PSDI Terminology
This diagram summarises what PSDI provides at a top-level:
These terms are defined in the "PSDI top-level terms collection" of vocabulary.jsonld as below:
Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure, PSDI project, Pathfinder, PSDI deliverable, PSDI platform, service, tool, guidance, metadata, resource theme, data, resource, community activity
Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure
(PSDI)
An Integrated Data Infrastructure* for the Physical Sciences in the UK that brings together and builds upon the various data systems researchers currently use. *'IT Infrastructure' - 'All of the hardware, software, networks, facilities etc. that are required to develop, test, deliver, monitor, control or learning material applications and IT services' [ITIL Glossary of Terms English v.1.0]
PSDI project
The project to produce the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure, its PSDI platform and community activities.
Pathfinder
Early deployment project which is part of the wider PSDI project, to seed the PSDI platform with exemplar resource themes.
PSDI deliverable
Top-level deliverable* of the PSDI project. *' Deliverable, N.' - 'Chiefly in plural. Something which may be delivered or provided; spec. a tangible result of a development process.' Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, July 2023
PSDI platform
The PSDI platform* is the interface which sits on the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure and provides common services, tools, metadata and guidance for the various resource themes in it. *'Platform, N., Sense I.11.a.' - 'A standard system architecture; a (type of) machine and/or operating system, regarded as the base on which software applications are run.' Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, March 2024
service
Each service is software - either used directly within the PSDI platform itself or within a web application accessed from it - that facilitates access to or performs data processing functions on data (available through the PSDI platform or other data). Some services are PSDI-wide and used within different resource themes and some are specific to a particular resource theme.
examples: user registration, access management, structure searching, format conversion service
tool
A tool is software* - downloaded from the PSDI platform and run via one's own non-PSDI infrastructure - that facilitates access to or performs data processing functions on data (available through the PSDI platform or other data). *'Software' - 'Computer programs, procedures, and possibly associated documentation and data pertaining to the operation of a computer System.' IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary, 1991
examples: format conversion tool, MagresView library
guidance
Advice/information made available to PSDI users and contributors via the PSDI platform to provide guidance* about PSDI, its resource themes and data management and reproducibility principals. *'Guidance, N., Sense 2.' - 'Something which guides or leads.' Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, December 2023
examples: knowledgebase, support, helpdesk, FAQs, known issue, policy, training resource
metadata
The PSDI metadata is 'data about data' that describes the PSDI platform and its resource themes, data, services and guidance to facilitate its access and document its provenance.
resource theme
A set of data and/or services and/or tools and/or guidance that can be accessed through the PSDI platform and has been developed by a PSDI contributing group relating to a particular Physical Sciences research theme (e.g. as part of a Pathfinder project).
data
Physical Sciences data associated with a resource theme, and available for access or download through the PSDI platform.
examples: database, dataset, data collection, repository, catalogue
resource
A general term for data or a service, tool or guidance associated with Physical Sciences and made available for access or download through the PSDI platform.
community activity
Activity* organised as part of the PSDI project to support and build up its community of users and contributors and foster collaborations related to it. *' Activity, N., Sense 3.a.' - 'Something which a person, animal, or group chooses to do; an occupation, a pursuit. Frequently in plural.' Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, July 2023
examples: event, conference, town hall meeting, training course, news
- Creator: Aileen Day
- Last modified date:2025-04-09