Sampo-UI

Sampo-UI is a framework for developing user interfaces for semantic portals (Ikkala et al., 2022). The underlying ideas of the framework are based on the "Sampo" model that contains a sustainable business model for publishing and sharing Linked Data based on a shared ontology infrastructure, the idea of providing the end user with multiple application perspectives to the Linked Data, and a two-step usage cycle based on faceted search combined with ready-to-use data-analytic tooling (Hyvönen, 2023). The framework draws from longstanding research of the Semantic Computing Research Group (SeCo) since 2002 on developing a national Semantic Web infrastructure in Finland and semantic portals, which has resulted in publishing a series of "Sampo portals", mostly related to the Cultural Heritage domain, that have had millions of end users on the Web.

The Sampo-UI framework makes it possible to create highly customizable and responsive user interfaces that satisfy the requirements for such portals using current state-of-the-art JavaScript libraries and data from SPARQL endpoints, while saving substantial coding effort. Sampo-UI is published on GitHub under the open MIT License and has been utilized in several internal and external projects.

For more information about the "Sampo" model and how Sampo-UI has been applied in semantic portals see the Sampo portals homepage.

Open Software Available

Sampo-UI is available on GitHub: https://github.com/SemanticComputing/sampo-ui.

Tutorial: How to Create a Semantic Portal Using the Sampo-UI Framework

Sampo-UI has turned out to be an easy to use and efficient tool for developing portals on SPARQL endpoints: it has been used no only by its developers in the SeCo research group but also by external users. A detailed tutorial is available explaining how to install the needed sofware a and configue a template portal easily for a new application on top of basically any SPARQL endpoint.

There is also a video available on how to create a Sampo portal using Sampo-UI.

Demo Portal

An example portal built with the latest version of Sampo-UI is published at sampo-ui.demo.seco.cs.aalto.fi. It combines sample perspectives and templates from existing portals, and can be used for testing and as a "starting base" for developing new user interfaces.

Figure: Sampo-UI's default stucture for a landing page of semantic portal.

Contact:

MSc Heikki Rantala
Aalto University, Semantic Computing Research Group
firstname.lastname@aalto.fi

MSc Annastiina Ahola
Aalto University, Semantic Computing Research Group
firstname.lastname@aalto.fi

Prof. Eero Hyvönen
Aalto University and University of Helsinki (HELDIG)
firstname.lastname@aalto.fi

Publications

2025

Eero Hyvönen, Annastiina Ahola, Petri Leskinen and Jouni Tuominen: Aggregating and Aligning Knowledge Graphs into a Global Service: SampoSampo System for Cross-cultural Data Search, Exploration, and Analysis. 2025. Accepted, short papers. bib pdf

Eero Hyvönen, Petri Leskinen, Henna Poikkimäki, Heikki Rantala, Jouni Tuominen, Senka Drobac, Ossi Koho, Ilona Pikkanen and Hanna-Leena Paloposki: Searching, exploring, and analyzing historical letters and the underlying networks: LetterSampo Finland (1809–1917) data service and semantic portal. 2025. Accepted, long papers. bib pdf

2024

Eero Hyvönen: Serendipitous knowledge discovery on the Web of Wisdom based on searching and explaining interesting relations in knowledge graphs. Journal of Web Semantics, Elsevier, December, 2024. Accepted, in print. bib pdf

Petri Leskinen: Modeling and Using Biographical Linked Data for Prosopographical Data Analysis. Dissertation, Aalto University, School of Science, Department of Computer Science, October, 2024. bib pdf

Eero Hyvönen: Creating and Using Biographical Dictionaries for Digital Humanities Based on Linked Data: A Survey of Web Services in Use in Finland. Proceedings of the Biographical Data in a Digital World 2022 (BD 2022), Tokyo, Institute of Cultural History, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia, January, 2024. bib pdf link

Petri Leskinen and Eero Hyvönen: Biographical and Prosopographical Analyses of Finnish Academic People 1640–1899 Based on Linked Open Data. Proceedings of the Biographical Data in a Digital World 2022 (BD 2022), Tokyo, Institute of Cultural History, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia, January, 2024. bib pdf link

Eero Hyvönen: Sampo-järjestelmien verkosto avaa linkitettyä kulttuuridataa tutkijoille ja kansalaisille semanttisessa webissä. Tieteessä tapahtuu, no. 2, 2024. bib pdf

Eero Hyvönen: How to Create a National Cross-domain Ontology and Linked Data Infrastructure and Use It on the Semantic Web. Semantic Web - Interoperability, Usability, Applicability, IOS Press, 2024. DOI: 10.3233/SW-243468. bib pdf link

2023

Heikki Rantala, Annastiina Ahola, Esko Ikkala and Eero Hyvönen: How to create easily a data analytic semantic portal on top of a SPARQL endpoint: introducing the configurable Sampo-UI framework. VOILA! 2023 Visualization and Interaction for Ontologies, Linked Data and Knowledge Graphs 2023, CEUR Workshop Proceedings, Vol. 3508, October, 2023. bib pdf link

Eero Hyvönen: Creating and Using a Linked Open Ontology and Data Infrastructure for Digital Humanities in Finland: Lessons Learned 2003-2023. June, 2023. Under review. bib pdf

Eero Hyvönen: Creating and Using a National Linked Open Data Infrastructure for Cultural Heritage Applications and Digital Humanities Research: Lessons Learned. DARIAH Annual Event 2023, Budapest, Hungary, abstracts of papers, DARIAH-EU, June, 2023. bib link

Eero Hyvönen: How to Create a National Cross-domain Ontology and Linked Data Infrastructure and Use It on the Semantic Web. Programming and Data Infrastructure in Digital Humanities, Book of Abstracts, pp. 7, High Performance Computing Centre, University of Évora, Portugal, March, 2023. bib link

Eero Hyvönen: Digital Humanities on the Semantic Web: Sampo Model and Portal Series. Semantic Web – Interoperability, Usability, Applicability, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 729-744, IOS Press, 2023. bib pdf link

2022

Esko Ikkala, Eero Hyvönen, Heikki Rantala and Mikko Koho: Sampo-UI: A Full Stack JavaScript Framework for Developing Semantic Portal User Interfaces. Semantic Web – Interoperability, Usability, Applicability, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 69-84, January, 2022. Online version published in 2021, print version in 2022. bib pdf link

2021

Eero Hyvönen: Sammon taontaa semanttisessa webissä (Forging Sampos on the Semantic Web). Tekniikan Waiheita, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 87-105, Tekniikan Historian Seura ry, July, 2021. bib pdf link

2020

Eero Hyvönen: Semantic Sampo Portals for Digital Humanities Based on a National Linked Open Data Infrastructure. 2020. White paper, Aalto University, Semantic Computing Research Group (SeCo). bib pdf

Eero Hyvönen: Sampo Model and Semantic Portals for Digital Humanities on the Semantic Web. DHN 2020 Digital Humanities in the Nordic Countries. Proceedings of the Digital Humanities in the Nordic Countries 5th Conference, pp. 373-378, CEUR Workshop Proceedings, vol. 2612, Riga, Latvia, October, 2020. bib pdf link

Eero Hyvönen: Using the Semantic Web in Digital Humanities: Shift from Data Publishing to Data-analysis and Serendipitous Knowledge Discovery. Semantic Web, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 187-193, 2020. bib pdf link