Riken metadatabase: A database platform as a microcosm of linked open data cloud in the life sciences

Abstract

The amount and heterogeneity of life-science datasets published on the Web have considerably increased recently. However, biomedical scientists face numerous serious difficulties in finding, using and publishing useful databases. In order to solve these issues, we developed a Resource Description Framework-based database platform, called RIKEN MetaDatabase, which allows biologists to easily develop, publish and integrate databases. The platform manages metadata of both research data and individual data described with standardised vocabularies and ontologies, and has a simple browser-based graphical user interface for viewing data including tabular and graphical views. The platform was released in April 2015, and 110 databases including mammalian, plant, bioresource and image databases with 21 ontologies have been published through this platform as of July 2016. This paper describes the technical knowledge obtained through the development and operation of RIKEN MetaDatabase as a challenge for accelerating life-science data distribution promotion.