Abstract

The numbers of available neuroscience resources (databases, tools, materials and networks) on the web have, and continue to expand; particularly in light of newly implemented data sharing policies required by funding agencies and journals. However, the nature of dense, multi-faceted neuroscience data and the design of classic search engine systems makes efficient, reliable, and relevant discovery of such resources a significant challenge. This challenge is especially pertinent for online databases, whose dynamic content is largely opaque to contemporary search engines. The Neuroscience Information Framework

The Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), http://neuinfo.org

(NIF) was initiated to address this problem of finding and utilizing neuroscience-relevant resources. The NIF provides simultaneous, concept-based search across multiple data sources allowing neuroscientists to connect with available resources, including the deep content of experimental data in online databases. Searching the NIF portal is semantically enhanced through the utilization of a comprehensive ontology, the Neuroscience Information Framework Standard (NIFSTD), developed internally and with community involvement at NeuroLex.org. The NIFSTD also provides the foundation for a standard semantic resources description framework to facilitate navigation across resources, as well as integration and interoperability of available neuroscience data. Since the first production release in 2008, NIF has grown significantly in content and functionality, particularly with respect to the ontologies and ontology-services driving the system. This paper presents NIF as a comprehensive information system that is decisively driven by its ontologies.