CS 6795 Semantic Web Techniques

Course Outline Sep.-Dec. 2009

Syllabus
Assigns
Notes
Labs
Project
Resources

The Semantic Web is a W3C Activity for representing information in the World Wide Web in a machine-readable fashion: such that it can be used by machines not just for display purposes, but for automation, integration, and reuse across applications. This course introduces techniques that are useful stand-alone and can be integrated for building a semantic web. It will cover XML with Document Type Definitions and Schemas; transformation/inference rules in XSLT, RuleML, and the W3C rule language RIF; metadata with RDF (Resource Description Framework); metadata taxonomies with RDF Schema; description logic and the W3C ontology language OWL; as well as integrating these techniques for high-precision search engines.

 

Instructors

Harold Boley, NRC

Classes

Time: Mondays, 2:30PM-5:20PM (Start: 14 Sep. 2009)

Location: NRC Training Room 2 (main foyer NRC Building), 46 Dineen Drive

Course Web Site

http://www.cs.unb.ca/~boley/cs6795swt

Marking

30% assignments

40% project (including presentation)

30% exam

Lecture Schedule Overview

The Semantic Web Activity of W3C: Overview of techniques and standards.

10%

XML with Document Type Definitions and Schemas

15%

Transformation/Inference rules in XSLT, RuleML and RIF

20%

Metadata with RDF (Resource Description Framework)

15%

Metadata taxonomies with RDF Schema

15%

The W3C ontology language OWL 2.

15%

Integrating these techniques for high-precision search engines.

10%

Hands on Lab

To be arranged, four 3-hour lab sessions throughout the term

 

Reference Material

Books

A Semantic Web Primer, 2nd edition, MIT Press, 2008,  Grigoris Antoniou and Frank van Harmelen,  http://www.semanticwebprimer.org/  * +

 

The XML 1.1 Bible , 3rd edition.  Wiley,  Hoboken, NJ  2004, Elliotte Rusty Harold,  http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/bible3/

Especially Chapter 15: XSL Transformations   http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/bible3/chapters/ch15.html

and  Chapter 20: Schemas http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/bible3/chapters/ch20.html  +

 

The Description Logic Handbook, Cambridge University Press, 2003, Franz Baader (Ed.), http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521781760  *

 

Handbook of Research on Emerging Rule-Based Languages and Technologies: Open Solutions and Approaches (2 Volumes),
IGI Global, Hershey, PA, 2009, Adrian Giurca, Dragan Gasevic, Kuldar Taveter (Eds.),
http://www.igi-global.com/reference/details.asp?ID=34422 +

 

Advances in Semantic Computing,  Technomathematics Research Foundation, e-Book to appear,
Manish Joshi, Harold Boley, Rajendra Akerkar (Eds.),

http://www.tmrfindia.org/eseries/cfc-sc1.html

 

*Some edition of these will be available on reserve at the Engineering library, 24 hour loan.

+Some edition of these will be available for reading in the CISTI library, NRC.

 

Journals

Journal of Web Semantics, Elsevier B.V., T. Finin, C. Goble, R. Studer (Eds.), http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/671322/description

 

International Journal On Semantic Web and Information Systems,
IGI Global, Hershey, PA, B. Amit Sheth, Gottfried Vossen, Martin Hepp (Eds.)
http://www.ijswis.org/

 

Websites

John F. Sowa's Ontology pages

http://www.jfsowa.com/ontology/

 

The Semantic Web in Ten Passages
 http://www.dfki.uni-kl.de/~boley/sw10pass/sw10pass-en.htm

 

W3C Semantic Web Activity

http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/

 

OWL Working Group, W3C

http://www.w3.org/2007/OWL/wiki/OWL_Working_Group

 

RIF Working Group, W3C
http://www.w3.org/2005/rules/wiki/RIF_Working_Group

 

RuleML

http://ruleml.org/

 

semanticweb.org

http://semanticweb.org

 

SemWebCentral

http://www.semwebcentral.org/

 

A Gentle Introduction to XSLT through HTML Templates

http://www.xfront.com/rescuing-xslt.html


Maintained by Harold Boley