Developing interoperable taxonomy systems for sharing resources within multidisciplinary communities of practice

There is a wide range of issues involved in how users can exchange and integrate information and resources between databases given that each may have its own structure or taxonomy. This paper clarifies the issues concerning interoperability of data systems and user‐defined taxonomies and provides suggestions for new technical approaches. It is based on experiences in developing a web‐based portal for learning technology, a multidisciplinary field of research and practice. It outlines the nature of the problem in the context of current knowledge of the systems, protocols and implementation issues concerned with interoperability and introduces a possible solution.