Integrating Metadata Development, XML, and DBMS Search and Query Techniques in a State of Wisconsin Land Information System

Nancy Wiegand (UW-Madison), Isabel Cruz (U of IL at Chicago), and Stephen Ventura (UW-Madison)

This project integrates and extends Computer Science research in the Database Management System (DBMS) area with a State of Wisconsin Land Information System (WLIS).  Web-based DBMS user interface, search, and query techniques will be incorporated in WLIS.  The concept of WLIS as a statewide access mechanism for land related data in Wisconsin has been actively under development for several years by a working group that includes various levels of government and the University of Wisconsin.  WLIS will be a distributed Web-based system with heterogeneous data residing on local and state servers.  A large part of WLIS is spatial, Geographic Information System (GIS) data. 

Land information encompasses a broad range of data and refers to any physical, legal, economic, or environmental characteristics concerning land, water, groundwater, subsurface resources, or air.  Example land information includes register of deeds tract indexes, surveyor tie sheets, or soil surveys.  WLIS will be used by a wide audience and serve a wide range of functions.  A current significant use of land information is land use planning for controlled development.  Data available in WLIS will contribute to better land use decision-making for professional planners as well as provide information to the average citizen.

A land information system is problematic because it is distributed, has a large variety of data themes (such as soils data or parcel tracts), the data are in many formats, and so on. Metadata standards are needed.  A large problem is the need for semantic conversions (as spatial conversions are more easily resolved).  An example is that wetlands data from one county will not match wetlands data from another county.

From a DBMS perspective, we propose to work on locating and searching WLIS data efficiently and to support comprehensive DBMS query capabilities within and between heterogeneous WLIS data sources.  As an example, many users of WLIS need to find a report or download a spatial data set.  For them, our goal is to provide the most effective search strategies to locate WLIS source data.  To do this, we will express metadata in XML (eXtensible Markup Language).  Then, searching and querying on distributed information sources will be done using emerging XML search and query engines being prototyped by the DBMS community.  An example ontology and mediating capabilities will be developed to resolve semantic differences and facilitate full DBMS querying within and between data sources.

In summary, because of the importance and scope of WLIS and its potential to be a model land information system for other States, it represents a valuable and practical opportunity for researchers to become involved with its design and to provide state-of-the-art solutions for land information managers and the Web community at large. The proposed research and the successful implementation of the system incorporating the solutions found will provide web-based information systems with enhanced capabilities for searching and querying.