6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Coherence in Agricultural Information Systems – Fighting Hunger with Information requires more than the FAO website Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division, FAO

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division NAL Before Internet – Mostly Isolated collections – FAO CABI UniversitiesPublishers Government Agencies Institutes NGOs AGRIS Others

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Internet – Virtually connected collections GOOGLE FAO NAL CABI

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Tim Berners Lee: The web is like a big relational database without relations And more: New databases are added every day without considering existing content and interoperability

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Portals empty shells Aggregators costly and many collections end with the project money spent Harvesters simple accumulation does not resolve the problem Solutions……(tried)..

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division ©Berners-Lee

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Starting with a simpler Problem AQUAST AT AGRIS AGRIPPA new database service 2 common exchange layer service etc. AQUAST AT AGRIS AGRIPPA new database services ©Salokhe

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Value-added information services Shared layer of interoperability Distributed Datasets Database 1 Database 2 Common exchange layer (Vocabularies,Ontologies, RDF/XML) Database n Aggregated Database View Subject specific Portals … Informatio n System (n) News feed service … ©Liang/Sini/Salokhe

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division ©Liang/Sini/Salokhe

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division ©Liang/Sini/Salokhe

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division ©Liang/Sini/Salokhe

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division 3 Layers for Interoperable Information Systems Agricultural Information Services (Views based on user requirements) Agricultural Information Systems (datasets with heterogeneous resource types and data models heterogeneous) Agricultural Information Management Standards Clearinghouse (sharing methodologies, standards, applications within the community of practice) Database Subject Specific Portals Paper indexes of recent publications Feeds for Web Pages Alert Services ©Liang/Sini/Salokhe

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division The Vision (before the semantic web…) Network of Data and Service Providers with agreed procedures and standards – and common ontological layers Data Provider: exposes institutional open archives of data and information Service Provider: provides services based on these institutional open archives Libraries and other traditional Aggregators Thematic or Regional Centres of Excellence Development Agencies and NGOs Research Institutions Industry Information Centres

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division What stops going forward_

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division 1999: IDML Initiative 2000: Brussels meeting and AGstandards initiative 2001:Launch of the Agricultural Ontology Service 2002: Extension of AGROVOC Language Coverage 2003:Fertile Ground meeting for more coherence in Agricultural Information Systems Release of AGMES 2004: AGRIS Application Profile 2005:Integration of the AOS workshops with INFITA Strong Collaboration FAO ICT-Program CG network (CGIAR Application Profiles) Coherence Consortium, What has been done up to know?

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Metadataschemas concentrated on “DLIOs” AGMES Specifications for Projects, News, Events, experts and Institutions still missing Breakthrough for the AGRIS –AP in 2005 (CGIAR, GFIS, Agr.Un. Norway…=

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Subject - Vocabularies concentrated on Language Coverage of Agrovoc (languages and downloads) Integration of other Subject Vocabularies Restructuring Collaboration with other Institutions

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Ontologies Applications

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Shared Communication Platform Expert Meetings Information System Designers/Developers Information System Managers Consultations Donor Organizations Information System Owners External Actors An Alliance for Coherence in Agricultural Information Systems

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Functions of the Alliance Registration and documentation of common standards (namespaces, application profiles, protocols) Registration and documentation of information systems and ways to use them Facilitation of the coherent use of standards and tools Advocacy for a “Code of Conduct” Establishment of mechanisms to agree on common standards and procedures Collaborative efforts in maintaining standards Facilitation of fund raising for coherence efforts

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Mechanisms of The Alliance Website for documentation, communication and exchange (within the FAO domain or with it s own domain? Steering committee of participating organizations for decisions? Secretariat with FAO for running tasks? Annual (Biannual meetings of participating institutions)? Expert meetings to elaborate standards and procedures?

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Partners Publishers Important Agricultural Libraries Development Agencies Universities IARs (CG-network) Industry Organizations from Related Areas (UNEPS EnOS)

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Legal construction Consortium like the W3C? Informal agreements through simple exchange of Letters with FAO as handling agent? ???

6 th AOS Workshop at EFITA 2005, Vila Real Johannes Keizer Library and Documentation Systems Division Way Forward Working group on “projects, institutions, persons” has been set up Pilot study on a common events calendar has been decided and commissioned FAO will further clarify the use of the “Agris-Application Profile and prepare a report about the effects of the “roll out” A clearer proposal for the consortia idea is necessary Bilateral contacts between decision makers in the participating organizations are necessary Presentation and advocacy for the concept of the Clearinghouse at EFITA 2005 Next meeting in October (period 19-23)