TMRA'05 - International Workshop on Topic Maps Research and Applications

Talks of TMRA'05

Park, Jack
"Topic Mapping: A View of the Road Ahead"
This talk offers one view, among many possible views, of the road ahead for topic mapping. We will propose that the indexical and relational properties of topic maps offer opportunities well beyond the organization and presentation of information resources. Tenets of evolutionary epistemology suggest a particular area of inspiration, the potential marriage of topic maps with other knowledge technologies. The talk is intended to inspire further discussion and research in this area, and will animate the discussion with a sketch of a candiate composition between topic maps and conceptual graphs.
Introduction to TMRA'05

Giovani Librelotto, José Carlos Ramalho, Pedro Rangel Henriques
Metamorphosis - a Topic Maps based Environment to Handle Heterogeneous Information Resources
Nowadays, data handled by an institution or company is spread out by more than one database and lots of documents of different types. To extract the information implicit in that data, it is necessary to pick parts from those various archives. To obtain a general overview, those information slices should be gather. Different approaches can be followed to achieve that integration, ranging from the merge of resources till the fusion of the extracted parts. In this paper, we introduce Metamorphosis a Topic Maps oriented environment to generate conceptual navigators for heterogenous information systems and we argue that Metamorphosis can be used to achieve, via Topic Maps, the referred interoperability.
Session "Frameworks and Engines"

Jakub Strychowski
Concept Glossary Manager - Topic Maps Engine and Navigator
(get the slides as [pdf] [sxi] [ppt])
Office Objects Concept Glossary Manager (CGM), which has been designed by the author as a software component of the ICONS system, helps to create, edit and visualize topic maps. The CGM features distributed topic maps processing, user rights execution, versioning and ontology driven generative user interfaces. The paper overviews the architecture, ontology driven methods and an example application of the topic map engine. In the final section some weaknesses of the approach are identified and possible improvements are suggested.
Session "Frameworks and Engines"

Motomu Naito
Application Framework based on Topic Maps
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Several technical elements for dealing with the subject and for realizing the subject centric processing are coming into service. Especially Topic Maps and PSIs are infrastructure of them. This paper proposes Application Framework based on Topic Maps which can be constructed using those technical elements. The Application Framework will make possible to realize subject centric processing. This paper introduces some challenges we are going on now. There are a lot of subjects concerning software development process, and we are trying to construct the system to manage those subjects applying to the Application Framework.
Session "Frameworks and Engines"

Lars Heuer
Work in Progress Report - Practical Tau
(get the slides as [pdf])
This work in progress report gives an impression how the Tau+ model can be used to implement a topic map engine. Utilizing the Tau+ model leads to a topic map engine that can easily queried and may be used for prototyping the proposed TMQL.
Session "Frameworks and Engines"

Lars Marius Garshol
TMRAP - Topic Maps Remote Access Protocol
(get the slides as [pdf])
This paper describes TMRAP, an abstract protocol for remote access to topic maps. It can be used to access a topic map repository to query or update a topic map, or to listen for updates to parts of a topic map. The protocol has an HTTP binding, as well as a Java binding, and can return and receive topic map fragments in many different syntaxes.
Session "Topic Maps Exchange"

Thomas Schwotzer, Agnes Cebulla
Replication of Published Subject Indicators as thesaurus by means of LDAP
(get the slides as [pdf])
Published subject indicators (PSI) are public available descriptions of nonaddressable subjects. PSI sets can be used as shared vocabularies. Different topic map authors can use the same PSI set to assure that topics dealing with same subjects are recognised as identical topics by arbitrary topic map engines. There is no standardised structure for PSI sets. There is no concept of distributed and replicated PSI sets. Both are required features from several application classes. This paper describes how thesauri can be used as a PSI set schema and how existing thesauri can be converted into Topic Maps. It is also explained how LDAP can be used as a replication platform for PSI sets.
Session "Topic Maps Exchange"

Lutz Maicher
Topic Maps Exchange in the Absence of Shared Vocabularies
(get the slides as [ppt])
Means for the exchange of Topic Maps are crucial for their further development of Topic Maps as industry integration standard. All existing approaches base on shared vocabularies. We clarify the term "absence of shared vocabularies" in the context of Topic Map Exchange. Afterwards we introduce the existing approaches for Topic Map Exchange and emphasise their limitations in the absence of shared vocabularies. Afterwards the SIM Approach is introduced and discussed. The SIM Approach allows the exchange of Topic Maps in the absence of shared vocabularies.
Session "Topic Maps Exchange"

Are Gulbrandsen
Conceptual Modelling of Topic Maps with ORM versus UML
(get the slides as [ppt] [pdf])
The paper aims to discuss strengths and weaknesses of using ORM (Object Role Modelling) and UML (Unified Modeling Language) for Topic Maps Ontology modelling. Established evaluation criteria for conceptual modelling languages are used to compare Topic Maps ontologies modelling with UML and ORM, to try to find if the choice is just a matter of taste, or if there are any important differences. The paper discusses a few extensions to simplify viewing ORM diagrams of Topic Maps ontologies, and discuss the proposed notational changes/extensions in the light of the evaluation criteria. ORM is also used to model a Topic Map case to show practical use of ORM within an application domain.
Session "Modelling and Creating Topic Maps"

