UKOLN and Microsoft Research Connections in Partnership

Microsoft Research Connections and UKOLN are working in partnership to develop a Community Capability Model for Data-Intensive Research. One of this partnership's activities is an event at the University of York, of interest to researchers, digital repository managers, staff from library, information and research organisations, data curators, data centre managers, data scientists, research-funding organisations and research networks.

The Community Capability Model for Data-Intensive Research Project

The ultimate aim of the Community Capability Model for Data-Intensive Research Project is to provide a framework useful for researchers and funders in modelling a range of disciplinary and community behaviours with respect to the adoption, usage, development and exploitation of cyber-infrastructure for data-intensive research. The speed at which any given discipline advances will depend on how well its researchers collaborate with one another, as well as with others responsible for the computational infrastructure now presumed to be a core part of the research process. The project aims to develop a community capability model framework reflecting a series of maturity factors or parameters, for example:

• an associated set of metrics
• a taxonomy of terms describing the framework
• a supporting suite of visualisations
• case studies

The scope of the project will include technological aspects such as adoption of common data infrastructures, standards, formats and ontologies. Given that social technology aspects have become so ingrained in all researchers do, this scope also includes:

• collaborative approaches and usage of social networks
• influence and reach including partnerships across sectors and disciplines
• openness including acceptance of open methodologies and tools
• interactions with the public
• socio-legal issues ( i.e. approaches to data licensing, intellectual property, ethical constraints, and scholarly publishing norms)

The project work will build on and extend the principles described in The Fourth Paradigm (2007) by the late Jim Gray. Further details are available on the Community Model for Data-Intensive Research Web site.

First Consultation Workshop: University of York, 28 September 2011

This consultation workshop will focus on discussing and describing technological aspects of supporting research, such as common data infrastructure, standards, and ontologies. Social aspects such as collaborative approaches, open and socio-legal issues will also be explored. The ultimate aim is to provide a framework that is useful for researchers and funders in modelling a range of disciplinary and community behaviours with respect to the adoption, usage, development and exploitation of cyber-infrastructure for data-intensive research.

This event will take place on Wednesday 28 September 2011, from 13:15 to 17:15 in Rooms 248 and 250, Ron Cooke Hub, University of York. Please see timetable below for session timings and details.

Workshop Objectives:

• How do disciplines and domains vary in their approach to community computational/IT infrastructure, data standards, metadata schema, semantics / ontologies, and identifiers for data?
• What are the characteristics, features and community parameters which provide generic indicators of the maturity and capability of a discipline?
• How can the variation in these parameters be communicated, visualised and measured?
• What are the specific drivers and barriers within domains?
• What are the disciplinary / domain benefits from articulating these perspectives on community capability?
• How can the wider disciplinary community most effectively participate in the project?

Time	Session details	Contributors
13.15	Welcome	Liz Lyon (UKOLN, University of Bath) and Kenji Takeda (Microsoft Research)
13.20	Introducing the Community Capability Model (CCM) Project	Liz Lyon (UKOLN)
13.40	Presentations Domain exemplars - mini snapshots highlighting contrasting community approaches to infrastructure, standards, ontologies, metadata and identifiers	Speakers: Brian Matthews (STFC) Philip Lord (University of Newcastle) David de Roure (University of Oxford)
14.10	Group work 1 Defining a Community Capability Model : Validating the scope Deconstructing the proposed CCM Framework by critically examining and unpacking the range of parameters / factors, identifying gaps.	Facilitators: Liz Lyon (UKOLN) Manjula Patel (UKOLN) Kenji Takeda (Microsoft Research) Alex Wade (Microsoft Research)
15.00	Feedback Session	Liz Lyon (UKOLN)
15.20	Coffee break
15.40	Group work 2 Community Capability Metrics : Assessing and measuring activity Focussing on community infrastructure, technical standards, ontologies and other domain norms	Facilitators: Liz Lyon (UKOLN) Manjula Patel (UKOLN) Kenji Takeda (Microsoft Research) Alex Wade (Microsoft Research)
16.30	Feedback Session and Discussion	Kenji Takeda (Microsoft Research)
16.50	Way forward and next steps	Liz Lyon (UKOLN) Daron Green (Microsoft )
17.15	Close

Further information about this event can be obtained by contacting Michelle Smith. Please contact Manjula Patel for more information on this partnership project.