From Researcher to Reader: Improving Data Readability in Electrified Transportation
Stakeholders in electrified transportation represent a broad, multi-disciplinary field — ranging from researchers to public health officials to operators to policy makers. Though not all of these individuals are data experts, electrified transportation datasets are necessary to better study and improve electrification vary in quality and format, making comprehension difficult.
To address this difficulty, ASPIRE Ph.D. student Spencer Paulissen is designing common column identification methods with his team at the University of Colorado Boulder. These methods have the potential to improve ease and analysis of electrified transportation (ET) data and enhance the integration of these datasets.
“This research is a component of a more complete data processing pipeline that we are designing to aid researchers and interested parties to use and analyze ET data,” Paulissen shared. “Data are critical to ET research, so our goal is to make it as easy as possible to use and access relevant data.”
His advisor, Computer Science Professor Qin “Christine” Lv, further emphasized the importance of this “data fusion.”
“While more data are available, effective use of diverse datasets at scale remains a major roadblock in electrified transportation, especially in domain applications where data come from a wide range of sources,” said Lv. “By identifying common columns automatically, we can significantly increase the utility of such datasets, both within ASPIRE and for other application scenarios.”
Through their research, the team discovered that a combination of methods — specifically ontology matching and information theory — were more applicable to a variety of cases. This combination led to significant improvements in accuracy while maintaining transparency in the process.
After conducting the research, Paulissen helped write and review their findings into a publishable research study, “Common Column Identification for Table Similarity Detection in Electrified Transportation Data Lakes.”
“I would say, for that study, that the most surprising process was the review process,” he said. “It took longer than I had anticipated, and I was surprised by some of the comments that were made, but the paper definitely improved after implementing some of their suggestions, and I’m very happy with the version that eventually was published.”
His mentor also recognized the depth of Paulissen’s learnings throughout the research and publication process.
“Through this project, Spencer has matured significantly as an independent researcher,” Lv shared. “He’s capable of not only conducting cutting-edge research, but more importantly, grounding his research in challenging problems with real-world impact.”
Speaking of real-world impact, both researchers prioritized the practical application of their research, furthering the research initiatives of ASPIRE as a whole as they make ET data more accessible.
“Data-driven scientific discovery plays an important role in electrified transportation, advancing its research, planning, operation, and optimization in real-world deployment. It also enables and benefits from close collaboration across research teams and stakeholders,” Lv said. “Being part of ASPIRE is essential for the success of this project.”
Paulissen further emphasized that working at ASPIRE has broadened his understanding of the amount of electrification research being conducted.
“Research, particularly at ASPIRE, is being done with as much knowledge of real-world applications and issues as possible,” he explained. “Working with ASPIRE provides us access to cutting edge ET research that we can use to design this pipeline and, in turn, improve data accessibility for others in ASPIRE and beyond.”
For the latest news, publications, and research highlights from ASPIRE, visit aspire.usu.edu.
About ASPIRE:
ASPIRE, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center headquartered at Utah State University, leads groundbreaking research and development to accelerate electrification. With over 400 global collaborators, ASPIRE focuses on creating seamless, affordable electrified transportation systems, accessible for all vehicle classes, along with the public infrastructure needed to support them. By reducing emissions, improving air quality, and fostering economic growth through job creation and workforce training, ASPIRE’s work spans engineering, social science, policy, and business. Partnering with top universities, industry leaders, and community groups, ASPIRE is driving the future of advanced transportation. Learn more at aspire.usu.edu.
Contacts:
Kat Webb
Content Director
Marketing & Communications
ASPIRE ERC
Writer:
Kayleigh Kearsley
Marketing & Communications Intern
ASPIRE ERC