Josef Herget, Niklaus Stettler, Silke Grossmann, Martin Leuenberger
Work in Progress Report - Topics4Images
(get the slides as [pdf])
The project "Living Memory" aims to develop a database of architectural photographies which will incorporate classical methods of information indexing and retrieval as well as innovative approaches like content-based image retrieval and semantic searching and browsing using Topic Maps.
Session "Modelling and Creating Topic Maps"

Karsten Böhm, Lutz Maicher
Real-time Generation of Topic Maps from Speech Streams
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Topic Maps are means for representing sophisticated indexes of any information collections for the purpose of semantic information. The creation of Topic Maps bases on a theoretic fundament which is introduced in this paper. Moreover, the Observation Principle is the result of a deep investigation of the Subject Equality Decision Chain will be discussed as well as the Semantic Talk System which generates sophisticated, conceptual indexes of speech streams in realtime. This paper describes how these indexes are created, how they are represented as Topic Maps and how they can be used for integration purposes.
Session "Modelling and Creating Topic Maps"

Rolf Guescini, Dino Karabeg, Tommy Nordeng
Polyscopic Structuring Of Information By Using Topic Maps
(get the slides as [pdf] )
To develop and test polyscopic document structuring in practice we have developed a prototype flexible e-learning application called Flexplearn and used it in the Information Design course at the University of Oslo. In Flexplearn a polyscopically structured Topic Map is used for the placement and organization of various learning resources. A taxonomy, (a hierarchy of concepts) is used to implement levels. The taxonomy begins from the top-of-the-mountain concept which is information design (the subject of this course), and develops through suitable subdivisions. The aspects reflect different types of documents, user categories and needs etc. By using the taxonomy, the learning resources (books, articles, videotaped lectures etc.) are assigned suitable levels and associated with general or specialized topics in information design.
Session "Modelling and Creating Topic Maps"

Gabriel Hopmans, Peter-Paul Kruijsen
Work in Progress Report - Subject Centric IT in Local Government
(get the slides as [ppt])
Morpheus Software shows in a presentation ongoing work for a Document Managment Specialist. The project is about subject centric organization of information that integrates with exis ting infrastructure and software. This Dynamic Information Facility (DIF) offers large, distributed organizations, operating in complex value chains, such as Governmental organizations, an easy way to improve their document management-, information sharing-, and publishing processes.
Session "Modelling and Creating Topic Maps"

Jack Park
Topic Maps, Ontologies, Just For Me
As topic mapping technology matures and enters mainstream employment in ever more complex indexical and organizational applications, user interface issues bubble to the foreground. Indexical applications require attention to two key issues: subject identity, and names for things. Recent innovation on the web1, the notion of social bookmarking, for instance, is pointing the way towards a web that satisfies a just for me2 requirement. The combination of rising popularity and high level of innovation in this arena strongly suggests that the just for me requirement should be investigated at the desktop application level, along with the web. In this paper, we present work in progress in the application of concepts gained from topic maps coupled with ontologies with the goal of augmenting human capabilities and performance in office-related knowledge work. Research associated with the project we describe, CALO together with its user interface IRIS, is revealing, in ever-pealing onion-skin fashion, the complexities associated with the elaboration of a user interface suited to topic mapping the personal knowledge assets of IRIS users.
Session "Topic Maps Driven Interfaces"

Kamila Olsevicova
Rebuilding Virtual Study Environments Using Topic Maps
(get the slides as [ppt])
Virtual study environments are web-based applications where ecourses are delivered. In accordance with the shift towards the semantic web, the conception of separated and narrowly focused e-courses seems to be obsolete and certain new solutions should be offered. We believe that Topic Maps (TM) technology is a good candidate to become the core integrative element of next generation of educational portals with the potential to replace current virtual study environments. In the paper we explain how to transform virtual study environments using TM and present the pilot application built in Ontopia Omnigator.
Session "Topic Maps Driven Interfaces"

Markus Ueberall, Oswald Drobnik
Work in Progress Report - Collaborative Software Development and Topic Maps
(get the slides as [pdf])
This work-in-progress report subsumes our ongoing research to develop a topic map-centric system which supports collaborative software development combining the merits of topic maps for representation and the semantic zooming paradigm for navigation.
Session "Topic Maps Driven Interfaces"

Gabriel Hopmans, Peter-Paul Kruijsen, Leon Oud, Jelte Verhoeff, John Clews
Work in Progress Report - Topic Maps for European Administrative Nomenclature
(get the slides as [ppt])
This work-in-progress report describes the business need (an "Administrative Nomenclature" portal). It addresses the research topic of interoperability between discrete XML technologies (Topic Maps, Published Subjects, ebXML Registries, TMRAP, and distributed databases).
Session "Topic Maps Driven Interfaces"

