ResearchSpace Data Basket

1                 Introduction

The document provides an introduction to a full specification of the data basket. The data basket is described at page 38 and 73 of the functional requirements. This document may make changes to the details of the data basket and provide more details for its implementation.

The functional requirements sections are reproduced below

2                 Objectives

The data basket should achieve the following objectives;

1.      A history of use –tracking the last thing that a user did in any ResearchSpace tool and recording this in a history section the basket. A link would enable a user to start a tool with a particular record or asset loaded rather than have to search for the record or asset again.

2.      Searches – this would allow users to save searches. This can be sent to other users who can save the searches to their own data baskets.

3.      User activity - Records all entries made by the user.

4.      Recording information - like a field, image (or other assert) or an annotation – this would allow the following;

5.      Embed into Collaboration -The ability to embed items into collaboration areas as part of a discussion, wiki entry etc. For example, a user makes an annotation using one of the ResearchSpace tools. They save the entry as a data basket item. They go to the collaboration area and insert the item into the discussion. This means that others can link to the item in context directly.

6.      Embed into Tools - The ability to take text from a collaboration area and use it in a research tool – such as an annotation.

7.      General Notes and citations (Possibly should be Zotero compatible)

8.      Share - Allow users to share their data basket entries.

9.     Export – Ability to export data to standard file formats including RDF

10. Additional – Individual data baskets could be used as a data source for web presentations

3                 Assumptions

It is assumed that entries, where possible, are accessing existing data rather than duplicating it. (for discussion).

4                 Metadata

Metadata for data basket items

·       Data basket Creator – The person who created the data basket item whether explicitly or implicitly

·       Sent by – The person that sent the data basket item

·       Title – The title of the data basket item

·       Description – Description of the data basket item

·       URL – Address of the data basket item

·       Tool  - The tool it was created in

·       Data Author – The person who created the data that was inserted (e.g. annotation)

·       Data Date – The data that the information was originally created.

·       User metadata and Notes

5                 Use Case Stories

Case 1 -  The user logons on to the system and goes back to a data record or image record that they had been working on in their last session. Clicking on the link in the data basket launches the tool and the record ready for working.

Case 2 – The user goes back to a item they were working on in the current session. They can look through their history and select a link that lunches the record in within the tool they were last working with it in.

Case 3 – The user is working with a collaboration environment. They want to bring others users aware of a record they have been working on within the image annotation tool. They copy the database link into the forum for others to follow. The link will launch the tool and the record for other users.

Case 4 – The user makes a comment in the collaboration forum and wants to use the text in an annotation at a later date. The user can copy the text to the data basket and paste it into an annotation or other field later.

Case 5 – The user wants to leave the collaboration forum while writing a post and make a data entry or annotation using a RS tool. They want to then come back to post and complete the entry and insert new items from their data basket into the post.

Case 6 – The user wants take a piece of data while using a tool and create a link to that data in a collaboration forum.

Case 7- The user wants to collect thumbnails in their data basket and insert these within the collaboration forum.

Case 8 – The user want to collect a link to a digital asset and insert this into a collaboration forum. The link would take the user to the asset. The link would display a thumbnail.

Case 9 – The user wants to save a current search in the data basket – The entry should provide a link to load a search and invoke the search query.

Case 10 – the user wants to flag entries in the data basket and share them with other project team members.

Case 11 – The user wishes to transfer information between tools. For example, an annotation made against an image might also be made against a data field.

Case 12 – The user wishes to add additional notes and tags to data basket items. The user also wishes to search the data basket.

Relevant Internet examples

Top Braid web data basket

http://composing-the-semantic-web.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/topbraid-composers-web-data-basket.html

Note: This is not relevant from a UI perspective because the data basket need to be a user friendly UI but is useful in terms of some concepts and ultimately collects RDF.

Zotero

http://www.zotero.org/support/screencast_tutorials

This is more user friendly and may have some future within the data basket system. It has the concept of collecting information and allowing additional notes and tags.