|
Donald,
For the most part, http URIs can be designed (using
specialized prefixes) to provide all the benefits of any new URI scheme or URN
sub-scheme, plus more. For example, a specialized http URI
prefix such as "http://lsid.tdwg.org?" could be functionally equivalent to the prefix
"urn:lsid:" that would otherwise begin an LSID URI. Software that is
programmed to recognize the "urn:lsid:" prefix and apply the LSID resolution
mechanism could instead recognize the "http://lsid.tdwg.org?" prefix and apply the LSID resolution mechanism. Was this kind of
approach considered? If so, why was it deemed
inadequate?
For
more details, see my paper on "Converting New URI Schemeds or URN Sub-Schemes
to HTTP" at
Thanks
David Booth, Ph.D.
HP Software
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: +1
617 629 8881
Dear Eric,
Thank you for mentioning TDWG's adoption of
LSIDs. The Taxonomic Databases Working Group (http://www.tdwg.org/) is an international
association focused on developing collaboration between biological database
projects. Its focus is primarily on whole-organism data (natural history
collections, herbaria, field observations, identification tools, etc.) and
taxonomic information (the name does not adequately reflect the breadth of its
interests).
Up to now, TDWG has developed models for data exchange
using XML Schema and has had no reliable mechanisms for cross-referencing data
objects between different resources. A 30-month project is under way to
revise the organisation's processes and architecture (funded by the Gordon and
Betty Moore Foundation). Part of this work has been to examine
technological options for using globally unique identifiers within TDWG data
standards. Two workshops were held earlier this year to consider
possible options (including LSID, DOI, ARK and PURL). Our conclusion was
that LSID best suited our requirements. The reasons included:
- LSIDs provide an existing standard approach for retrieving data and
metadata (this would need to be defined e.g. for a PURL-based approach)
- LSIDs can be safely assigned to permanent objects and potentially remain
available indefinitely for dereferencing
- LSIDs can be issued and resolved by any organisation without any
requirement for a central LSID authority (this egalitarian approach suited
the community better than the model adopted e.g. by DOI)
- There is no special cost associated with issuing large numbers of LSIDs,
even for temporary data objects (in contrast again with e.g. DOI)
- LSIDs are clearly not just URLs - we perceived social benefits in
requiring issuers to think about what they were doing (rather than just
using existing URLs)
- LSIDs mesh perfectly with a recognised need in TDWG to move away from
modeling with XML Schema to adopt RDF-based models
Our focus right
now is to develop best practices for the use of LSIDs for scientific names and
for specimens in natural history collections. We have a number of
activities under way to develop new LSID software components (a .NET version
of the LSID stack, native handling of LSID requests in TDWG tools for data
sharing).
More information can be found at: http://wiki.gbif.org/guidwiki/wikka.php
Many
thanks,
Donald
------------------------------------------------------------
Donald Hobern ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Deputy Director for Informatics
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Secretariat
Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: +45-35321483 Mobile: +45-28751483 Fax: +45-35321480
------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Newmann wrote:
I would like to point out the Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TDWG)
and their work with trying to establish a system of Global Unique
Identifiers (GUIDs).
http://wiki.gbif.org/guidwiki/wikka.php?wakka=GUID2Report
At this point in time they are recommending (within their community)
the use of LSIDs WITH metadata in the form of RDF.
I would like to propose that we include this on the list of examples
for the LSID/URI discussion in BioRDF (just added to
http://esw.w3.org/topic/HCLSIG_BioRDF_Subgroup/Tasks/URI_Best_Practice
s/LSID _Pros_%26_Cons). I think they have some great global examples
of how to use such identifiers.
Eric
Eric Neumann, PhD
co-chair, W3C Healthcare and Life Sciences,
and Senior Director Product Strategy
Teranode Corporation
83 South King Street, Suite 800
Seattle, WA 98104
+1 (781)856-9132
www.teranode.com
|
