What will the Semantic Web look like 10 years from now?

In conjunction with the 11th International Semantic Web Conference 2012 (ISWC 2012).

Boston, USA. November 11-15, 2012 (Workshop date: 11/11/2012)

Workshop Description and Scope

The Semantic Web, as a field, is undergoing a major shift. After 10 years of mainly foundations-driven research, we now see strong indicators that Semantic Web methods are entering mainstream technology, in a number of forms. The consequent rise in commercial interest will likely have a fundamental impact on the field. Some established research results will make it into mainstream applications. Others will become obsolete. Radically new ideas will emerge. It is thus the right time for the community to contemplate the way ahead. In this workshop, we will provide an exciting forum for the discussion of the future of the Semantic Web. Researchers and practitioners from all corners of the field are invited to provide their insights and projections. The event will focus on discussions and the exchange of ideas, and will use a mix of different styles of interaction between the participants.

It is always good to try to look ahead and anticipate the development of a field. For the Semantic Web, it is now particularly important because recent developments indicate that Semantic Web technologies are entering the industrial mainstream. Schema.org and the Facebook Open Graph Protocol are bringing metadata to bear on the Web large-scale. IBM's Watson and Apple's Siri incorporate Semantic Technologies. Google is revamping its search approach and is going more semantic in implementing their knowledge graph. And these are just a few of the prominent examples.

The commercial uptake will be a game-changer for the field. It seems that only a fraction of the research results of the past ten years are currently being picked up. It seems that shallow semantics brings added value in many, but not all, application areas. In others it seems that there are roadblocks for which deep semantics is required for added value - but current approaches are still limited. Linked Data and Big Data are popular buzzwords right now, but could they be hitting a peak on the expectation curve? If so, what is going to happen in the subsequent dive? If not, how will those areas affect the field's future? In this workshop, we intend to bring together researchers from all corners of the broader Semantic Web community, to share and discuss projections of the way ahead in Semantic Web technologies and knowledge engineering in general.

Workshop Format and Structure

This full-day workshop is open for all interested parties. We ask for responses to the question in the workshop's title, and they can be of a variety of formats, including short (4-6 page) papers, abstracts, slidesets or any other (up to 6 page) approach an author may wish to include. The submitted material will be assessed by the program committee and the organizers, and decisions will be made which of the contributions can be presented, and in what form. Depending on the contributions, we will have primarily short oral presentations, panel discussions, posters, and demos. Most importantly, the workshop will focus on the exchange of ideas and on discussions.

Submissions and Proceedings

Sumissions, which are due by August 7, 2012, can take a variety of formats, limited to a maximum of 6 pages. They can be

All accepted submissions will be made available through the workshop web-page and the electronic conference proceedings of ISWC 2012. Accepted papers and other suitable material will be made available via CEUR-WS. Selected papers may be considered for a fast-track submission to a Semantic Web journal. Submissions must be made via EasyChair.

Workshop Program

The program consists of full talks (15 min talk/slides + 5 min discussion), short talks (8min talk/slides + 2 min discussion), a panel (8 min talk/slides followed by a joint questions part), as well as breakout groups and discussions. Please note that the program may still change slightly before the workshop.

Important Dates

Submission due: August 7, 2012

Acceptance Notification: August 24, 2012

Camera-ready Copies: September 10, 2012

Workshop at ISWC 2012: November 11, 2012

Organizers

(in alphabetic order)

Programme Committee

 

Please feel free to contact the organizers for further questions at jano @ geog . ucsb. edu.