Springer is a leading scientific publisher that is exploring linked data initiatives to enrich its metadata and increase the usability of its content. It currently has large amounts of structured bibliographic and administrative data for publications but no relationships between the data. Through a linked data pilot project, Springer aims to add conference information to publications in a structured way and provide conference data as linked open data. This will provide additional value for authors and organizers while also collaborating with the research and library communities.

1. Mirjam Kessler, Aliaksandr Birukou
Linked Data Initiatives at
Springer Verlag

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Key facts about Springer
• Leading global scientific publisher, founded in 1842 and providing researchers in
academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content
via innovative information products and services
• Consolidated turnover in 2012: EUR 976.3 million; in 2011: EUR 875 million
• Some 2,200 English-language journals and more than 8,000 books published every
year, in 5 main publishing fields: science, technology, medicine, business, transport
• Springer eBook collection with more than 120,000 titles available at
link.springer.com . Springer is THE largest scientific e-book publisher
• SpringerLink, one of the leading Internet science portals, including more than 8.4
million documents (5 Mln journal articles, 3 Mln book chapters, 373 K reference work
entries, 34 K Protocols)
•Largest open access portfolio worldwide, with over 350 open access journals.
Recently, also Open Access books are included
• 21.6% of all Nobel Prize winners are Springer authors (ALL winners of 2011 NP in
medicine, physics, chemistry and economics) are Springer authors and editors

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Today Springer is present in some 25 countries worldwide (7000 employees)
Growing presence in emerging markets

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• Product data for print and electronic books, journals, protocols, etc.
• On different levels: article, chapter, journal, book
• Bibliographic data, administrative data (production data), prices
• Master data as author information and customer addresses
• It‘s metadata in XML on chapter / book and article / journal level stored in
different systems
 Structured data but no relationships
 No data enrichment with linkage to or from external data sources
Metadata at Springer: what we have

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Metadata at Springer: what we do with it
• Internal use: Identify and produce products
• Analytics: user statistics, Identify potential customers
• Marketing / Sales: offer your products and make it searchable (ONIX and MARC feeds
to third parties and customers; use on digital platforms)
• Linked Data Pilot:
Can we make our data more rich to increase content usability?
 Adding conference information to our metadata in a structured way and
 Provide conference information as Linked Data

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Why a Linked Data Pilot
• Additional value proposition for conference authors and conference
organizers
• more readers
• more downloads
• more citations
• Increase in traffic, submissions, conference attendance, etc.
• Collaboration with research community
• Collaboration with library community (library linked data initiatives) and
offering also libraries better data services
• Internal planning (where conferences move, etc.)
• ...we don’t know yet

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Linked Open Data Pilot
• Aim: provide data about conference proceedings in structured format
• Conference- and not book-centric
<ConferenceInfo>
<ConfSeriesName ID=”semweb”>
International Semantic Web Conference </ConfSeriesName>
<ConfEventAbbreviation>ISWC</ConfEventAbbreviation>
<ConfNumber>12</ConfNumber>
<ConfEventLocation>
<City>Sydney, NSW</City>
<Country>Australia</Country>
</ConfEventLocation>
<ConfEventDateStart>
<Year>2013</Year><Month>10</Month>
<Day>21</Day></ConfEventDateStart>
<ConfEventDateEnd>
<Year>2013</Year><Month>10</Month>
<Day>25</Day></ConfEventDateEnd>
</ConferenceInfo>

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Overview of the process

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Where to link to?
Conference rankings
Publications
and authors
Conference services

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Future use
• LOD other conference information

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How this relates to Open Data in Education
• Contributes to transparency in science (Open Science?)
• which peer review process used?
• how many papers each PC member reviewed?
• number of accepted/submitted papers?
• Contributes to research evaluation and certification: conference/university/research
group ratings
• Linked up science – adding more relations to Open Data about publications

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Acknowledgements
• Research Group Data and Web Science at University Mannheim
• SpringerLink, Marketing, and Global Production teams at Springer
Volha Bryl Kai Eckert Chris Bizer

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Questions and Feedback
?

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Machines cannot read these!