Probing the Concept of Information Communities-A First Step Toward Semantic Interoperability

Interoperability between different data sources and software systems is difficult to achieve due to the complexity of geodata. This complexity is caused by various factors, such as the underlying digital formats imposed by a particular software or acquisition method and the complexity of higher level descriptions, conventions, and rules imposed by individuals, organizations, and disciplines using the software (Buehler and McKee 1996).