Sampo UI

Navigating Linked Open Data

A Modern Frontend for SPARQL & Linked Open Data

Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities

What is Linked Open Data?

Linked Open Data connects information across the web using standardized formats

  • Web of interconnected data
  • Machine-readable format
  • URIs as universal identifiers
  • RDF (Resource Description Framework)

RDF Triple Structure

Subject
→
Predicate
→
Object
Example:
<Person> <hasName> "John Doe" .
<Person> <livesIn> <Brussels> .
<Brussels> <isCapitalOf> <Belgium> .

The Problem

Raw Triple Tables Are Not User-Friendly

  • Technical RDF triples difficult to interpret
  • Overwhelming data tables
  • No intuitive navigation or exploration
  • Barriers for non-technical users

"How can we make linked data accessible to everyone?"

Enter Sampo UI

The Solution: Data Navigation

  • 🎨 Visual, intuitive interface
  • 🔍 Faceted search and filtering
  • 📈 Data visualization (maps, charts, timelines)
  • 🔗 Federated data sources

Sampo UI Key Features

Reusable & Open Source

Generic viewer adaptable to many domains

View-Only Environment

Focused on data exploration, not editing

Federated Data Sources

Combine multiple SPARQL endpoints

Sampo UI - Non-Features

No Data editing

Data editing and maintenance

No Multimedia

Mainly focussed on text-data

No Analysis platform

Data export capabilites for offline data-analysis

Helsinki - Ghent Collaboration

Helsinki Centre for Digital Humanities

  • Original Sampo development
  • Domain-specific implementations
  • Multiple project instances

Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities

  • Jahid - Student Developer
  • Code reorganization
  • Focus on reusability

Jahid's Contribution: Code Restructuring

Before: The Problem

  • 20+ separate instances
  • Individual performance fixes
  • Repeated update cycles
  • Maintenance nightmare
  • Multiple containers

After: The Solution

  • Single reusable codebase
  • Centralized improvements
  • One update, all benefit
  • Sustainable development
  • Single container deployment

Perfect Match: Ghent CDH Use Cases

🪙 Coin Find Database

  • Historical numismatic data
  • Geographic distribution
  • Temporal analysis

🏛️ BELLHISFIRM Data

  • Business historical records
  • Person / company perspective
  • Basic pattern visualization
💡 Ideal Conceptual Fit: Combines data publication with data visualization.

Conclusion

🔗 Sampo UI Enables:

  • Accessible linked data exploration
  • Intuitive interface
  • Reusable, sustainable code
  • Cross-domain applications

🚀 Future Opportunities:

  • Historical research datasets
  • Digital humanities projects
  • Cultural heritage collections
  • Collaborative scholarship
"Making linked open data beautiful, accessible, and actionable for researchers worldwide"

Thank You

Questions & Discussion

Helsinki 🤝 Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities

References

  • Hyvönen, E. (2023). Digital humanities on the semantic web: Sampo model and portal series. Semantic Web, 14(4), 729-744.
  • Ikkala, E., Hyvönen, E., Rantala, H., & Koho, M. (2021). Sampo-UI: A full stack JavaScript framework for developing semantic portal user interfaces. Semantic Web, 13(1), 69-84.
  • Rantala, H., Oksanen, E., Ehrnsten, F., & Hyvönen, E. (2024). Publishing numismatic public finds on the semantic web for digital humanities research–coinsampo linked open data service and semantic portal. In CEUR Workshop Proceedings (Vol. 3724). RWTH Aachen University.