SemanticOrganizer: A Customizable Semantic Repository for
Distributed NASA Project Teams
Richard M. Keller1, Daniel C. Berrios2,
Robert E. Carvalho1, David R. Hall3, Stephen J.
Rich4, Ian B. Sturken3, Keith J.
Swanson1, and Shawn R. Wolfe1
1Computational Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center,
Moffett Field, CA
{rkeller, rcarvalho, kswanson, swolfe}@arc.nasa.gov
2University of California, Santa Cruz, NASA Ames Research
Center, Moffett Field, CA
dberrios@arc.nasa.gov
3QSS Group, Inc. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
{dhall, isturken}@arc.nasa.gov
4SAIC, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
srich@arc.nasa.gov
Abstract. SemanticOrganizer is
a collaborative knowledge management system designed to support
distributed NASA projects, including multidisciplinary teams of scientists,
engineers, and accident investigators. The system provides a
customizable, semantically structured information repository that
stores work products relevant to multiple projects of differing types.
SemanticOrganizer is one of the earliest and largest semantic web
applications deployed at NASA to date, and has been used in varying
contexts ranging from the investigation of Space Shuttle Columbia’s
accident to the search for life on other planets. Although the
underlying repository employs a single unified ontology, access control
and ontology customization mechanisms make the repository contents
appear different for each project team. This paper describes
SemanticOrganizer, its customization facilities, and a sampling of its
applications. The paper also summarizes some key lessons learned from
building and fielding a successful semantic web application across a
wide-ranging set of domains with disparate users.
In Proceedings of the 3nd
International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC2004), 9-11 November
2004, Hiroshima, Japan.