Metadata is, and will increasingly be playing a central role in the provisioning of semantic web functionalities, e.g., in easing the discovery, interoperability and integration of a variety of data and service resources. For example, applications and databases in the life sciences rely heavily on metadata for describing and curating data products. To effectively exploit the true potential of metadata, however, methods and tools to facilitate its management are required. Metadata management certainly includes traditional issues such as modelling, specification, generation, curation, storage and retrieval, that are typical of any data management system. Additional properties that are specific to metadata, however, have an impact on its management. As a form of resource annotation, for example, metadata has a recognizable lifecycle, that is determined by the evolution of the underlying resources and should be managed accordingly. Also, the use of semantic metadata, i.e., metadata that is defined using shared conceptualisations (ontologies) or controlled vocabularies, is increasingly popular in a number of application areas. Managing semantic metadata provides both new challenges and opportunities.

The first international workshop on semantic metadata management aims to bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss issues related to metadata management, with particular emphasis on the management of semantic metadata. The workshop also aims to shed light on relatively new issues that emerge in the context of metadata intensive applications, e.g., semantic web services, semantic web processes and semantic grid applications, including metadata evolution, propagation and curation.
Programme

A programme will be published here upon notification of the authors and receiving the camera ready versions of the submissions.
Topics of Interest
We seek papers describing ongoing innovative work and applications on these metadata management issues. Specifically, the workshop topics include, but are not limited to:

* metadata generation, curation, and lifetime management
* metadata mapping and reconciliation
* efficient storage and retrieval of metadata
* metadata interoperability
* evolution and propagation of metadata
* quality, pedigree and provenance of metadata
* contextual metadata
* metadata identification
* models and languages for metadata.

As well as the above topics, the workshop seeks papers that describe case studies that show the benefits gained thanks to the use of metadata. We also seek papers that show the limitations of current state of the art in metadata models, languages and tools. Papers that report on success stories or experiences/evaluations that pinpoint metadata management issues that need further investigation in this field are encouraged. The application areas that are in the scope of the workshop include, but are not limited to:

* metadata in life science databases and applications,
* e-Science and e-Health,
* business and scientific workflows,
* semantic guided web service interoperability and composition,
* web service and workflow discovery,
* social and scientific networks,
* semantic grid services,
* semantic query processing,
* semantic-enriched web portals and mashups.

Organising Committee

* Khalid Belhajjame, University of Manchester (UK)
* Mathieu dâ??Aquin, KMi, Open University (UK)
* Peter Haase, Institut AIFB, Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Germany
* Paolo Missier, University of Manchester (UK)

Program Committee

* Boualem Benatallah, University of New South Wales (Australia)
* Marco Brambilla, Politecnico Di Milano (Italy)
* Christine Collet, University of Grenoble (France)
* Isabel Cruz, University of Illinois (USA)
* Carole Goble, University of Manchester (UK)
* David de Roure, University of Southampton (UK)
* Asuman Dogac, Middle East Technical University (Turkey)
* Mohand-Saïd Hacid, Claude Bernard University (France)
* Vipul Kashyap, Partners HealthCare System (USA)
* Bertram Ludäscher, UC Davis (USA)
* Peter Mika, Yahoo Research (Spain)
* Natasha Noy, Stanford University (USA)
* Eyal Oren, VU Amsterdam (Netherland)
* Jeff Z. Pan, University of Aberdeen (UK)
* Matthew Perry, Wright State University (USA)
* Alexandra Poulovassilis, Birkbeck College (UK)
* Marta Sabou, The Open University (UK)
* Genoveva Vargas-Solar, University of Grenoble (France)

Submission and Proceedings

Papers should be formatted according to the guidelines of the ESWC conference.
Papers should be submitted using EasyChair.
Proceedings will be published for the workshop.

Papers must not exceed 15 pages. Short papers, experimental contributions, system and demo descriptions must not exceed 8 pages.

Note that workshop attendees must also register for the main conference. So try to register both for the conference and the workshop before the ESWC2008 early registration deadline.
Important Dates

* Deadline for submissions: March 7, 2008
* Notification of acceptance: April 4, 2008
* Camera-ready versions: April 18, 2008
* Workshop: June 1, 2008