The Semantic Web and the Role of Information Systems Research

The Semantic Web is an exciting evolution of the current World Wide Web, and there is much activity surrounding it. However, in spite of the fact that the Web is clearly a large-scale information system, much of the activity taking place is in areas somewhat separated from the traditional database and information systems communities. This paper explores relationships between the Semantic Web and contributions that could come from the database and information systems research communities. In particular, the paper identifies a number of key similarities between the Semantic Web and specific concepts from database technology. Building on this similarity, the paper describes a of technical areas where ideas from database research could be usefully followed up in work on the Semantic Web, such as large-scale identifier management, heterogeneous data integration, and the use of "context" concepts in supporting that integration. The paper concludes with the suggestion that database researchers become more involved in the forums (for example, World Wide Web Consortium activities) where much of the work on the Semantic Web is being pursued.