Abstract
Geospatial metadata are largely denormalized inasmuch as resource descriptions typically accommodate property values as plain text. Hence, it is not possible to bring multiple references to the same entity (say, a keyword from a controlled vocabulary) under the same umbrella. This practice is ultimately the main source for the heterogeneities in metadata descriptions by which geospatial discovery is hampered. In this paper, we elaborate on ex-post semantic augmentation of metadata, a technique generally referred to as semantic lift, which complements our previous research on semantic characterization of metadata via transparent association of uniform resource identifiers with metadata items at editing time. The latter is accomplished by means of a template-based metadata editor that can be tailored to any XML-based metadata schema. By repurposing the template language previously defined for metadata editing, we broaden the expressiveness of the former and integrate heterogeneous, XML-based resource descriptions in our semantics-aware metadata management workflow. URI-based indirection in metadata provision not only entails normalization of individual information items and allows one to overcome the aforementioned heterogeneities, but also elicits decentralized, multi-tenanted management of metadata.
Highlights
The transition from GIS to SDI has been fostered by advancements in IT—primarily, the advent of the Internet as a medium for communication—and policy requirements demanding for a better national and transnational management of geospatial resources [1]
We extended the outreach of geospatial semantics beyond these three components inasmuch as our framework can encompass any generic RDF data structure in the Web of Data, such as the individuals and organizations that are indicated as the responsible parties for a given geospatial resource
Searching for “Regioni marine” by means of the search interface provided by the geoportal, the user can retrieve the datasets that were associated the Italian translation of this INSPIRE Theme
Summary
The transition from GIS to SDI has been fostered by advancements in IT—primarily, the advent of the Internet as a medium for communication—and policy requirements demanding for a better national and transnational management of geospatial resources [1]. Letting aside the technical requirements that are necessary to implement such a delegation principle (requirements that are met by our implementations), one should be aware of the necessary paradigm shift from the notion of data structures that are single-handedly maintained by the institution providing a given resource to that of distributed metadata It is not apparent how current, centralized metadata management practices could migrate to this new paradigm.
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