Investigate possible improvements from adopting PaNET

[paulmillar]

Description:

Through PaNET, we now have a common approach for identifying experimental techniques. Therefore, it is now possible to identify (accurately) through which research technique data (in some dataset) was obtained.

The document Working with PaNET terms in ICAT describes how to include PaNET terms within ICAT datasets. It is a "how to", helping research institutes that have deployed ICAT to adopt PaNET.

With the adoption of PaNET, there may be some possible enhancements to DataGateway that might be of interest. Here some ideas to whet your appetite.

On the page showing information about a dataset:

• show the PaNET research technique. This information seems to be either missing, or describe in natural language; e.g., within the description or the title.
• The PaNET information could be a link to the search page, with the PaNET term preselected.
• The PaNET information could also provide a link to a definition of the technique.
• There could be a link to the PaN training portal, providing more information about a particular research technique.

On the search page:

• allow user to specify research technique
  • Perhaps use PaNET data to auto-complete names
• Use the PaNET ontology to search for datasets that include narrower PaNET terms.
• Support "guided searching", if there are too many search results, suggest the more-specific research technique; if there are too few search results, suggest a more general research technique.

Acceptance criteria:

There is no acceptance criteria for this issue.

This issue exists to highlight that there is now the possibility to extend DataGateway with some advanced features, through the adoption of PaNET. However, it exists without providing any concrete requirements on how DataGateway should be extended.