Current state and vision for using OpenSocial to extend Profiles and other research networking tools

1. Using OpenSocial to Build a Shareable Library of Research Applications
Try it now! Eric Meeks (UCSF), Leslie Yuan (UCSF), Griffin Weber (Harvard), Maninder Kahlon (UCSF)
…with more
We’re live… to come!
Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of California, San Francisco
Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center
Featured Presentations Abstract Methods Results Results (continued) Faculty Mentorship
As academic institutions, we are eager to share technology to elevate • We have built and deployed several gadgets (e.g., for mentorship “Featured Presentations” gadget on UCSF Profiles showing
• UCSF has extended Profiles to become an OpenSocial container by
the overall state of translational bioinformatics. However, differences management, presentation sharing, Google Site Search, etc.), two of presentations inline from 3rd party software service: SlideShare.net
integrating Profiles with Shindig, a product maintained by the Apache
in technical infrastructure often force us to develop separate software Software Foundation. Shindig is an open source Java product that is which are live in production as of Feb 28th 2011.
solutions to address the same problem. Many applications that we the reference standard for the OpenSocial API.
build are tightly bound to our data and infrastructure, resulting in un- • Building functionality as gadgets is relatively inexpensive. Our
shareable proprietary solutions. OpenSocial can solve this problem. SlideShare gadget is only 702 lines of code and can be seen at
Research networking tools such as Profiles and VIVO are becoming • The OpenSocial Foundation provided technical assistance in setting
up our Integrated Development Environment (Eclipse) and build http://profiles.ucsf.edu/gadgets/SlideShare.xml. Our Full Text
standard at our institutions. We extended UCSF’s installation of the Search gadget is less than 140 lines of code and can be found at
Show public automation (Apache Maven).
presentations
Profiles Research Networking Tool to let it run applications built on http://profiles.ucsf.edu/gadgetsGoogleSearch.xml. The gadget
from the OpenSocial API, supported by Google, LinkedIn, etc. This allows source code is an XML package of JavaScript and HTML that can
SlideShare.net us to find and create applications that can be shared with other • Integration researcher data at UCSF was accomplished by building an include other web objects if needed (Flash, images, etc.)
directly from a research networking tools that adopt the OpenSocial standard, extension into Shindig to access the XML based web service provided
profile page despite underlying differences in technical infrastructure and platform. by Profiles. Integrating through the web service provides a level of
Social networking sites in industry have proven the benefits of insulation from changes in the underlying Profiles SQL Server data • We are working with the Harvard Profiles development team to
OpenSocial. We are bringing these benefits to academic research. schema while layering in the Profiles security model for data access. integrate our work into their product so that other institutions that
have installed Profiles can both benefit from and participate in our ADD mentorship
efforts to build out a library of bioinformatics gadgets. information to
Introduction • User interface integration was achieved by creating a set of JavaScript your profile
libraries based on the example code in the Shindig source. Fortunately
• Social networking has grown rapidly on the Internet and is now a no middleware integration was required, thus differences in • It is our goal to create a library of research oriented gadgets. Over
fundamental component of the online experience. Translational programming language between Profiles (C#/.NET) and Shindig 17,000 OpenSocial applications can be found at
science has not been blind to this phenomenon and the value of (Java) were of minimal issue. http://directory.opensocial.org and we will create our library by
social networking as a mechanism for discovery has been recognized finding or altering existing gadgets, building our own when necessary,
in our field. and soliciting the open source community which could include you!
• Numerous research networking tools such as Profiles Research
Networking Tool and VIVO have been built and deployed at our Profiles OpenSocial Architecture
institutions. These tools use data mining and social networking to
showcase researchers for the primary goal of expertise mining.
Discussion
Google Full Text Search • The value of research networking tools can go beyond discovery and Browser Apache Shindig
expertise mining. Social networks are ideal as platforms for Gadget Hosting Servers • We are in conversations with other institutions who would like to
Gadget Specs partner with us, both by installing gadgets (such as mentorship
applications focused on communication and collaboration because
the networks contain rich information of the participating individuals management) in their own Profiles installation, and by developing
Gadget Content http://anywhere/gadget.xml
as well as their connections. new functionality as gadgets so that their work can serve institutions
Profiles Linked beyond their own. We are engaged in ongoing conversations with the
XML Open Data OpenSocial foundation on how to best influence the API to increase
Reader Reader * Backend Services its value to the health sciences community.
Search results Background
based on • Additionally, we are in the early stages of discussion with research
keyword matches • The vast majority of commercial social networking sites have become Request Proxy Request Proxy networking tools other than Profiles to promote and assist in the VIEW mentorship
technical platforms with published APIs that allow independently information on a
in narrative, pub adoption of the OpenSocial standard within health sciences.
Linked Open Data*
profile
titles etc. developed applications to run withintheir web site. Google, LinkedIn,
returned in MySpace and others recognized the value in having a standard API • Finally, we will create a library of these gadgets with the intent that
Profiles
addition to core
for this purpose, and thus created OpenSocial. other institutions can freely take from and contribute to the library.
XML
Profiles search
results
• OpenSocial is an API for bringing applications to users across various
or other LOD Source
websites. In OpenSocial the applications are gadgets and the Acknowledgments
websites are containers. The OpenSocial API is a standard that
allows any gadget to run in any container with little or no This project was supported by NIH/NCRR UCSF-CTSI Grant Number
modification. UL1 RR024131 and Harvard Catalyst Grant Number 1 UL1
RR025758-01. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors
• The Harvard Catalyst-developed Profiles application allows us to take Profiles Content and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
the advances in communication and discovery that are core to social
etc. We would like to thank Andy Smith and Mark Weitzel of the
networking sites and begin to utilize them to improve the research
OpenSocial Foundation, as well as Justin Kruger and Nels Johnson,
collaboration processes. UCSF has extended Profiles to become an
our gadget development team.
OpenSocial container and is building out a library of gadgets. * Planned for Profiles 1.0 Release
profiles.ucsf.edu profiles.ucsf.edu