VOSON: A Web Services Approach for Facilitating Research into Online Networks

Robert Ackland, Mathieu O'NEIL, Russell Standish, Markus Buchhorn

Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in BookConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The Virtual Observatory for the Study of Online Networks (VOSON) is providing a
web-based environment facilitating research into networks. While the initial focus of the VOSON Project is on empirical analysis of online networks by social scientists, we aim to eventually facilitate network research in other disciplines such as biology and applied physics. Via a VOSON web portal, researchers can access various storage and computational resources such as existing network data sets, tools for creating and storing new data sets, network analytical methods and network visualisation tools. While these resources are
currently provided “in-house”, we envisage the involvement of third-party resource providers (primarily, other researchers) who wish to share their data and methods to promote scientific endeavour in their particular areas of network research. Thus, VOSON is an example of using emerging e-Research technologies to promote “open-source” research practice and we see the
web services model as a means of bringing together of disparate network research resources, many of which are already well-established. In this paper, we describe VOSON System and our plans (and progress) for incorporating web services into the system. New VOSON-facilitated research into online environmental activists is also presented.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSecond International e-Social Science Conference, 28-30 June 2006, Manchester, UK.
PublisherVOSON Lab
Pages1-12
Number of pages12
Publication statusPublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes
EventESRC Second International e-Social Science Conference -
Duration: 28 Jun 200630 Jun 2006

Conference

ConferenceESRC Second International e-Social Science Conference
Period28/06/0630/06/06

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