1 data-intensive research: actions to make better use of data for research malcolm atkinson &...

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Data-IntensiveResearch: Actions

to make better use of Data for

Research

Malcolm Atkinson & David De Roure

mpa@nesc.ac.uk & dder@ecs.soton.ac.uk

12 January 2010

Reportto

e-Science Forum @ Leedsfrom a fact-finding mission

Mission goal: learn how researchers use data

Acknowledgements: the UK e-Science Directors CIR authors, our teams, the EPSRC, the RCUK, USA office and all of our hosts in the USA,

their good ideas; all the opinions, observations and recommendations are our own.

Draft Report, partially edited

http://tinyurl.com/ye8x4bw

Outline•Cornucopia of data

•Yet to learn how to use it well

•Hot topic•Research to politics

•Concepts•Datascopes, Intellectual Ramps,Going the last mile

•Co-*

•Alignment

•Digital ecosystem

•Principles

•Recommendations

•Actions

•Survival in the Digital Revolution

3

Data-Intensive Research Events

Bermuda agreement 1996, 97 & 98

SDSS Archive DB 1999

Human Genome 2001

DI Comp. Environm’s2001

BaBar@SLAC 2002

Fort Lauderdale 2003

Hey&Trefethen D.Del.2003

Digital Curation Cen.2004

NSF DataNet call 2007

XLDB series starts 2007

SciDB starts 2008

Yahoo DI workshop 2008

Harnessing data 2009

Beyond data del. 2009

Gov’s use Linked D.2009

NSF CISE DI call 2009

4th Paradigm book 2009

JISC Research DM 2009

e-IRG DMTF report 2009

DIEW Japan 2010

Sir Tim Berners-Leehttp://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/GovData.html

How will

Linked Data

benefit

rese

archers?

How will

Linked Data

benefit

rese

archers?

Datascopes for the naked mind

6

NRAO/AUI/NSF

To reveal evidence in data you could never see before

Datato Information

to Knowledgeto Wisdom

Changed our place in the universe

Datascopes Summary

• Better methods for extracting information from data• better algorithms for

discovery, selection, fusion, distillation, aggregation, presentation

algorithms transformed to run incrementally

• Better strategies for using the algorithms• Better data/metadata and semantics• Better platforms supporting the strategies• Data centres hosting data and computation

• Coping with more complexity, more users & more questions

• Knowledge, questions & datascopes co-evolve

Rally cr

oss-d

isciplin

ary

effortRally cr

oss-d

isciplin

ary

effort

Intellectual ramps

Easy and low risk to startProgress to advanced skillsFor research data usersNo obligationGo as far as you want

Find a service & relax

Dropbox as a Ramp

Local folder synchronised and shared via cloud

Condor job submitted by drag and drop

Ian Cottam

Results appear in Dropbox

Slide from David De Roureramp 1: exploiting familiar tools http://wiki.myexperiment.org/index.php/DropAndCompute

Intuitive interfaces

e-Science Research http://research.nesc.ac.uk/rapid/Slide from Jano van Hemert

Engineering economic ramps

Replace Porta

l Build

ing Cottage

Industry

Replace Porta

l Build

ing Cottage

Industry

ramp 2 - hiding complexity; minimal input

Ramps: Summary

• An easy path to use a data analysis method• An opportunity• Not an obligation• Engage as far as you want

• Use a service for routine tasks• Types of ramp

• in browser - now powerful - can reach the GPU• in familiar tools• support from centres and crowd-sourced

• Strongly linked with education• Removes distracting technical clutter• Rescues educators & students• Ramp & education co-evolve

Boost investm

ent

hereBoost investm

ent

here

Technology & Researchers

15

Co-evolution

Tech. display

Researcherschoose?

Niches?

