This paper deals with national data standardization efforts in Denmark and discusses the role Topic Maps – and topic maps – may play in a new standardization strategy currently being considered by the Danish National IT and Telecom Agency. The strategy entails a paradigm shift from syntactic data standards based on XML schema to a more semantically based approach involving, among other things, the development, publishing and sharing of so-called definitions. The paper accounts for the historical, political and technical context of the strategy pointing out some of the opportunities and constraints this context poses for the introduction and application of Topic Maps as a recognized “data standardization standard” in Denmark.

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