An Academic Perspective

ETeMII - European Territorial Management Information Infrastructure High level briefing 7, 8 March 2002, Antwerp, Belgium An Academic Perspective Key points on research and education Marinos Kavouras National Technical University of Athens

SOURCES Project Vision Summary White paper Action items

Some similar questions Are catalogues sufficient for discovery? Standards, etc. When a common data model should be adopted? Are linguistic differences a barrier? Is Europe special GIwise? Is data quality an absolute value? From FP4 to FP6: Research focus? Education focus?

ETeMII Project s goal A right one! repetition of data acquisition not enough success stories available! Project breakdown (WPs): Reference data Metadata Interoperability

None of the above is currently sufficient to satisfy complex SDI objectives Education (incl. training) 1 Need to strengthen educational programmes: a. short-term action reference data b. long-term action metadata c. short-term interoperability How this should be specifically accomplished? Currently: Engineering curricula focus on reference data GeoIT principles, software training and relatively simple applications Project/problem-solving oriented education is behind Emphasis on training not bad not enough

Education (incl. training) 2 technical material (protocols, Java, Corba, XML, etc.) semantic aspects vs. post-graduate specialization level non-technical issues are poorly if not at all covered in existing programmes (Coleman, 1997), " almost all teachers in this field were educated in a traditional disciplinary approach; rethinking their teaching philosophies and materials to reflect a wider systems-based perspective represents an enormous undertaking".

Education (incl. training) 3 What and how do you teach students for year 2010? "to solve problems using as many disciplines as required", "to learn better to plan, organise, staff, direct, and control interdisciplinary application solutions" (McLaughlin, 1997). So far, Geoinformatics seems to be a suitable paradigm for postgraduate specialisation studies. In its current highly technological form, however, it lacks the intellectual core to serve as a model for basic undergraduate studies.

Specific Programmes Specific initiatives are needed for education and training. Probably the establishment of specific programmes, strengthening cooperation between academic institutions and the industry, similar to the Centre for Property Studies in Canada, look promising. http://www.unb.ca/centres/property/home.html

Research 1 Where is the Innovation? Is there any at all? it seems that (technical) interoperability is currently considered a training goal rather than a research topic. TRUE INDEED Current conceptions of SDIs are useful but rather limited (short-sighted) Achieving interoperability through imposition of de jure standards is not very promising and scientifically not challenging.

Views on interoperability and standardisation the development of new interoperability standards vs. ETeMII does not believe that achieving interoperability should be focused on standard making (following existing standards, perhaps),

Other views on Interoperability and Standardisation Legislation or policy recommendations are not suitable for imposing standards. Reasons for embracing a standard: a. It exists and it is complete across the area of interest; b. it is simple to access and use; and c. it does the job As with political leadership, one must keep in mind that status as a true standard can only be conferred by followers (Coleman & McLaughlin, 1992).

Research 2 Semantics (Chapter on Metadata) Open issues in semantic interoperability and ontological research (Chapter on Interoperability) GI standards/metadata standards Two types/approaches: NEW (or generic) and EXISTING As with the data standards, existing metadata standards also have to be associated.

Research 3 Semantic integration Current primary objective: better access to GI by enforcing GI and metadata standards and low-level access mechanisms BUT NO mechanisms/methods established to achieve true integration / association / fusion / fission A project, which attempts to make different major European dataset classifications interoperable at the semantic level, would be a good and extremely useful exercise.

Research 4 Active research on multi-scale, multi-context ontologies Extend the notion of multi-scale data to include, except from different levels of detail, different conceptualizations of geographic entities. fusion of heterogeneous data sources fission: production of data sets specialized for specific uses generalization

