Internationalisation and realisation of the interdisciplinary potential of the online annotation system - AnnoSys and its extension to further structured data formats.

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Walter Berendsohn
• Subject Area: Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi
• Term: from 2011 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 187927094

Biodiversity data are aggregated, linked and made globally accessible via a range of Internet portals and services. Traditionally, in biodiversity research, specimens are annotated in written form, with annotation labels being applied directly to the physical object, thus becoming accessible to the next observer of the specimen. These annotations are an important quality control mechanism, improving the value of the collection and documenting research developments over time. The increasing accessibility of biodiversity data via the Internet calls for a general online annotation system that ensures the continuance of the traditional data sharing. AnnoSys developed an exemplary specification for an annotation data repository for complex and cross-linked data including back-end server functionality, web services and an on-line user interface. A fully functional prototype has been implemented using standardised data from biological collections that are provided in large quantities in the GBIF and BioCASE networks. The main objectives of the proposed follow-up project are (1) Rolling out the current AnnoSys system to major biodiversity portal, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Catalogue of Life, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network and several more local initiatives, in order to DFG-Vordruck 12.011 - 03/13 Seite 3 von 6 further establish the system and methodology in the domain and to gather user input for improving the interface and procedures. This will include extensions of the types of biodiversity content handled by the system. (2) Extending the generic qualities of AnnoSys to further structured data formats including non-XML-based standards with machine readable explicit semantic concepts, and thus opening up the data gathered through AnnoSys for the Semantic Web and Open Data. This will also include the investigation of a possible integration with other annotation systems based on the W3C Open Annotation standard.

• DFG Programme: Research data and software (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)
• Participating Person: Anton Güntsch