Metadata as a Realm of Translation: Merging Knowledge Domains in the Design of an Environmental Information System.
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2003
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Abstract
Bringing together document collections in merged information resources
is becoming more common, but presents the problem of integrating
content and metadata that have been created in different knowledge
domains, using different classification schemes. This paper describes how
a multidisciplinary team attempted to integrate metadata structures from
several different collections in the development of an environmental
information system. The results of this qualitative study suggest that
though designers and users from diverse backgrounds could conceptualize
and articulate the potential new knowledge the merged system might
reveal, the perceived informational value of different access points varied
with disciplinary membership, and the compromises forced by this merged
collection created barriers and missed opportunities for the creation of new
knowledge. However, people with a variety of backgrounds were able to
contribute to negotiations about metadata decisions, suggesting that this
may be a key realm of translation between diverse individuals in future
collaborative environments. Consequences for domain-specific
knowledge organization, and for a translation and integration role for
those in the field of information science, are discussed.
Description
Keywords
Knowledge management, Metadata crosswalks
Citation
Rich Gazan (2003). Metadata as a Realm of Translation: Merging Knowledge Domains in the Design of an Environmental Information System. Knowledge Organization 30 (3/4), 182-190.
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