Evaluation paths to express scientific queries

Scientific data collection needed in various stages of scientific discovery is typically performed manually. For each scientific object of interest (e.g., a gene, a sequence), scientists query a succession of Web resources following links between retrieved entries, each of the steps providing part of the intended characterization of the scientific object. This process is often partially supported by hard-scripts implemented to collect data for a given data collection protocol, or by queries against a mediation systems, that express complex joins on integrated resources. These approaches fail in guiding the scientists in the collection process, informing the scientists on the alternative resources available, the data provenance, or the cost associated with the data collection. The BioNavigation system presented in This work addresses the issue of exploring evaluation paths of scientific queries and offers a complement to a traditional mediation approach.