Evolving Interactive Communication For Improved Collaboration - Tim Antisdel

Changing Dynamics of Sharing TRI Information Tim Antisdel

March 31, 2009

Changing Dynamics of Sharing TRI Information Agenda • National Dialogue • Early Data Sharing • Data Publishing

What People Want

http://www.epa.gov/nationaldialogue/index.html

EPA’s Access Strategy Actions

Description

Find Information

 

Data Finder

Develop and implement a single EPA site that helps people locate environmental data from EPA and other sources.

Search Strategy

Develop and implement a search strategy for EPA and implement the Web Content Management System.  

Understand Information Connecting the Public and EPA Bridging the Digital Divide

Connect people to the correct internal experts who can help them find, understand and use information. Deliver information in multiple formats for different audiences, their level of access to technology, and their spoken language.

Use Information

 

Data Publishing Program Corporate Environmental Transparency

Publish to the web all major EPA data assets, which provides broader access to the raw data. Enhance the integration of environmental information to improve corporate environmental transparency, especially regarding corporate lineage.

New Technologies

 

EPA and New Web Technologies

Support EPA and its audiences’ ability to access information and collaborate using new web technologies. Includes Beta.epa.gov, a digital space for EPA staff to experiment with innovative web and software applications.

Cross-Cutting

 

Customer Needs and Monitoring Program Strengthen Access Infrastructure

Create a program to learn and monitor the needs of EPA’s information audiences. Develop the technology capacity to support information access from EPA.

What Users Want (Data Publishing) – Raw data to be made publicly available as quickly as possible after it is collected by EPA – Clear documentation that includes information about the quality of the data. – To conduct their own analyses and to customize the data for their or their customers use. – The Data in multiple formats and made available through multiple access methods.

User Groups and their Needs Data publishing responds the needs of two three specific groups: • Technical Users who need to download data (especially large data sets) for local use. • Data Developers and others who want to integrate EPA data into their own applications and/or to redistribute or republish it for their customers. • “Ad Hoc” Data Users that want to query the data on-line using tools provided by EPA.

How will TRI Respond?

Early Data Sharing Enhanced Data Publishing

Early Data Sharing Planned for RY 2008 (CY 2009) •

Make the raw Data available to the Public as soon as possible after the reporting Deadline – Post the raw data files on the TRI website for downloading • •

State Data File Format Basic Data File Format

– Disclaimer: Percentage of Data & Data Revisions – Update 4 or 5 times prior to the PDR – Still have the PDR in Dec/January

Early Data Sharing Possibilities for Future: • Load Envirofacts and TRI-Explorer with the “Early data” (on a flow basis). – Post Disclaimer and Percent of Data Available – Limit the tools to “non trend” reports for early data

• Release the “Early data” through web services. • Issues: – How much is enough data to start? – When should we release the data? –

Early Data Sharing Possibilities for Future: Establish a Collaboration site or tool – Enable people to share their thoughts and findings about the earlier data • • •

•

Their analyses If they think the “early data” is useful, ETC. www.chemicalright2know.org.

Create a “Real-Time” PDR – Replicate all the reports from the PDR as on-line – As data flows in, the reports would dynamically update. – Disclaimers and Percentage of Data Posted

Enhanced Data Publishing • • • • •

Posting Data Files Improving or Adding to the On-line Tools The TRI.net application Data Publishing Services RSS Feeds

Data Publishing Posting Data Files • Target: Technical Users • Data Files – State Data Files – Basic Data Files – New Formats

Ne w!

• Access Database with Queries built in • XML files • Other formats

– More Frequent updates

Data Publishing Improving the On-line Tools • •

Target: Ad Hoc Query Users Envirofacts – – – –

•

Labeling Meta data Ordering & Grouping Information Access Division - Rewrite

TRI-Explorer – Back-end Merge with Envirofacts

•

Extract, Transform & Load (ETL) tool

TRIExplorer

Data Publishing The TRI.net application • • • • • • •

Target: Ad Hoc Query Users Ad Hoc Query Tool Downloadable to Desktops Integrates other data sets Has GIS mapping built in Automatic Data Updates See the Presentation at 2:30 on Wednesday by Bill Smith

Enhanced Data Publishing Data Publishing Services • Target: Data Developers • TRI will establish a pilot implementation of Data Publishing Services later this year.

Data Publishing Services What’s a Data Publishing Service? • It’s a web service • One or more programs that can be called over the internet • The specifications for calling the program will be posted on the Internet • It will be called from a Web application (that a developer writes). • It’s not for an end user / the general public

Data Publishing Services The Data Publishing/Web Service will: • • • •

Receive requests for data Extract the needed data from a database Format the Data in XML Return it to the caller in a SOAP wrapper

Data Publishing Services Why Do This? •

Only Developers will use these services

•

TRI Data will have the potential of appearing an unlimited number of Web Sites and Applications throughout the world • • • •

TRI data will reach and aid more people More Analysis and Study The data can be Combined with other data in on-line applications like Mashups The basic mission of the TRI program

Data Publishing Services What data will be made available on through the TRI Data Publishing Services? •Facility Data •Chemical Information •Form Information •On-site Releases •Off-site Transfer Summary Totals •Source Reduction Info from Section 8 •Activities and Uses

•Off-site Transfer Locations and Amts •Transfers into or within a state •Treatment Activities and Methods •Recycling Processes •Recovery Processes

•Summary Reports •FRS Data (Lat/Long & Prog. Ids)

Data Publishing Services Basic Plan for Action 3. Build test/prototype web services using OIC/CDX framework 4. Find Partners to test 5. Get feedback 6. Adjust as necessary 7. Deploy Production Services

Data Publishing Services Will our Data Publishing / Webservices replace TRI-Explorer and Envirofacts? No! Both Envirofacts and TRI-Explorer are already web applications that provide an interface that allows users to request data and to display the data returned. Data Publishing / Web Services don’t provide this feature. However, it’s possible that one day, both Envirofacts and TRI-Explorer may incorporate the TRI Data Publishing Services as a means of querying the data.

RSS Feeds •

Target: Anyone Interested in TRI news

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RSS - Real Simple Syndication

•

What’s an RSS Feed? – – – –

A way of getting the latest “headlines” from your favorite websites and blogs. The headlines are actually links to stories, web pages, documents, programs, wikis, blogs, etc. Basically you can announce the existence of anything that can be put on the web Things TRI might want to broadcast via an RSS feed • • • • •

The PDR is released TRI-ME web is available The Burden Reduction Rule has reversed The Reporting Forms and Instructions document is available New Data files have been posted

RSS Feeds • To use an RSS feedback – Have means to read a feed • Download Feed Reader to your desktop • Browser that allows “live bookmarking” • Sign up at a website that provides a reader via an account (i.e. Google Reader at MyGoogle.com)

– Subscribe to a Feed

• Early Data Sharing S U

– Posting RY 08 Data Files in July/August – Several Future possibilities • Early Release through – Envirofacts/Explorer – Web Services

M

• Collaboration site for Early Release • Real Time PDR

M A R Y

• Enhanced Data Publishing – – – – –

Posting Data Files Improving or Adding to the On-line Tools The TRI.net application Data Publishing Services RSS Feeds

Questions

Certificated Professional

Timothy Antisdel Computer Specialist Information Outreach Branch TRI Program Division

Phone: (202) 566-0733

Environmental Protection Agency MC 2844T

Fax:

(202) 566-0727

1200 Pennsylvania Ave Washington, DC 20460

[email protected]