Title
Enabling collaborative research using the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN).
Abstract
Objective As biomedical technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, researchers can probe ever more subtle effects with the added requirement that the investigation of small effects often requires the acquisition of large amounts of data. In biomedicine, these data are often acquired at, and later shared between, multiple sites. There are both technological and sociological hurdles to be overcome for data to be passed between researchers and later made accessible to the larger scientific community. The goal of the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN) is to address the challenges inherent in biomedical data sharing. Materials and methods BIRN tools are grouped into 'capabilities' and are available in the areas of data management, data security, information integration, and knowledge engineering. BIRN has a user-driven focus and employs a layered architectural approach that promotes reuse of infrastructure. BIRN tools are designed to be modular and therefore can work with pre-existing tools. BIRN users can choose the capabilities most useful for their application, while not having to ensure that their project conforms to a monolithic architecture. Results BIRN has implemented a new software-based data-sharing infrastructure that has been put to use in many different domains within biomedicine. BIRN is actively involved in outreach to the broader biomedical community to form working partnerships. Conclusion BIRN's mission is to provide capabilities and services related to data sharing to the biomedical research community. It does this by forming partnerships and solving specific, user-driven problems whose solutions are then available for use by other groups.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1136/amiajnl-2010-000032
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL INFORMATICS ASSOCIATION
Keywords
Field
DocType
data security,information integration,knowledge engineering,data management,layered architecture
Data science,Information integration,Data mining,Data security,Biomedical technology,Computer science,Data sharing,Outreach,Knowledge management,Knowledge engineering,Health informatics,Data management
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
18
4
1067-5027
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
22
1.47
24
Authors
20
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Karl G. Helmer11108.32
José Luis Ambite2958110.89
Joseph Ames3462.94
Rachana Ananthakrishnan4221.47
Gully Burns5233.53
Ann L. Chervenak6221.47
Foster Ian7229382663.24
Lee Liming8221.47
David B. Keator922820.24
Fabio Macciardi10795.64
Ravi Madduri1118213.37
John-paul Navarro1211518.37
Potkin Steven G13795.67
Bruce R. Rosen14623.90
Seth Ruffins15221.47
Robert Schuler1618616.08
Jessica A. Turner1762546.04
Arthur W. Toga183128261.46
Christina Williams19221.47
Carl Kesselman20128601648.67