Work in Progress Report - Subject Centric IT in Local Government

1. Work in Progress Report - Subject Centric IT in Local Government Gabriel Hopmans, Peter-Paul Kruijsen Morpheus Software TMRA 2005

2. Introduction • Presentation of ongoing work in ON-TOP project • Collaboration between BCT and Morpheus • BCT offers CORSA • Document Management System • Deployed at local governments, hospitals, etc. • Morpheus offers Topic Maps implementations • Implementation partner of Ontopia • Collaboration to • Combine Corsa and Topic Maps • Allow a Dynamic Information Facility (DIF)

3. Current vs improvement • Current situation • CORSA is a well-built DMS, used extensively • Data storage is application centric • Morpheus was asked to • Provide intuitive interfaces to data ... • For various target group users ... • Without knowing user requirements ... • And possibility to chain with other processes / organisations • Morpheus’ approach • Make data storage subject centric • Allow sharing with applications (CORSA, ...) • Provide a framework for user modeling • Rather than explicit programming efforts

4. Step 1: Upconversion • From a database delivery • Scripts were written to convert DB to TM • Based on Ontopia’s upconversion tools • An application was built to enable • User friendly mapping from DB to TM • A mapping tool is presented to users • To map fields in tables to ontology concepts • This all results in a Topic Maps representation of existing data sets enabling • Intuitive browsing via Omnigator • Removal of duplicates • Enrichment with extra domain information

5. DB-ONTO-mapping screenshot

6. Step 2: Visualisation • The Topic Maps representation of the original database is visualised • In an ‘Omnigator-like’ interface • Subject-centric-ness is key issue • Display all information per subject • User’s searches are directed by • Search entries as starting points • Navigation paths towards actual information

7. Visualisation screenshot

8. Step 3: Restrictions (ACL) • A generic model was developed that • Defines navigation steps from topic (type) to topic (type) through association (types) • Restricts occurrences (types) for topics (types) for certain target groups • This model is filled for specific target groups to • Present navigation paths through data for civilians who do not (have to) know the actual data structure • Hide certain information from certain employees • Aggregate information for managers

9. Navigation model

10. Restriction screenshot

11. Step 4: Restriction manager • A management interface is (being) set up to fill the navigation model • Based on the ontology • Allows users to fill the model • For one or more target groups • Results in an interface in which end users • Define the behaviour of a full web application • Allows building Topic Maps based web portals • Without any need for programming

12. Step 5: Chaining • The current work involves assignment of PSI’s • Data from CORSA provides good concepts • Broader scope towards local governments • When applied, chaining can be achieved • First only between different CORSA applications • Later on between various applications in the domain of (local) governments • Touches upon other initiatives like ADNOM

13. Future developments • More / better search entries • Based on personal info / settings • Aggregating data • Needed for proper reporting • Integration with other applications • other than CORSA • Towards a full framework • Specific page / topic layout • Towards Neo for Topic Maps