Three Steps to Heaven: Semantic Publishing in a Real World Workflow

TL;DR

This paper advocates for a web-first, three-tiered semantic publishing workflow that enhances the publication process by integrating limited semantics, benefiting authors, readers, and machines despite traditional PDF limitations.

Contribution

It introduces a practical, three-step semantic publishing approach compatible with existing tools, improving the publication process in real-world workflows.

Findings

Web-first publication approach improves accessibility.

Limited semantics add value without overhauling existing tools.

Enhances experience for authors, readers, and machines.

Abstract

Semantic publishing offers the promise of computable papers, enriched visualisation and a realisation of the linked data ideal. In reality, however, the publication process contrives to prevent richer semantics while culminating in a `lumpen' PDF. In this paper, we discuss a web-first approach to publication, and describe a three-tiered approach which integrates with the existing authoring tooling. Critically, although it adds limited semantics, it does provide value to all the participants in the process: the author, the reader and the machine.