'Split personalities' for scientific databases: targeting database middleware and interfaces to specific audiences

Scientific researchers are anxious to discover new insights into the relati onships and interactions among the exceedingly diverse components of our ph ysical, biological and ecological environment. To do this, individual scien tists must be able to synthesize conclusions from data drawn from disciplin es outside their domains of expertise. While key datasets have already been brought online, they are housed in diverse agencies, using different datab ase software on a variety of platforms. This paper explores the problems in providing middleware and interface support for these autonomous research d atabases (ARDs). The development of interfaces to ARDs is complicated by the fact that poten tial end-users range from highly-specialized research scientists to the gen eral public. To adequately support such diverse users, the interface must a ssume different 'personalities'. We describe how interfaces can be targeted to three categories of end-users: domain specialists, non-domain specialis ts, and students. By automating the activities that are most frustrating, t ime-consuming, or error-prone, target-specific interfaces can significantly improve database usability. There is also heterogeneity among the people w ho must develop ARD interfaces. We target three different classes of implem enters - database-technology familiar, database-content familiar, and datab ase unfamiliar. By developing different middleware personalities that respo nd to the specific skills and interests of each audience, we have been able to keep our software simple and usable without sacrificing flexibility. (C ) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.