Updated: 2009-11-22 17:29 PST
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ESM 261 - Fall 2009
Management of Scientific Data
WHO: James Frew
WHEN: 9:40 - 10:55 Tuesday Bren Hall 1520 ("Oak")
Thursday Bren Hall 3035 ("GIS lab")
WHAT: ESM 261 will introduce you to concepts and tools for managing scientific information. Using a basic "life-cycle" model, we'll study concepts like data types, data formats, and metadata, as well as tools like filesystems, databases, and networks. A significant portion of the course will be spent learning to design, build, and use relational databases, since this important skill is not covered elsewhere in the MESM curriculum. We'll also explore the basics of sharing scientific information on the World Wide Web. Real world examples will be drawn from digital libraries, geographic information systems, public-sector data centers and services, etc.
HOW: Grades will be based on a multi-part project, which you will work on for the duration of the course. The project will develop an information management system for a scientific information collection of your choice (subject to instructor approval -- you are encouraged to work with your group project data, if it's appropriate.) Phased deliverables from the project will be (more or less) coordinated with the lecture topics. For the "final exam" you will present your project to the rest of the class.
Readings: will be almost entirely from online sources. We will use (parts of) the following books: Other readings and background material are online and linked to the lecture notes.

Note that some reading links (including most of the online books) are accessible only from UCSB networks—to access these links from elsewhere, use a Bren terminal server or one of the Library's Off-Campus Access services.

If you are not a Bren student, email scheduling@bren.ucsb.edu to obtain an approval code to enroll. Then, if you need access to the Bren computing network, fill out and submit a Computer Account Request Form.
SCHEDULE: The schedule is a work-in-progress ("more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules...") — check weekly for updates.
 
week date activity resources

1 Thu 24 Sep lecture The Scientific Information Life Cycle

2 Tue 29 Sep lecture Bits, Bytes, and Fundamental Types
Thu 01 Oct lab Unix utilities

3 Tue 06 Oct lecture Data Structures and Formats
Thu 08 Oct lab data formats
Fri 09 Oct DUE project selection

4 Tue 13 Oct lecture Metadata
Thu 15 Oct lab project metadata

5 Tue 20 Oct lecture Relational Databases
Thu 22 Oct lab gazetteer database exercise
Fri 23 Oct DUE project metadata

6 Tue 27 Oct lecture Relational Databases (cont'd)
Thu 29 Oct lab database design

7 Tue 03 Nov lecture SQL
Thu 05 Nov lab database design (cont'd)

8 Tue 10 Nov lecture SQL (cont'd)
Thu 12 Nov lab Access (cont'd)
Fri 13 Nov DUE database design

9 Tue 17 Nov lecture Client-Server Databases
Thu 19 Nov lab MySQL

10 Tue 24 Nov lecture Web Architecture
Thu 26 Nov HOLIDAY

11 Tue 01 Dec lecture Databases on the Web
Thu 03 Dec lab web database
Fri 04 Dec DUE database implementation

12 Wed 09 Dec project presentations

 
  Updated: 2009-11-22 17:29 PST