"Implementing a Spatial Data Dictionary for Simon Fraser University"

Our work has attempted to provide a technically enhanced spatial data dictionary, with a solid metadata schema for the academic environment of Simon Fraser University.  In addition we have discussed semantics, ontologies and interoperability issues in great deal, and proposed an “Ideal” spatial data dictionary for Simon Fraser University. 

Many GIS communities have generated large volumes of geographical data, and at SFU a large number of spatial datasets are available to students and researchers. However, the information available on how to obtain or access these datasets is not always readily available. Under this circumstance, we expect that a spatial data dictionary will provide the users a data dictionary framework whereby the information can be updated regularly and made available to members of the campus community interested in acquiring or using spatial data. The demands of a standardized metadata inventory system at Simon Fraser University have been increasing as per the proliferation of an integrated system of academic research, and digitization of geo-spatial data.

The outcome of this project is based on its simplicity in searching, extracting, maintaining, and generating information via metadata standardization. Initially, we found superiorities with the ISO standard, which has strong systematic semantic functionalities. However, technical problems associated with ISO and XML forced us to use the FGDC metadata standard.  We adapted the FGDC metadata standard and created a metadata schema, as the basis to share the information with the geo-spatial members of the university population.

Even after filling the all required element of FGDC standards, we had other demands regarding using the functions of the explorer effectively. To establish interrelations among the scattered spatial attributes and relation at different domains is possible with XML operation. XML is very powerful in data exchanges, especially under when dealing with philosophical issues such as ontologies and semantics. We also highlighted the challenges and benefits involved in implementing this system, such as the interoperability between GIS software packages.

Ontologies provide a vast variety of data classification, and a high level of formality of object definition and description. Several research models; computer languages and software packages specialize in dealing with ontologies modeling to communicate structure and detail of the information. It makes possible to reuse the existing data even if software is different by simply matching the specifying ontology with the existing data components.  The contextual meaning of words is also very important in our study: this topic is known as semantics, and is also covered in great detail in our work.