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=== Editors' responsibilities for preparatory phase === Here are some thoughts about the tasks/responsibilities of anyone serving as an editor or 'associate' editor. * managing the process ** contacting the authors ** contacting publishers ** contacting, getting permission from people whose work we reference or summarize ** explore different vehicles for publishing |
RFC Name : Cytoscape Book |
Editor(s): Allan Kuchinsky |
Date: 2008-05-02 |
Status: <!>Under Construction |
Proposal
Publish a co-authored book on Cytoscape and its role in exploring biological networks as a companion to 3.0 release.
Background
We have been approached frequently to write book chapters on Cytoscape. But there is so much functionality to write about that it is hard to capture in a book chapter. At the same time, there appears to be a niche for a practitioner-oriented book on biological networks and their analysis, visualization, and integration with measurement data. A book on Cytoscape, co-authored and published in the time frame to be a companion to the 3.0 release, would serve a number of purposes:
- a comprehensive and useful resource for the community of Cytoscape users and developers.
- a comprehensive and useful resource for anyone who wanted to learn more about biological network analysis and visualization.
- a way of broadening the user and developer base for Cytoscape.
- a way to enhance Cytoscape's stature and visability.
Use Cases
The book would be oriented towards practitioners (users and developers) and would be a complement to the Cytoscape User Manual. Rather than being a how-to book, this would be more of a what-is-possible book. That is, in contrast to the User Manual and protocols articles we have published, which provide step-by-step directions for using the functionality, the book would provide technical background on the main problem areas for biological networks, coupled with descriptions of how Cytoscape and its plugins approach the problem area. The reader of the book would gain a knowledge of the state of research into biological network analysis and visualization, as well as some familiarity with the Cytoscape platform. The book would serve as a text and could potentially be used as a text for bioinformatics courses. The book could also serve as a general reference for Cytoscape, but the reader would be referred to the User Manual for specific details on how to use the functionality. This has the advantage of insulating the book from changes that will occur in ongoing releases of Cytoscape.
Implementation Plan
The following is one potential way of organizing the book. It could be partitioned into a small number of sections, each section oriented around a particular theme of network analysis and visualization and containing several chapters, each chapter oriented around a particular problem area, approach, or area of functionality. In addition to giving a survey of the problem area and describing the relevant Cytoscape functionality, the chapter could include sidebars on the relevant plugins and/or examples of real-world usage. Additionally, there would be introductory materials the provided vision and and overview of the area, also concluding materials that might describe future trends and how Cytoscape might evolve.
Following is an initial outline of potential sections, chapters, sidebars, and possible authors. It is not exhaustive. I (AllanK) am likely to have forgotten major areas, so please help with additions, modifications, etc. (n.b. I am not completely happy with this particular partitioning into sections, would appreciate suggestions of other alternative partitioning).
Section |
Chapter |
Problem Description |
Cytoscape Functionality |
Sidebars |
|
Introductory |
Forward |
Provide vision and context. Describe the role of biological networks in understanding and curing disease, personalized medicine, etc. |
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Overview |
Describe the major problem and research areas of of Network Analysis, Visualization, and Data Integration. Give an overview of the sections and chapters of the book. |
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User Perspective |
Describe the work practices of different types of biomedical researchers and their needs from information technologies. |
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Describe a real-world use case that will be used as an example throughout the book. |
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Creating Content |
Biological pathway resources and molecular interactions databases |
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web service clients, import networks from file/URLs |
MiMI, PathwayCommons, BioPAX, GenMAPP |
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Network inference |
inferring networks and interactions from expression data, non-structured text, clustering ... |
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Agilent Literature Search, use case in atherosclerosis? |
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Network editing and Curation |
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subnet extraction, cytoscape editor |
WikiPathways |
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Molecular Structure and Biochemical data |
relation of biological networks to interactions at the molecular level -- domains, small molecule interactions |
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structureViz, GoSC cheminformatics plugin |
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Data and Annotations |
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web service clients, import expression data, import attributes, import annotations, Linkout |
SubGeneViewer? |
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Exploring Networks |
Overview of Information Visualization principles |
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zooming, birds-eye-view, hide-show, rendering/level of detail |
VistaClara |
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Graph Layout |
Overview of criteria and algorithms for aesthetic graph layout |
Cytoscape Layouts |
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Mapping data to visual properties |
Description of data coding |
vizmapper |
MSKCC expression viewer, dynamicXPR, VistaClara |
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Abstraction |
managing network and data complexity via aggregation |
Groups, network merge |
clustering plugins |
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Search |
overview of information retrieval issues |
Filters, QuickFind |
Cytoscape ESP |
|
Analyzing Networks |
overview |
description of main issues in network analysis, scale free networks, etc. |
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graph-theoretic analysis |
analysis of topological properties |
nearest neighbor |
GoSC random network generator, Network Analyzer plugin |
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identifying community structure |
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mCODE, GoSC normalized visualization project, jActiveModules |
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network comparison |
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network merge |
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functional enrichment |
overview of biological ontologies |
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BiNGO, BubbleRouter |
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Perspectives and Conclusion |
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non-biological networks |
social networks, telecoms network management |
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emerging standards |
SBML, SBGN |
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Molecular Interaction Maps |
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the future |
personalized medicine, etc. |
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Project Management
Editors' responsibilities for preparatory phase
Here are some thoughts about the tasks/responsibilities of anyone serving as an editor or 'associate' editor.
- managing the process
- * contacting the authors
- * contacting publishers
- * contacting, getting permission from people whose work we reference or summarize
- * explore different vehicles for publishing
Project Timeline
Provide a timeline for implementation. Insert a graphic if you can. Try this free online tool for making project timelines -> [http://www.helpuplan.com/index.asp Help-u-Plan] (create a new chart; modify; right-click to save gif; then attach to this page)
Tasks and Milestones
Outline the major milestones and tasks involved in implementation.
Milestone 1: …
- Task 1: ...
- Task 2: ...
Milestone 2: …
Project Dependencies
Outline and projects that depend on this project, link to relevant RFC's and note at what point dependent projects could be started.
Related RFCs
Link to other related RFCs
Issues
What is the right venue for publishing -- traditional publisher, Publish-on-Demand service, WikiBook?
- Do we focus on biological networks or do we broaden the focus to include other kinds of networks?
Comments
Add comment here…
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