Balancing Formalization and Representation in Cross- Domain Data Management for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is grounded in complex systems where phenomena and processes are so inter- related and intermingled that they can only be studied in a multiple disciplinary manner. Limitiations in understanding such systems limitations can be identi ed that are either epistemic and cognitive or socio-economic. Both cases are problematic for collaborative and multidisciplinary studies in sustain- able development. This chapter explores these di culties with a particular focus on data management, an activity that is at the same time very important and very sensitive to such problems. To allow users to nd their way through data and information spaces solutions are proposed that take advantage of either the formalization of knowledge; or on representations, such as schemas, mind maps or graphs. Through a careful balance of these two pathways this chapter demonstrates that it is possible to mitigate the di culties mentioned above and allow a community to work together at pro t.