In the original project documents by GFAR and FAO the so-called EGFAR Webring was defined as “a gateway function to access the GFAR stakeholders’ information resources that are presently available” and “as a formal link between websites of the key stakeholders”. This function has been a major component of GFAR’s activities in information and knowledge sharing.
Until recently, the Web Ring was seen as a service to be implemented on the EGFAR website. Both the ICM4ARD Inter-regional Consultation and the EGFAR Task Force (established in 2007 and composed by representatives of the Regional Fora, other stakeholder groups and GFAR partners) in their meetings in 2007 recommended that the Web Ring concept needed to further evolve considering:
The Global ARD Web Ring is now defined as a “voluntary coalition of web spaces that share information related to agricultural research and innovation for development.”
These web spaces make ARD related information sources more accessible through each other.
The rationale behind the ARD Web Ring lies in the fact that the complexity of agricultural research is increasing and information needed by agricultural communities, not only farmers but all members of agricultural commodity market chains including consumers and the agricultural innovation system, now include a wider range of topics and go beyond that available from their local communities. Globally, all stakeholders to agricultural research and development are now also demanding cohesive efforts to enable greater equity in access to agricultural and related information.
The Global ARD Web Ring is one of the steps to enable more equitable access to information globally needed for agricultural development. The goal the Web Ring expects to reach is a network of high quality, integrated information services that meet the needs of the agricultural research and development community and which enables this community to share information, knowledge, skills and technology for agricultural development. The information services will be free and publicly available, thus constituting Global Public Goods that can be leveraged by any organization, person or information service.
The architecture
Considering how complex and diverse the present state of the RAIS and of all ARD information systems is, the most suitable description is that of an informal network with no hierarchy and no internal coordination, where information sharing can be best facilitated through light mechanisms like aggregating, mapping etc., mechanisms that do not impose changes in the management of already existing contents.
Thus, the ARD Web Ring is now best described as a network of ARD related “webspaces” which may be “gateways” (websites or systems that enable value added access to networks or “nodes” of ARD related digital/electronic information through such facilities as search engines, indexes, catalogues, classifications, aggregators, digests etc.) or nodes (websites or systems that may either store and maintain ARD related information or just consume information from other systems).
In this context, the Web Ring has to be a flexible framework, capable of giving access to the various resources at the best level possible, from simple hyperlinks to harvesting to advanced unified searches depending on the extent to which partner websites agree on and comply to protocols, standards and mapping of taxonomies.
(click on the picture for a larger and more detailed drawing)
Participation
There can be several forms of participation in the Web Ring, all voluntary and independent of formal agreements. Examples of ways in which partners participate in the ARD Web Ring are:
The Global ARD Web Ring is one of GFAR’s activities that cuts across both the ICM4ARD GPP and EGFAR. It also fits snugly under the umbrella of the Coherence Initiative in Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD) in which GFAR is a leading actor. In the context of CIARD, the specificity of the Web Ring is the focus on agricultural research and innovation for development, thus involving not only all lead partners working in ARD but also organizations in agricultural-related sectors that can contribute information on ARD.
The proposal that is being circulated for the ARD Web Ring project is available here.
Until recently, the Web Ring was seen as a service to be implemented on the EGFAR website. Both the ICM4ARD Inter-regional Consultation and the EGFAR Task Force (established in 2007 and composed by representatives of the Regional Fora, other stakeholder groups and GFAR partners) in their meetings in 2007 recommended that the Web Ring concept needed to further evolve considering:
- a more participatory approach, based on voluntary participation, where the RAIS and other partner organizations managing information on Agricultural Research (and innovation) for Development (ARD) play a more active role;
- the changes brought about by new technologies and new paradigms such as Web 2.0 in information access, sharing and exchange;
- the active participation of GFAR in the Coherence Initiative in Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD; earlier International Information Systems for Agricultural Science and Technology, IISAST);
The Global ARD Web Ring is now defined as a “voluntary coalition of web spaces that share information related to agricultural research and innovation for development.”
These web spaces make ARD related information sources more accessible through each other.
The rationale behind the ARD Web Ring lies in the fact that the complexity of agricultural research is increasing and information needed by agricultural communities, not only farmers but all members of agricultural commodity market chains including consumers and the agricultural innovation system, now include a wider range of topics and go beyond that available from their local communities. Globally, all stakeholders to agricultural research and development are now also demanding cohesive efforts to enable greater equity in access to agricultural and related information.
The Global ARD Web Ring is one of the steps to enable more equitable access to information globally needed for agricultural development. The goal the Web Ring expects to reach is a network of high quality, integrated information services that meet the needs of the agricultural research and development community and which enables this community to share information, knowledge, skills and technology for agricultural development. The information services will be free and publicly available, thus constituting Global Public Goods that can be leveraged by any organization, person or information service.
The architecture
Considering how complex and diverse the present state of the RAIS and of all ARD information systems is, the most suitable description is that of an informal network with no hierarchy and no internal coordination, where information sharing can be best facilitated through light mechanisms like aggregating, mapping etc., mechanisms that do not impose changes in the management of already existing contents.
Thus, the ARD Web Ring is now best described as a network of ARD related “webspaces” which may be “gateways” (websites or systems that enable value added access to networks or “nodes” of ARD related digital/electronic information through such facilities as search engines, indexes, catalogues, classifications, aggregators, digests etc.) or nodes (websites or systems that may either store and maintain ARD related information or just consume information from other systems).
In this context, the Web Ring has to be a flexible framework, capable of giving access to the various resources at the best level possible, from simple hyperlinks to harvesting to advanced unified searches depending on the extent to which partner websites agree on and comply to protocols, standards and mapping of taxonomies.
(click on the picture for a larger and more detailed drawing)
Participation
There can be several forms of participation in the Web Ring, all voluntary and independent of formal agreements. Examples of ways in which partners participate in the ARD Web Ring are:
- Being included in the common Directories (organizations, projects etc.) now under development in the context of the Content Management Taskforce (CMTF) of CIARD: these directories, though more generic in scope than the ARD Web Ring, provide information that is core to agricultural research management.
- Making their information searchable through common search engines;
- Providing RSS feeds and, more in general, XML or RDF exports of information based on agreed metadata sets.
- Providing advanced web services to dynamically generate RSS feeds and, more in general, XML or RDF exports of information.
- Sharing their documents participating in the new AGRIS or in the Open Archive Initiative labeling their repositories or records as ARD related and possibly using common vocabularies.
- Building advanced services exploiting the ARD Web Ring framework such as providing wikis, white papers and reviews, indexes, catalogues, bookmarking services, object repositories, alerts etc.
The Global ARD Web Ring is one of GFAR’s activities that cuts across both the ICM4ARD GPP and EGFAR. It also fits snugly under the umbrella of the Coherence Initiative in Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD) in which GFAR is a leading actor. In the context of CIARD, the specificity of the Web Ring is the focus on agricultural research and innovation for development, thus involving not only all lead partners working in ARD but also organizations in agricultural-related sectors that can contribute information on ARD.
The proposal that is being circulated for the ARD Web Ring project is available here.
Ajit Maru, Valeria Pesce