Semantic Web Oriented Approaches for Smaller Communities in Publishing Findable Datasets

Abstract

Publishing findable datasets is a crucial step in data interoperability and reusability. Initiatives like Google data search and semantic web standards like Data Catalog Vocabulary (DCAT) and Schema.org provide mechanisms to expose datasets on the web and make them findable. Apart from these standards, it is also essential to optionally explain the datasets, both its structure and applications. Metadata application profiles are a suitable mechanism to ensure interoperability and improve use-cases for datasets. Standards and attempts, including the Profiles (PROF) and VoID vocabularies, as well as frameworks like Dublin core application profiles (DCAP), provide a better understanding of developing and publishing metadata application profiles. The major challenge for domain experts, especially smaller communities intending to publish findable data on the web, is the complexities in understanding and conforming to such standards. Mostly, these features are provided by complex data repository systems, which is not always a sustainable choice for various small groups and communities looking for self-publishing their datasets. This paper attempts to utilize these standards in self-publishing findable datasets through customizing minimal static web publishing tools and demonstrating the possibilities to encourage smaller communities to adopt cost-effective and simple dataset publishing. The authors express this idea though this work-in-progress paper with the notion that such simple tools will help small communities to publish findable datasets and thus, gain more reach and acceptance for their data. From the perspective of the semantic web, such tools will improve the number of linkable datasets as well as promote the fundamental concepts of the decentralized web.