Lars Marius Garshol
tolog - a topic maps query language
(get the slides as [pdf])
This paper describes tolog, a query language for topic maps inspired by Prolog and very similar to Datalog. The language is based on binding variables by matching predicates against the topic map being queried, and contains predicates for querying any aspect of the Topic Maps Data Model (TMDM), and also has support for user-defined predicates. SQL-like features like aggregate functions, projection, ordering, and result set paging. The paper introduces a formal model for topic maps, called Q, and uses this to formally define the semantics of tolog. The built-in predicates are defined, as is the syntax, and some notes on optimization and implementation are provided.
Session "Standards Related Research"

Robert Barta, Lars Heuer
A TMDM Disclosure Using Tau+
(get the slides as [pdf])
Both, the more pragmatic Topic Map data model (TMDM) and the more fundamental Topic Map Reference Model (TMRM), have reached now a certain degree of maturity. Unfortunately, the development of these models did not occur in lockstep as they address very different needs and communities. This work tries to be the missing link by faithfully mapping TMDM instances into TMRM. For this purpose we formally introduce a refinement of the existing T model by adapting it to the latest TMRM version and by extending it to cover TMRM disclosures.
Session "Standards Related Research"

Lars Marius Garshol, Dmitry Bogachev
TM/XML - Representing Topic Maps in XML
(get the slides as [pdf])
This paper describes TM/XML, an XML syntax for topic maps that is very close to the natural, or colloquial, XML representation the information in the topic map. It can be used to integrate non-topic map systems with topic map systems, and also to easily create topic maps from XML data.
Session "Standards Related Research"

Salvatore Vassallo
Navigating through archives, libraries and museums
(get the slides as [ppt])
The paper deals with the possibility of creating a topic map based system providing a framework within which different sectors of cultural heritage would interact with users, both through statistics meant to determine variant forms of name and through the logging of queries, in order to create new patterns. The problem of dealing with different sectors and harmonizing them both from a structural and a semantic view point, by using topic maps, is also discussed.
Session "Topic Maps in Library and Cultural Heritage Science"

Han Sung-Kook, Lee Hyun-Sil, Ryu Yeong-Hyeon
MARCXTM: Topic maps modeling of MARC bibliographic Information
(get the slides as [ppt])
This paper proposes MARCXTM, XTM model of MARC21 bibliographic elements. The major research efforts to enhance the representation of MARC record formats is reviewed to derive the functional requirements necessary for modeling MARC formats. Based on these requirements, the topic map model of MARC bibliographic elements is presented. This paper also describes the implementation of MARCXTM and demonstrates the usability of MARCXTM. MARCXTM can retain all bibliographic elements in MARC21, and represent their concepts and relationships. MARCXTM is fully compatible with MARC21 and supports bidirectional transformation among other XML based MARC schema. MARCXTM also gives on insight on metadata and ontology for bibliographic resources.
Session "Topic Maps in Library and Cultural Heritage Science"

Joachim Dudeck, Ralf Schweiger, Simon Hölzer
Applications of an efficient multipurpose Search Engine based on Topic Map Technology (LuMriX)
LuMriX (XML, uri) is a multipurpose search engine based on XML and Topic Maps database technology. It comprehends crawler, indexer and an effective search engine and processes mainly XML but also other types of documents. LuMriX is already applied to static and dynamic document databases which are already accessible in the Web. Static databases are several medical terminology systems like the German version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10), the new comprehensive international nomenclature SNOMED CT and a drug database of the University hospital of Giessen with topic map associations to the official German drug list, the so called "Rote Liste". Another static application is the mapping of the German law code into a topic map.
Besides these successful applications two applications with dynamically changing documents are also in use with LuMriX, the electronic library of the University library of Giessen and the news feeder Lufee. An important advantage of the topic map approach is the unrestricted possibility of defining associations between topics.
LuMriX has solved an important problem of topic maps, the fast and effective access to the content of the database. LuMriX applications will be shortly described and demonstrated.
Session "Topic Maps in Library and Cultural Heritage Science"

Lynne Howarth, Thea Miller
Visualizing Search Results from Metadata-enabled Repositories in Cultural Domains
(get the slides as [ppt])
For end-users unfamiliar with domain-specific metadata, being able to enter a natural language (free text) query and having search results returned in a language-independent format -- such as can be realized through the use of topic maps -- would offer an alternative to the potential ambiguities of textual labelling.
Session "Topic Maps in Library and Cultural Heritage Science"

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TMRA'05 is chaired by Lutz Maicher. Please see the program committee.

Author: Lutz Maicher. Last update: 12.10.2005

News
October, 18 2005	The slides of TMRA'05 are now online available. more...
October, 7 2005	Lars Marius Garshol blogged all talks of the second day of TMRA'05. more...
October, 6 2005	Lars Marius Garshol blogged all talks of the first day of TMRA'05. more...