Varanka_FCode_Feature_Graph

The concept map is a visual image of linking FTypes and FCodes from The National Map to the Feature subclass of the GeoSPARQL ontology. The geometry values integrate as well.

Concept map

A good way to approach the problem is to draw a concept map that includes graphic symbols representing the existing data, lines between entities to represent properties, and different lines that should result from inference. The Figure 1 below would show how this works.

The blue ovals and lines represent the directly connected entities in our GIS tables; two types of FeatureClasses, the relation between FeatureClasses and their SubType codes, the relation of SubTypes and FCodes, and descriptions and definitions of SubTypes and FCodes. The inferred relations of our model are that features require geometric representation, features need semantic specification that exist in natural language definitions, and FeatureClasses and Geometries have the same information but formatted differently.

A similar approach as described here can be appled to other codes applied to geospatial features, such as Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) codes. FIPS codes are now integrated with the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database.