The Semantic Web in Federated Information Systems: A Space Physics Case Study

Authors

Thomas Narock, University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyFollow
Victoria Yoon, University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyFollow
Jan Merka, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyFollow
Adam Szabo, NASA/Goddard Space Flight CenterFollow

Abstract

This paper presents a new theoretical contribution that provides a middle-of-the-road approach to formal ontologies in federated information systems. NASA’s space physics domain, like many other domains, is relatively unfamiliar with the emerging Semantic Web. This work offers a new framework that garners the benefits of formal logic yet shields participants and users from the details of the technology. Moreover, the results of a case study involving the utilization of the Semantic Web within NASA’s space physics domain are presented. A real-world search and retrieval system, relying on relational database technology, is compared against a near identical system that incorporates a formal ontology. The efficiency, efficacy, and implementation details of the Semantic Web are compared against the established relational database technology.

Recommended Citation

Narock, Thomas; Yoon, Victoria; Merka, Jan; and Szabo, Adam (2011) "The Semantic Web in Federated Information Systems: A Space Physics Case Study," Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA): Vol. 11: Iss. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol11/iss3/3