Fusion of conceptualisations Κατηγορίες παλαιότερου σχήµατος ταξινόµησης ΕΣΥΕ ε: έκταση που καταλαµβάνει ο οικισµός ή οι οικισµοί ζ: άλλες εκτάσεις (βραχότοποι, µεταλλεία, κλπ.) α: καλλιεργούµενες εκτάσεις και αγραναπαύσεις απ ό 1-5 ετών β: βοσκότοποι (δηµοτικοί ή κοινοτικοί και άλλοι) γ: δάση δ: εκτάσεις που καλύπ τονται απ ό νερά Τελικές κατηγορίες σχήµατος ταξινόµησης χρήσης/κάλυψης γης ΤΕΧΝΗΤΕΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΕΣ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΚΕΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΕΣ ΑΣΗ & ΗΜΙΦΥΣΙΚΕΣ ΕΚΤΑΣΕΙΣ ΕΚΤΑΣΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΚΑΛΥΠΤΟΝΤΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΝΕΡΑ Αστική οικοδόµηση Βιοµηχανικές & εµπορικές ζώ νες ίκτυα συγκοινωνιών Ορυχεία, χώροι απορρίψεως απορριµµάτων & εργοτάξια Τεχνητές, µη γεωργικές ζώνες πρασίνου, χώροι αθλητικών & πολιτιστικών δραστηριοτήτων Αρόσιµη γη Μόνιµες καλλιέργειες Βοσκοτόπια & λιβαδια Ετερογενείς γεωργικές περιοχές άση Μεταβατικέςδασώδειςθαµνώδεις εκτάσεις Συνδυασµοί θαµνώδους και/ή ποώδους βλάστησης Εκτάσεις µε αραιή ή καθόλου βλάστηση Χερσαία ύδατα Εσωτερικές υγρές ζώνες Παραθαλάσσιες υγρές ζώνες CORINE Land Cover 1.1.1. 1.1.2. Συνεχής αστική Ασυνεχής αστική οικοδόµηση οικοδόµηση 1.2.1. Βιοµηχανικές & εµπορικές ζώ νες 1.2.2. Οδικά & 1.2.3. 1.2.4 σιδηροδροµ. Ζώνες λιµένων Αεροδρόµια δίκτυα & γειτνιάζουσα γη 2.1.1. 2.1.2. Μη-αρδεύσιµη Μόνιµα αρόσιµη γη αρδευόµενη γη 2.1.3. Ορυζώνες 2.2.2. 2.2.1. Οπωροφόρα Αµπελώνες δέντρα & φυτείες µε σαρκώδεις καρπούς 2.2.3. Ελαιώνες 2.3.1. Βοσκοτόπια & λιβαδια 3.2.1. 2.4.1. 2.4.2. 2.4.3. 2.4.4. Φυσικοί Ετήσιες καλλιέργ. Σύνθετα συστήµατα Γη κυρίωςγεωργική Γεωργοδασικές βοσκότοπ οι µε µόνιµες καλλιέργ. καλλιέργειας µε σηµαντικές εκτάσεις περιοχές φυσικής βλάστησης 3.1.1. άσος πλατύφυλλων 3.1.2. άσος κωνοφόρων 3.1.3. Μικτό δάσος 1.3.1. 1.3.2. 1.3.3. 1.4.1. 1.4.2. Χώροι εξορύξεως Χώροι Χώροι Περιοχές Εγκαταστάσεις ορυκτών απορρίψεως οικοδόµησης αστικού πρασίνου αθλητισµούαναψυχής απορριµµάτων 3.2.4. 3.2.2. 3.2.3. Μεταβατικέςδασώδειςθαµνώδεις εκτάσεις χερσότοποι Θάµνοι & Σκληροφυλλική βλάστηση 3.3.1. 3.3.2. 3.3.3 3.3.4. Παραλίες, Απ ογ υµνωµένοι Εκτάσεις µε Απ οτεφ ρωµένες αµµόλοφοι, βράχοι αραιή βλάστηση εκτάσεις αµµουδιές 5.1.1. Ροές υδάτων 5.1.2. Συλλογές υδάτων 4.1.1. Βάλτοι στην ενδοχώρα 4.1.2. Τυ ρφ ώνες 4.2.1. Παραθαλάσσιοι βάλτοι 4.2.2. Αλυκές 4.2.3. 5.2.1. Παλιρροιακά Παράκτιες επ ίπεδα λιµνοθάλασσες 5.2.2. Εκβολές ποταµών α: καλλιεργούµενες εκτάσεις και αγραναπαύσεις από 1-5 ετών β: βοσκότοποι (δηµοτικοί ή κοινοτικοί και άλλοι) γ: δάση ΓΕΩΡΓΙΚΕΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΕΣ ΑΣΗ & ΗΜΙΦΥΣΙΚΕΣ ΕΚΤΑΣΕΙΣ Αρόσιµη γη Μόνιµες καλλιέργειες Βοσκοτόπια & λιβαδια Ετερογενείς γεωργικές περιοχές Συνδυασµοί θαµνώδους και/ή ποώδους βλάστησης Μεταβατικέςδασώδειςθαµνώδεις εκτάσεις άση 2.1.1. Μη-αρδεύσιµη αρόσιµη γη 2.1.2. Μόνιµα αρδευόµενη γη 2.1.3. Ορυζώνες 2.2.1. Αµπελώνες 2.2.2. Οπωροφόρα δέντρα & φυτείες µε σαρκώδεις καρπούς 2.2.3. Ελαιώνες 2.3.1. Βοσκοτόπια & λιβαδια 3.2.1. Φυσικοί βοσκότοποι 2.4.1. Ετήσιες καλλιέργ. µε µόνιµες καλλιέργ. 2.4.2. Σύνθετα συστήµατα καλλιέργειας 2.4.3. Γη κυρίωςγεωργική µε σηµαντικές εκτάσεις φυσικής βλάστησης 2.4.4. Γεωργοδασικές περιοχές 3.2.2. Θάµνοι & χερσότοποι 3.2.3. Σκληροφυλλική βλάστηση 3.2.4. Μεταβατικέςδασώδειςθαµνώδεις εκτάσεις 3.1.1. άσος πλατύφυλλων 3.1.2. άσος κωνοφόρων 3.1.3. Μικτό δάσος

