COST-HLA in Porto: Can you help with Maps and Data Journals

I blogged about my visit to Porto on Monday and I'm relaying appeals for help in two areas:

(a) One group wants to create an interactive map where they mashup immunogenetics data (genetic markers in human populations). The emphasis is on Europe. They are thinking of using Google maps, but I'm wondering whether Open Street Map is at a stage where it could create a totally open solution. I am gueesing that they wish to overlay maps with dots or coloured regions (so obviously natural administrative boundaries in Europe would be useful.)

Any help, including examples of where this technology has been used for whatever purpose would be useful.

(b) Another group is interested in publishing datasets in a data journal. They wish to make sure that the data are published at the same time as the study is published conventionally. They believe that the community would be interested in a journal which was peer-reviewed but primarily on data and metadata quality and that this would be "one data set per paper".

This is close to the model of Acta Crystallographica E where each paper is a single crystal structure and where the data quality is the primary concern – chemical interest is not a determining factor.

I believe that the data journal is coming and that this type of activity should be strongly encouraged. It should be very cost-effective and could lead to new metrics for scientific endeavour.