ERCIM News No. 144 Special theme: "Advancing Open Science"

 

Dear ERCIM News reader,

ERCIM News 144 is now online [in PDF also]! This issue is dedicated to Advancing Open Science. Open Science is becoming an essential part of the European research landscape, shaping how knowledge, data, software, infrastructures and results are shared, reused and sustained.

The contributions collected in this special theme offer a cross-section insight into the current European effort to make research more open, transparent, collaborative and reusable.

This special theme was coordinated by our guest editors Leonardo Candela (CNR-ISTI) and Roberto Di Cosmo (Inria and University Paris Cité).

Includes: [PJ]

Rethinking Researcher Profiles in the Research Assessment Transition Era: The OpenAIRE Approach. pp.9-10.

P. Manghi, et al., “OpenAIRE Graph Dataset (10.6.0) [Data set]”, OpenAIRE.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17725827

BibTexViz: Visualizing Research Productivity with Open Science Data. pp.10-12.

D. Hicks, et al., “The Leiden Manifesto for research metrics”, Nature 520, 429-431, 2015.
https://doi.org/10.1038/520429a
T. Munzner, “Visualization Analysis and Design”, CRC Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17511
M. Zaumanis, “Research Data Visualization and Scientific Graphics: For Papers, Presentations and Proposals”, Peer Recognized, 2021.

MOEBA-BIO: An Open and Extensible Framework for Evolutionary Biclustering in Biomedicine. pp.17-19.

Co-Creation as Infrastructure for Open Science Data Spaces. pp.24-25.

A Osterheider, et al., “Conceptualization of the Understanding of Participation and Co-Creation in Interdisciplinary Research Groups developing Digital Health Technology: An Exploratory Study: Conceptualization of the Understanding of Participation and Co-Creation”, Mensch und Computer 2023, 534–538, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1145/3603555.3608572

LICORICE: Deploying Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for Europe’s Digital Sovereignty. pp.30-31.

D4Science: An Enabling Infrastructure for Open Science. pp.38-39.

D. Schaap, M. Assante, et al., “Blue-Cloud: Exploring and demonstrating the potential of Open Science for ocean sustainability,” in Proc. 6th Int. Workshop on Metrology for the Sea; Learning to Measure Sea Health Parameters (MetroSea), IEEE, 2022, pp. 198–202, doi:10.1109/MetroSea55331.2022.9950819.

Next Issue - No. 145

Special Theme: E-values: Statistical Testing for the 21st Century

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[ Posted from Marrakech 17th-27th April ] 

Drupal, Hodges model, content types and metadata

I'd like to think I am rather more than a cell, which has me wondering why I seem to be relying on osmosis as a way to learn how to put a new site together. In searching for the starting line - never mind starting - regulars here know it appears I'm waiting expectantly for a micro-macro biological miracle to happen.

Halfway through Hall's Digitize This Book! I came across another quote and ah! ah! moment...

For in even requesting contributors to identify themselves and their research by title, author, publication, date, subject area, abstract, keywords, and so forth we are not being open to the other but asking them, demanding of them, that they conform to certain preestablished rules, laws, and criteria. p. 101.

The data Hall refers to is of course bread and butter to papercentric publishing. Essential to finding information on paper and in electronic databases. The significance of the quote above? Well Hall goes on to highlight the stated items as (common) metadata (data about data) that his own e-archive CSeARCH (formerly demanded) of its users.

So what should I provide and ask of users on the next website?

There are some default content types in Drupal that could quickly be implemented in a new site. There are modules that allow you to create new content types and there's the rub.... Ideally it would be great to have at least one dedicated content type structured according to Hodges model. Think of it as a h2cm case study on wheels - ready to roll. The problem is having a stab at this. I don't want to constrain users and yet order and structure are essential.

So, in the same way that any site would be in 'beta', that is the way with the content types. Quite straightforward really! Then the users and possibly a community of users (should that come about) will be able to use the first content type and the metadata and data will emerge and evolve from the initial effort - whatever form that takes... .

Drupal tinkering - Salamander's in the sand

I keep thinking of drawing a line in the sand as to when the new Drupal site will go live, but then a curious clucking sound takes over and my arms flap uselessly at my sides. The image below is a screenshot using the Salamander theme for Drupal 6.2. As you can see I have not altered the themes default logo, or the colour scheme; but I'm starting to find my way around the menus at last.

I've started to add other users and as you can see have created a forum with topics and posts. The rail ticket image is neither transparent, nor exactly territorial in disposition. It should be possible to set a default vertical and horizontal spacing for images in the archived content. There is another choice to be made in which drop capitals format to adopt. Having read through jQuery in Action, it is time to revisit the book and really experiment.