Associating context and scale enables links between similar classes at different levels of detail serves as a guide for the determination of the appropriate categorization for a specific level of detail and context through interpolation

Single-family house Apartme nt building Processing plant Blast furnace Processing indus try Settling bas in Oil/gas facilities Manufacturing Fabrication indus try Wo rks Associated Intrs e ctioninterchange Bankoffice- e nte rpris e Energy Service Health Social care Education science Commerce Social serviceadministration Archaeologicalhistorical site Culture Cultural site Religious site Stadium Sport Swimming pool Telecommunication Cinema theatre Le is ure exhibition ground Defence Street National road Pe de s trian precinct Provincial road Rural and forest road Road network Trail Railway Te rminal Parking Ho telrestaurant Sportleisure Intersectionlevel cros sing Interchange Airport Airfield Heliport Mine Pit Park Ce me tery Sport Leis ure Athletic field Campground Amusement park Schema fission: a an context excerpt Urban fabric Industrial, commercial, transport and socio-economic units Trans portation Mine, dump and construction sites Artificial, non-agricultural vegetated areas Road and rail networks and associated land Continuous Discontinuous Port areas Airdrome Mine ral extraction sites Dump s ite s Cons truction sites Green urban areas Sport and leisure facilities Secondary sector Tertiary sector Mine-pit Saltern Quarry We ll Dis posal site Wre cking yard Burner indus trial structures Rac e trac k Te nnis court Golf course

Research 5 Multi-lingual databases as sources of semantics? EuroWordNet can provide a resource for semantics. But, this is not sufficient. Research is necessary on how cognitive, cultural, linguistic factors affect user understanding especially the everyday end-users. Domain and task ontologies are not always cognitively rich but involve experts understanding and usage of the concepts involved which are often cross-cultural.

Research 6 Developing domain ontologies Since ontologies are semantically richer than standards, a right research direction that needs to be emphasized is the development of domain ontologies. Domain ontologies are necessary 1. to define the informational content 2. to facilitate GI sharing

Research 6 other issues Concept Mapping methodologies: in portraying data characteristics and associations in data mining

Today, Do SDIs address the needs of the end-user? Do SDIs improve quality of life?