proj_objectives.html
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SWAD-Europe: Project Objectives
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<h1 id="title" class="title">
SWAD-Europe: Project Objectives
</h1>
<p class="navbar">
<b>Nearby:</b> <a href="../Overview.html">SWAD-Europe</a> <a
href="workplan.html">workplan</a> | <a
href="http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/">W3C Semantic Web Activity</a> | <a
href="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/sw/">SW Advanced Development</a>
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<p>
<em>This overview was written for the original project
proposal, September 2001</em>
</p>
<h4>
Overview
</h4>
<p>
For the Web to reach its full potential, it must evolve into
a Semantic Web, providing a universally accessible platform
that allows data to be shared and processed by automated
tools as well as by people. The 'Semantic Web' is a recent
initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), with the
goal of extending the current Web to facilitate Web
automation, universally accessible content, and the 'Web of
Trust'.
</p>
<p>
The SWAD-Europe project aims to support W3C's Semantic Web
initiative in Europe, providing targeted research,
demonstrations and outreach to ensure Semantic Web
technologies move into the mainstream of networked computing.
The project aims to support the development and deployment of
W3C Semantic Web specifications through implementation,
research and testing activities. Semantic Web Advanced
Development for Europe (SWAD-Europe) aims to play a key role
in the evolution of the Semantic Web, through education and
outreach to developers, organisations and content creators;
through Open Source implementation and testing, and through
pre-consensus technology development to drive and inform the
creation of new Semantic Web standards.
</p>
<p>
The period 2002-2004 will see the first wave of mainstream
Semantic Web applications. SWAD-Europe's role will be to
ensure that the critical technology components required for
widespread Semantic Web adoption are readily accessible to
European industry, consumers, and developers. This involves
finding and maintaining a balance between "in-house" Open
Source tool development, community building, outreach and
evangelism, combined with more technologically advanced
research and analysis to support and field-test Semantic Web
standards.
</p>
<h4>
Goals
</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Implement scenario-led examples showing the integration of
multiple Semantic Web technologies drawing practical use
cases from industry, consumer, developer perspectives.
</li>
<li>
Develop a Semantic Web technology integration strategy that
emphasises the utility of XML languages (such as SVG, HTML,
MathML, XLink) as complementary rather than competing
components of the Web.
</li>
<li>
Ensure that the European developers, citizens and content
creators are kept aware of Semantic Web technology for
supporting universal accessibility, device independence and
internationalisation.
</li>
<li>
Ensure that European Community is kept aware of
international best practice, and that best practice within
Europe is recognised internationally.
</li>
<li>
Undertake targeted research and development in support of
these objectives, and in collaboration with the wider
European developer community, W3C Member organisations, and
related Open Source initiatives.
</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Milestones and Results
</h4>
<p>
Following a 30 month schedule, by completion the project will
have:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Delivered a series of research demonstrations showcasing
Semantic Web technology for consumer and industrial
applications
</li>
<li>
Created a methodology demonstrating the integration of RDF
and Semantic Web tools with a range of XML and Web
standards
</li>
<li>
Facilitated significant technology maturation, aiding the
deployment of Semantic Web-enhanced Web Services
</li>
<li>
Deployed an Education and Outreach programme stimulating
and disseminating technical developments within the
European Semantic Web community
</li>
</ul>
<h4>
A Scenario-led Perspective
</h4>
<p>
The objectives of the project can best be understood in terms
of the kinds of user scenarios that will inform the project
throughout its lifecycle. As longstanding participants in the
Semantic Web, XML and Web developer communities, the project
team are familiar with a number of 'frequently asked
questions' that arise when considering Semantic Web
technology. These come from technical, consumer, content
creator and business perspectives, but a common theme recurs:
technology integration.
</p>
<p>
<em>Which standard should I use?"</em>
</p>
<p>
<em>"How do use RDF with XML Schemas? "</em>
</p>
<p>
<em>"...or Web Services with Web Ontologies? ...MathML with
RDF-rules?"</em>
</p>
<p>
Such questions are often themselves a means to an end. The
goal is typically not to integrate two different W3C data
formats, but to complete some more specific task.
Technology-oriented questions often mask an
application-oriented need.
</p>
<p>
We often hear questions such as:
</p>
<p>
<em>"I am re-engineering our Intranet and want a
standards-based way of exchanging (amongst other things)
'organisational chart' information about departments and
groups. The XML Schema Specification seems relevant, since we
keep much of this data in relational databases, and tools
exist to export data using XML Schema. Everybody recommends
the use of XML, but there seem to be so many different ways
of using it. The XML specification provides DTDs; there is
also now an XML Namespaces specification, and a number of
alternative XML Schema languages."</em>
</p>
<p>
<em>"Added to this, articles I read about the Semantic Web
suggest I should be using an `Ontology language' (instead?),
based on RDF Schema and(/or) DAML+OIL. Since the information
we are trying to represent is an organisational chart, we are
also considering the use of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) to
create, exchange and edit this information. It is not clear
which, if any, of these technologies are most appropriate to
use, nor what the relationship between them is."</em>
</p>
<p>
While exaggerated here for effect, these concerns are real,
current and addressable. To answer this, we need a
combination of advanced technology development and a
programme of documentation, demonstration, education and
outreach.
</p>
<p>
From the concerns of managers and technologists, content
creators and policy makers, we note this same need. Web
technology, and now Semantic Web technology in particular,
presents a daunting array of tools, specifications and
techniques. The full range of relevant technology, while in
principle extremely powerful, also risks stifling or delaying
innovation through providing too much to choose from.
</p>
<p>
The overarching aim of the project is thus to provide,
through all appropriate means, a body of answers to questions
that have to date gone unanswered, and to foster grassroots
communities within which such concerns are addressed. This
approach informs the project management and overall direction
of SWAD-Europe, as well as the content of each workpackage.
It is more important to offer clear answers to these
questions than it is for us to write software or complex
technical reports. Our technical research and advanced
development activities are a means to an end: facilitating
wide-scale Semantic Web deployment. The project will
therefore remain responsive to external developments (such as
the appearance of unanticipated third-party work, software
libraries etc.), refining the technical focus of the research
to track the current state of the art, and to respond to the
concerns of stakeholder communities.
</p>
<hr />
<p>
<a href="http://www.w3.org/People/DanBri/">Dan Brickley</a>
(<a href="http://www.w3.org/">W3C</a>/<a href="http://ilrt.org/discovery/">ILRT</a>),
project director<br />
last updated: $Date: 2003/06/11 12:34:41 $<br />
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