl offers several seminar rooms and a cafeteria in addition to leisure rooms open during the evening, including a wine bar, billiard room, music room, reading room, table tennis, sauna, etc., all of which provide opportunities for intense discussion and communication. Accommodation costs at Dagstuhl including full board is 70 Euro/day/person (subsidized rate).
Sponsors
This workshop is organized and sponsored by GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences<http://www.gesis.org/en/>.
Registration
The workshop is open to anyone interested in the topic.
Maximum number of participants (including instructors): 25
Language: English
Further information on the workshop, including venue details<http://www.gesis.org/fileadmin/upload/dienstleistung/veranstaltungen_fortbildungen/workshops/Dagstuhl.pdf> and a registration form, is available on the website of the workshop: http://www.gesis.org/en/events/gesis-workshops/ddi/.
Links
DDI Lifecycle
Specification: http://www.ddialliance.org/Specification/DDI-Lifecycle/3.1/
Overview articles
Miller, Kenneth, and Mary Vardigan. "How Initiative Benefits the Research Community - the Data Documentation Initiative." First International Conference on e-Social Science, Manchester, UK, June 2005, http://www.ddialliance.org/sites/default/files/miller.pdf
Vardigan, Mary, Pascal Heus, Wendy Thomas. "Data Documentation Initiative: Toward a Standard for the Social Sciences." The International Journal of Digital Curation 3, 1 (2008). http://www.ijdc.net/ijdc/article/view/66/66
Dagstuhl
Arrival: http://www.dagstuhl.de/en/about-dagstuhl/arrival/
Pictures: http://www.dagstuhl.de/en/about-dagstuhl/press/downloads/

Best regards,
Joachim Wackerow
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GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
Department: Monitoring Society and Social Change
Unit: Social Science Metadata Standards
Visiting address: B2 1, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
Postal address: P.O. Box 122155, 68072 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)621 1246 262
Fax: +49 (0)621 1246 100
E-mail: joachim.wackerow@gesis.org<mailto:joachim.wackerow@gesis.org>
www.gesis.org/en/institute/<http://www.gesis.org/en/institute/>