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Search & Retrievol 
* Online Document Ordering 
ERSAP 
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DOCUMENT ENTRY PATH 
PROCESSING PATH 
DOCUMENT SEARCH PATH 
DOCUMENT ORDERING PATH == == == == = = 
DOCUMENT DELIVERY PATH 
Fig 2: Current ERSAP Information Flow 
requirements will be delivered to the user 
either via ordinary mail or fac-simile services. 
This process is illustrated in Fig. 2: "Current 
ERSAP Information Flow". 
3. FUTURE PROSPECTS 
7.1 The ERSAP Thesaurus 
According to the dictionary, a thesaurus is a 
store of words, or synonyms or antonyms, which 
can be used as categorised index terms for use 
in information retrieval. Thesauri are tools 
used in terminology to translate the user's 
language into an artificial, but agreed upon, 
more restrictive controlled language. It is a 
hierarchical succession in a scientific 
representation (domain representative) with 
nomative character. This secures an unequivocal 
access even if the information is unknown. Some 
databases to-day incorporate thesauri structure 
which allow to branch from selection lists. They 
typically follow the hierarchical ISO-NORM 
approach. In addition, modern thesauri, similar 
to hypertext (hypertext programmes allow to 
branch directly within applications from one 
term to other terms, images, graphics, or 
annotations), allow direct hierarchy-independent 
links. The links between terms are presented in 
a network structure. Electronic thesauri search 
may consist of means like, matching of synonyms, 
acronyms, and homonyms, lemmatisation, and other 
methods which ease and simplify utilisation. 
Multilingual thesauri are essential, so that 
researching documents in various languages do 
351 
not depend on specific knowledge and use of a 
prevailing language. Whenever possible, indexers 
and users should have the opportunity of working 
in their mother tongue or, at least, in a 
familiar language. In the same way, multilingual 
thesauri might also be considered as playing an 
important part in improving control of 
literature and subjects being investigated. 
It is intended to develop an ERSAP bilingual 
French and English thesaurus which will be later 
on translated into the official languages of the 
European Communities. 
The aim is: 
= to create a master list of 
"descriptors" to be used for indexing 
and searching remote sensing, 
photogrammetry, and related subjects 
in English 
= to provide the translation of each 
"descriptor" initially in French, 
ultimately in all European Communities 
languages. 
To this effect, an ad-hoc working group will be 
created composed of experts in the field of 
remote sensing and related applications, in the 
thesauri design and national language expertise. 
The group will examine and select in a single 
list all descriptors used in national or 
international information systems relevant to 
remote sensing, photogrammetry, and related 
applications research. Systems like INFOterra,. 
the International Environmental Information 
System of the United Nations Environment