Fastest atadaptationwins

Actions

1. Workshops on DIR

2. DIR education3. Ideas factory

project launch4. Test best

practice5. Immediate

research challenges

6. DIR facilities pool7. Boost reference

data services8. Foundational

research9. Green DIR10.Coordination

http://tinyurl.com/ye8x4bw

Phase 1

1. Workshops on DIR

2. DIR education3. Ideas factory

project launch4. Test best

practice5. Immediate

research challenges

In Edinburgh 15-19 March 2010

http://tinyurl.com/ye8x4bw

http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/events/1047/

Phase 1

1. Workshops on DIR

2. DIR education3. Ideas factory

project launch4. Test best

practice5. Immediate

research challenges

What will your organisation do?

http://tinyurl.com/ye8x4bw

Phase 1

1. Workshops on DIR

2. DIR education3. Ideas factory

project launch4. Test best

practice5. Immediate

research challenges

Immersive + mix => launch projects

http://tinyurl.com/ye8x4bw

Actions Phase 1

1. Workshops on DIR

2. DIR education3. Ideas factory

project launch4. Test best

practice5. Immediate

research challenges

Import, Experiment, Engage & Chooseexisting D-I methods and technology

for pressing existing research

Actions Phase 1

1. Workshops on DIR

2. DIR education3. Ideas factory

project launch4. Test best

practice5. Immediate

research challenges

Which ones? Cross-cutting challenges, methods, facilities and capabilities

Actions phase 1

Actions A1 to A5 will build capacity for larger and more demanding projects, help researchers build teams with effective mixes of skills and experience, and provide performance information for the selection of strategies, technologies and teams for larger commitments to follow.

Phase 2

6. DIR facilities pool7. Boost reference

data services8. Foundational

research9. Green DIR10.Coordination

S/W, H/W & support: what services do researchers need? How much? How soon?

More softw

are; Less

hardwareMore so

ftware; L

ess

hardware

More bandwidth; Fewer

FLOPSMore bandwidth; F

ewer

FLOPS

Phase 2

6. DIR facilities pool7. Boost reference

data services8. Foundational

research9. Green DIR10.Coordination

What can we do to help UK reference-data services? What do is needed as international

agreements?

http://tinyurl.com/ye8x4bw

Phase 2

6. DIR facilities pool7. Boost reference

data services8. Foundational

research9. Green DIR10.Coordination

Computing science + Mathematical & Information sciences + Field experience + long-term

commitment to building foundations of DIR

UKCRC should esp

ouse th

is

causeUKCRC sh

ould espouse

this

cause

Phase 2

6. DIR facilities pool7. Boost reference

data services8. Foundational

research9. Green DIR10.Coordination

What should the UK or your organisation do? Where should it do it?

Phase 2

6. DIR facilities pool7. Boost reference

data services8. Foundational

research9. Green DIR10.Coordination

Framework for interdisciplinarity & pooled effort/resources + UK’s international presence?

This sh

ould be set u

p

immediately

This sh

ould be set u

p

immediately

Applied science + last mile

We seek solutions.We don’t see - dare I

say this? - just scientific papers

anymoreQuoting US Secretary of Energy & Nobel laureate Steven Chu

Survival in the digital-data

revolution depends on speed and

appropriateness of adaptation

Summary

• Much research is data intensive

• More of it will be

• Exploiting the opportunity is urgent for the UK (you/your org.)

• This requires changes• In facility provision

• In research investment

• In research behaviour (incentives)

• In education

• These changes are part of the digital revolution• Understand, engage and ride the wave

• Investing in data-intensive research• Will accelerate research

• Deliver more applicable research

• Provide a better return on investment

And Next ...

• Messages from the panel• To EPSRC Research Facilities SAT• To ESRC & BBSRC & ...• To Carole’s e-Infrastructure group• To e-IRG & ESFRI

• Develop ideas & plan campaign• In your university, institute, research

council• Feed into Spending Reviews

• Meeting at the e-Science Institute• 15 to 19 March 2010• http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/events/1047/

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