Assuming there is a community out there - a series of forums on Hodges' model must be at the heart of the new site, but this begs the question of what tools would a community of Hodges' model users need? Drupal's content types can be extended, but how much effort (if any) should go into such resources? Should they be ready-rolled, or should the community identify the need, specify the requirements and produce the goods? Can an MSWord.doc h2cm template provide a start, or is a more adventurous seed required?

So far several people have used the model for their studies or in specific clinical areas. It makes sense then to try to produce a content type that can be configured by the user for these purposes. It makes even better sense to invite registered users to post their contributions. While I continue to piece the new site together, I must investigate the available Drupal modules and Open-EHR. I had heard of 'Open-air' before in passing and last week at Harrogate learned of it in more detail. I wonder what form and scope the archetypes take? Open-EHR may be far too sophisticated for our purposes, but now is a good time to check.

0's & 1's old and new: where's the data?

Apart from the old website graphics I do feel like I've a handle on the pages themselves. The styling will be basic, but I now have some ideas from initial experiments and Drupal clearly doesn't disappoint regards printing and accessibility. I still need to check the HTML tags allowed on pages.

As to other ideas further down the avenue - the whine of activity here is prompting another: "Where's the DATA?".

This glaring omission and its ongoing transformation from apparent to acute is recognised from past experience and current attempts to conjoin programming, web and related tools. Using BBC BASIC in 80's it was easy to use arrays and basic file handling and then concoct 20-30 cases with about a dozen or so attributes. Most of them were personal details and basic demographics.

Now entering the real world: surprise-surprise MySQL is really powerful. What this means is if you have data to throw at MySQL then it will play ball with you (assuming you play by the rules). Reading about Ajax and PHP my book explores SOAP and web services. The examples of Google, Amazon, PayPal and others are a world apart in terms of the data they serve and the services that use and complement those flows. So here, surely 20-30 concocted cases are still the order of the day?

It depends of course on what I want to try to achieve. Who is the audience? Who is the main 'user'? Reading Moggridge's Designing Interactions and the contributors frequent recourse to user participation in design and development gives me two thoughts:

At the Barn there is a group of retired regulars (teachers?) who re-organise the furniture and settle down to attend to their well-being needs. As I read and they update each other on news, the wise-cracks flow and characters shine I'm wondering.... It would be fascinating to sit down with them one-by-one and check out their experiences in consulting with the health and social care team (whoever, wherever and how many that may be?). What would have helped them AND the professional(s)? What would help subsequently (TI:ME is always a key factor)?

The summary care record is a case in point - but is there another perspective on this? There is a literature that's for sure.

I've even wondered about approaching neighbours and scratching a non-personal surface or two. I'd need to properly formulate my questions, although a loose initial approach might pay dividends? After all - what is the problem that Hodges' model might help solve?

In the same way the internet increasingly provides for rich application experiences, expectations are rising. Can you hear it again...? There's a constant whine on this blog and it's the 'audience': that's the elephant in my PC and head. As per the introductory pages, Hodges' model can readily address four main audiences:

1. PATIENTS and CARERS (Ill-health) CITIZENS (Well-being, health prevention/promotion)
2. HEALTH and SOCIAL CARE WORKERS
3. STUDENTS (Specific educational context)
4. MANAGERS, POLICY MAKERS (Governance, Reporting)

If I ever do need it, test data isn't just my problem. There must be solutions out there....? Before I get carried away though - time for a KISS.

Plush HQ foyer, shame about the mannequins!

If h2cm is about anything (or any-think) it is about locating and crossing boundaries. For health and social care organisations, their informatics staff and academic partners travel is essential. This assumes though that the organisation:

a) wants to cross boundaries
b) recognise the need to cross
c) have the ability to cross

Working through a-c THEN

1) If a) is a 'yes' - can you find your way? That's why partnerships matter!
2) Is this quest important enough to be recognised? Without executive buy-in - no tickets!
3) Given 1-2 as the team don their boots they will find a way using some new tools and learning new skills.

Visiting a health care organisation HQ the reception area often features the latest report, plus a statistical or public (mental) health display that explains what the organisation about, what projects are ongoing and what are its future plans and aspirations (to use a word of the moment). ...

One way to check where you are is to take a look at your fellow travellers and what is happening in the 'shop' windows? The mannequins reflect many aspects of local lifestyles.

I have this image in my mind of cardboard cut-outs or mannequins showing the 'average' local members of the public and the 'average' users of local services.

Suitably attired - dressed with information these statuesque models, although mute, can speak volumes and tell us at least two things...

1. Who may need to call in to 'buy' our services; and
2. Who are the existing customers.

This really is about crossing boundaries. If you haven't anything to dress your mannequins in - well that's a bit embarrassing isn't it? That is not all though...

Medically, we know a lot about what makes people tick [sciences-political]:

What about the tock [social-intrapersonal]?

When people engage with health and social care services - do they have heads?

Original mannequin image source Planet Visual with thanks.