e-science: understanding research data malcolm atkinson & david de roure mpa@nesc.ac.uk &...

e-Science: Understanding Research Data

Malcolm Atkinson & David De Roure

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

20 October 2009

RCUK fact-finding mission

Reporting Back

Data Quest: 7-30 Sept. 2009

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http://blog.openwetware.org/deroure/http://wikis.nesc.ac.uk/escienvoy/Main_Page#Fact-finding_mission_to_the_USA_-_September_2009

Preview: Digital Revolution

• Abundant data• Intense activity• All forms of data• All disciplines• Range of maturity• From raw numbers in

files to linked data sites in RDF

• No boundary between documents and data

• New architectures

• Beacons of good practice

• Trusted centres• New “instruments”• Intellectual “ramps”• Going the “last mile”• Niches in a digital

ecosystem• Co-evolution• Multiple large

investments• Software & data

projects

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Data’s time has comeData’s time has come

‘twas ever thusdata + algorithm= computationNiklaus Wirth

‘twas ever thusdata + algorithm= computationNiklaus Wirth

Data data everywhere

• Digital data key to global communication• Between people• Between machines• Between software components• The universal connecting glue

• 1.8 Zetta bytes by 2011 (1.8×1021)• in 20×1015 data containers

• Research data a small part• in a much bigger ecosystem

• Triggering the Digital-Data Revolution• higher stress than the previous revolutions• because simultaneous impact on every nation

5

Rich so

urces o

f unders

tandin

g –

untapped

Rich so

urces o

f unders

tandin

g –

untapped

Technology & Researchers

6

Co-evolution

Tech. display

Researcherschoose?

Niches?

Fastest atadaptationwinsIs

your data

tech

nology o

f inte

rest

to

rese

archers

?

Is your d

ata te

chnolo

gy of i

ntere

st to

rese

archers

?

Access ramp for the mind

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Easy and low risk to startProgress to advanced skillsFor research data users

Bringing re

search

ers up to

speed

safe

lyBringing re

search

ers up to

speed

safe

ly

Leading to specialised data use

8Giving o

pportuniti

es to d

o sophist

icate

d

rese

arch

Giving o

pportuniti

es to d

o sophist

icate

d

rese

arch

Ride a professionally delivered data service

9

and routin

e rese

arch

effortless

ly

and routin

e rese

arch

effortless

ly

New “instruments”

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NRAO/AUI/NSF

To reveal to the “naked mind”information it cannot see unaided

Datato Information

Changed our place in the universe

to Knowledgeto Wisdom

PresentPublishEmbedArchiveEvidenceOn Demand

The ‘whole mile’ from data to influence

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Globalcloud

of existing data

Globalcloud

of existing data

FindAcquirePrepareAccessData

CleanFilterTransformCombineData

NormaliseAnalyseReviewCompareData andModels

Raw dataRaw dataSelected & cleaned dataSelected & cleaned dataAnalysis

resultsAnalysis resultsEvidenc

eEvidenceInsight + scholarly

publicationInsight + scholarly publicationPresentati

onPresentationImpact = behavioural

changeImpact = behavioural change

All enrich pool of data

12

Globalcloud

of existing data

Globalcloud

of existing data

PresentPublishEmbedArchiveEvidenceOn Demand

FindAcquirePrepareAccessData

CleanFilterTransformCombineData

NormaliseAnalyseReviewCompareData andModels

13

Data-Intensive Research: The UK played a leading role; what will it do now?

Principles

• Research data support should be in harmony with evolving digital ecosystem

• Increase investment in using data to balance investment in collecting it

• Co-evolve research practices, new methods and their supporting software

• Democratise research by improving education and access

• Align foundational research, pioneering and support

• Users of data need to be aware of costs and environmental impact

14Draft

– stil

l under

developm

ent

Draft

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l under

developm

ent

Recommendations

• Stimulate new thinking in next generation of researchers

• Invest in creating and sharing methods and software for exploiting data

• Increase access and use by building ‘intellectual ramps’ and improved education

• Invest in foundational research into data-intensive methods linked with the ‘field’ experience of use and support

• Support an innovation to pioneering to supported facility life cycle

15Draft

– stil

l under

developm

ent

Draft

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l under

developm

ent

Possible DIR Actions

• Run summer school/”bootcamp” on data-intensive research (DIR)

• Open discussion workshop on UK DIR requirements, including UK ESFRI projects

• Sandpit (cross RCUK & charities) initiating foundational research programme

• Inject DIR into current Doctoral programmes + new ones – trickle down into rest of HEIs

• Ensure that a proportion of UK research infrastructure is in services with Amdahl number ~1 or better

• Establish broad coordination body to plan UK DIR software, service and international activity

16Draft

– stil

l under

developm

ent

Draft

– stil

l under

developm

ent

Take home message

Survival in the digital-data revolution

depends on speed and appropriateness

of adaptation

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ADMIRE – Framework 7 ICT 215024

?

Picture compositionbyLuke Humphrybased on prior art by Frans Hals

www.omii.ac.uk

www.admire-project.eu

www.ogsadai.org.uk

www.nesc.ac.uk

Contact

David De Rouredder@ecs.soton.ac.uk

Carole Goblecarole.goble@manchester.ac.uk

Visit wiki.myexperiment.org