Database Reference
In-Depth Information
As you describe your GI (and indeed other data) ontologically and express it as
Linked Data, you will inevitably encounter situations where what you want to say
cannot be described and expressed as you wish. Here, our advice is to accept the
limitations of Linked Data expression and develop means to manage them. We have
indicated some ways to do this, but no topic is able to provide a comprehensive cover-
age of all possible solutions to potential knowledge modeling problems. But, do not
despair; you should be guided by the scope and purpose of what you are trying to do,
coupled with an understanding of what semantic technologies
can do
to best manage
these limitations. And, despite what the technologies cannot do, they do offer a fresh
and powerful means to express GI, one that helps to make GI accessible to a much
wider audience than before.
We conclude by voicing our hope that this topic has been informative and help-
ful. With your newfound understanding of the nature of GI and the Semantic Web,
we hope you are sufficiently confident to start experimenting with the publication of
your GI as Linked Data and subsequently to express its meaning using ontologies.
Enjoy the journey.
NOTE
1. Indeed, a characteristic of many geographic features is that they have either indistinct or
unknown boundaries.
