Digital Scriptorium (DS) is pleased to offer a series of online workshops exploring Linked Open Data and the use of the query language SPARQL in the context of the DS Catalog Wikibase. Workshops will be led by L.P. Coladangelo, DS Catalog Project and Data Manager, and are scheduled for Thursdays in July from 1pm to 2:30pm ET over Zoom. The workshop series is intended for those with beginning to intermediate knowledge of SPARQL. Descriptions follow:
July 2: Introduction to Linked Open Data and Wikibase
Participants will be introduced to the concept and structure of Linked Data in the context of Wikibase technology, including Resource Description Framework (RDF), triple syntax, and human readable serialization formats like Turtle (TTL). The workshop will also give an overview of the DS data model and way it is implemented in Wikibase. We will conclude by talking about important vocabularies and ontologies that help structure Linked Open Data (LOD).
July 9: SPARQL Basics
Participants will apply what they learned in the previous workshop to begin drafting basic SPARQL queries. Concepts to be explored will be the use of prefixes, SELECT and WHERE clauses, the assignment of variables, and the use of triples to define desired graph patterns.
July 16: Modifying SPARQL Queries
Having learned to write basic queries in the previous workshop, participants will now learn how to build on and modify queries through additional clauses for actions like filtering, sorting, grouping, and limiting.
July 23: Exploring Graph Patterns and Property Paths
After learning methods to modify queries from the previous week, participants will explore more advanced ways to query data, including alternative graph paths, variable value assignments through BIND and VALUES clauses, and an introduction to nested queries.
July 30: Extending and Combining Linked Data
In this final workshop, participants will build on their previous workshop experiences to begin using complex clauses to explore existing data and generate new datasets. Participants will also be introduced to methods for combining data from disparate datasets through federated querying and tools such as OpenRefine.
Thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the series is free and open to the public. To learn more and register, click here. Please note that space is limited!
