My MS Thesis

On 2nd June, 2008, I started my M.S. Thesis study in a sort of official manner. I requested my advisor Dr. Tecuci and supervisor Dr. Boicu to suggest me a thesis topic. I did it deliberately as I had a bad experience in working on one of my own research topic as part of my undegraduation final year project, where all the responsibility and planning lied with me and all that a supervisor asks you is 'watsp' or 'howz it goin'. So, my understandings lead me to have supervision in the sense of transfer of knowledge, experience, and planning ability.

Also, I added one single condition in regard to my research topic that they might propose: Some how, I want to work in parallel to the Semantic Web Activity. Fortunately, they already had a broad vision about such a project in relation to Disciple System. Eventually, in the next meeting, I was introduced to the vision, direction, timeline, opportunities, and expectations. And, I loved it!

The Disciple System, which is a brainchild of Dr. Tecuci, was not developed since its inception, while keeping in mind a compliance with the artifacts of the semantic web. In the recent years, however, a lot work was done to get the most out of OWL, while extending it where it was required. Now, the related standards have all matured, and at the same time new standards are being developed. To achieve a strong compliance b/w Disciple and those standards, I am required to study, observe, and participate in development of a couple (or may be single) standards, which provide the same (or more) facilities that Disciple is providing in a non-standard way. This would be achieved by identifying relevant W3C working groups (RIF etc), and seeking memberships. Following this, we would rebuild certain components of Disciple to conform to norms of semantic web standards and would come up with some sort of association b/w non-conventional expert systems and semantic web.

Yes, it's all very much abstract as of now and it remains like this traditionally. The more I'll study, the narrower the vision will be, till the moment when I'll be able to say it all in a couple of statements, known as the Thesis Statement.

That's it!