VoCamp1

VoCamp Home

This is the home page for the "Phyloinformatics VoCamp" workshop event scheduled to take place in coordination with the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) meeting in Montpellier, France, in November, 2009.

Quick links

The VoCamp took place Nov 7 to 11 and resulted in 5 subgroup projects and 1 mini-project (links are in the sidebar):

1. The Integrating Ontologies focused on specific data integration problems using CDAO, TDWG and other ontologies (John, Julie, Brandon, Rosemary, Peter, Stan)
2. Taxonomic Reasoning project took a more conceptual top-down approach to identifying needs in data integration (Dave T, Ann, David K, Raven, Dan, Mark S, Farshid)
3. The Phyloreferencing group developed a rough draft of a spec for a PhyloWS language for querying trees (Hilmar, Josh, Nico, Sheldon, Karen, Bill, Arlin, Cate)
4. The Publishing Taxonomies group aims to develop guidelines for publishing and consuming taxonomies (Roger, Jonathan, Greg)
5. The TripleStore project focused on an AllegroGraph installation (Joel, Chris)
6. In a mini-project, Mark W extended the SADI system to integrate some biodiversity data

Some other quick links:

• Participants, with links to some of their projects
• Resources related to the VoCamp such as ontologies and other artefacts to be used during the VoCamp
• Background & bootcamps
• Mailing list archive
• TDWG Interest Group on Phylogenetics Standards

Historical interest

• pre-meeting list of possible pitches
• Original VoCamp proposal
• pre-meeting teleconference notes

Overview

Integrating diverse biological data with the historical process of evolution is a grand challenge for 21st century biology. The interoperability of data from diverse fields (e.g., genetics, ecology, biodiversity, biomedicine) requires a technology infrastructure based on formalized, shared vocabularies. Developing such vocabularies is a community project. In order to build controlled vocabularies and ontologies, the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is sponsoring a "Phyloinformatics VoCamp".

The Phyloinformatics VoCamp is a hands-on meeting for investigators to create and develop ontologies and lightweight vocabularies in support of integration and semantic cross-linking of evolutionary data with its many related fields. It will be held on November 7-11, 2009 in Montpellier, France, co-localized with the annual meeting of the International Biodiversity Information Standards Organization (TDWG).

Desired outcomes

Desired outcomes for the period prior to the VoCamp

• participants are aware of shared information resources, and know how to use them
• participants (including organizers) know each other by name
• participants know what is expected of them
• participants identify and respond to information and training needs
• participants discuss shared objectives and consider possible "pitches"

Desired outcomes during Day 1 of the VoCamp

• participants collectively formulate, present, review and revise "pitches"
• participants self-organize into groups that will turn "pitches" into projects
• participants choose a pitch that represents the best use of their time
• groups assign roles and set goals

Desired outcomes during Days 2, 3 and 4 of the VoCamp

• groups work to advance group goals
• groups report their progress during stand-ups and on the wiki
• participants review other projects and offer constructive criticism

Acknowledgements

The VoCamp event is an official activity of the TDWG Interest Group on Phylogenetic Standards and takes place through the generous support of NESCent, which funded a VoCamp proposal written by the organizers:

• Nico Cellinese
• Karen Cranston
• Hilmar Lapp
• Sheldon MacKay
• Enrico Pontelli
• Arlin Stoltzfus

The VoCamp proposal, in turn, builds on previous support from NESCent, which sponsored the Evolutionary Informatics Working Group. The EvoInfo working group, which was active from 2006 to 2009, spawned the NeXML, CDAO and PhyloWS projects, and helped to organize 2 hackathons.

The organizers also thank TDWG and LIRMM for their generous support. We are particularly grateful to Elizabeth Arnaud (CGIAR), Max Ruas (CGIAR), Brigitte Cabantous (Agropolis), and Therese Libourel (LIRMM) for their invaluable assistance throughout the organization of the VoCamp.