ITR/AP: The Analytic Web

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ABSTRACT0205575U of Mass, AmherstLeon J. OsterweilThe internet has changed forever the way science is done. Collaborations such as NSF-sponsoredGlobus, and GriPhyN are beginning to employ internet access to facilitate data sharing andexpedite collaboration among worldwide communities of geographically distributed researchers.This creates opportunities to do better science through the use of shared data and expertise, but italso creates risks arising from uncertainty about how internet-accessed data sets were producedand how they can be used. If scientists cannot determine how particular results were obtained,those results may be subsequently combined in ways that will lead to incorrect or misleadingconclusions, possibly with devastating effects.Our project will develop, demonstrate, and evaluate technologies to facilitate the building ofcommunity consensus by supporting definition, validation, repeatability, and adaptability ofscientific processes that integrate and combine web-based data sets and tools. Although there willalways be debate about the most appropriate models, methodologies and conclusions used inscientific inquiry, our work should help scientists focus on areas of disagreement and resolve thesedisagreements more quickly, perhaps through further experimentation and inquiry. Thus, our workwill also help policy makers in areas where scientific results are critical ingredients, such aseconomic policy, environmental management, and social initiatives..