MTSR 2013 - Special track on Metadata & Semantics for Open Repositories, Research Information Systems and Data Infrastructures

The sharing and re-use of research information is becoming an increasingly important aspect of scientific activity. Text publications are ? and will be at least for the near future ? the predominant way of publishing research output and challenges still exist for their optimal recording and dissemination. Meanwhile, scientific communities recognise the immense significance of storing, discovering, processing, preserving and re-using data sets as well as other types of research objects like workflows and software. Furthermore, Public Sector Information, potentially valuable for research purposes, is provided openly by governments although not always in forms that enable re-use.
Metadata is a critical factor in this area, actually providing the means to promote black-box digital files to discoverable and re-usable objects. A key requirement is capturing and disseminating rich descriptions of research output in standard, semantically clear forms, including contextual and provenance information, such as relationships of publications and data sets with people, organisations, funding information, facilities and equipment. This metadata needs to be some extent independent of a particular research domain, to foster collaboration and re-use of data sets across disciplines and vertical communities, while still allowing the recording and utilisation of domain-specific information. A range of open issues have to be addressed towards these goals.
The aim of this Special Track is to serve as a forum for experts to present recent results and experiences, establish liaisons with other groups and reflect on the state-of-the-art of metadata and semantic aspectsof open repositories, research information systems and data infrastructures.
Topics
Topics include but are not limited to contributions dealing with the following issues:
Metadata, knowledge representation and relevant standards in open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures
Semantic interoperability and information integration in open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures
Application of semantic web technologies in open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures
Data infrastructures (e.g. scientific data, public sector information)
Contextual and provenance metadata in open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures
Metadata interoperability for data infrastructures across disciplines
Metadata quality in open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures
Mechanisms, tools and infrastructures for shared services in open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures
Digital preservation workflows and mechanisms and impact on metadata
Value-added services based on open access repositories, research information systems and research infrastructures