1. Methodologies for Web Information System Design
Peter Barna

2. Outline Traditional IS and WIS Phases of the design cycle for WIS
Navigation and Adaptation
Methodologies
Conclusion
Questions

3. Traditional IS and WIS Traditional IS WIS
Work typically with well defined and closed data repository
Serve to well known and specific audience
Use dedicated SW and HW platforms
Work typically with heterogeneous, dynamic and distributed data
Serve to diverse and large audience
Use web navigation with all its specifics

4. Typical WIS design cycle
Requirements analysis delivers Requirement spec
Conceptual design delivers Conceptual model
Navigation design delivers Navigation model(s)
Adaptation design delivers Adaptation model
Presentation design delivers Presentation model
Implementation delivers WIS

5. Navigation
Good navigation structure of an application helps user to find relevant information fast and avoids him to be “lost” in hyperspace
Navigation model:
Abstracts from concrete platform (OS, hypertext protocol) as much as possible
Depends on CM, but is separated (multiple NM possible for one CM)

6. Adaptation Makes WIS more suitable for individual users
Based on different aspects:
User’s platform; since it does not change during browsing the adaptation is static (adaptability)
User’s preferences; since this also usually does not change during the adaptation is static
User’s behaviour; since it includes also browsing, the adaptation is dynamic (adaptivity)

7. Methodologies: Example
Conceptual model of the example in RDFS notation
Example application has 3 views:
Technique
Painting
Painter
based on particular concepts

8. RMM: Relationship Management Methodology
Defines process of building of NM only
CM is by default E-R diagram
Slices as navigation objects
Meaningful collections of attributes from different CM concepts
Nested and referenced from each other
No adaptation modelling

9. OOHDM: Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design Methodology
O-O approach based on OMT notation
NM consists of:
Navigation Class Schema
Navigation Context Schema
Adaptation can be modelled, but is not directly supported

10. UWE: UML Based Web Engineering Methodology
O-O approach based on UML notation
NM consists of:
Navigation Space Model
Navigation Structure Model
Adaptation model is described in Munich Reference Model (AHAM-like UWE extension)

11. WebML: Web Modeling Language
Oriented towards design patterns re-use
Specifies:
Structure model
Derivation model
Hypertext model
Composition model
Navigation model
Adaptation modelling can use User and Group entities pre-defined in structure model

12. Hera Model-driven methodology defines:
Process of model specification (integration, navigation, adaptation, and presentation) using terms from predefined ontologies
Framework of WIS generating presentations on user request and process of data transformation (using designed models)

13. Hera Navigation specification is RMM-like, it uses the slice concept
Adaptation in Hera:
Static (adaptability): based on platform profile and user’s preferences. The appearance of slices is decided during presentation generation
Dynamic (adaptivity): based on overview of concepts/slices visited by user during browsing. Hera uses the AHAM reference model.

14. Conclusion
O-O methodologies facilitate specification of WIS with possible rich functionality, but the functionality specification is usually vague (the implementation of methods is left to programmers).
Many methodologies allow adaptation modeling in some ways, but just few really support it sufficiently.
Hera: allows automated presentation generation, supports adaptation modeling.
Future Hera research: extend it with techniques that would facilitate generation of presentations with functionality richer than only links following.

15. Thank you for your attention…

16. Questions…