Cadastral Problem Domain changed to Cadastral Universe of Discourse
raising the issue of developing cadastral and land registry institutions that are cost efficient relative to the transaction costs of real estate markets
2.1
From the perspective of economy, the protecting role of the legal system has not been the issue of investigation.
2.2
Land tenure in Continental Europe differs from the legal figures of the Common Law tradition of Anglo-American countries.
2.3
no reference to cadastral surveying
The fiat-bona fide distinction makes the basis for a formal treatment of the topological problem that extends to several dimensions, mereo-topology (Smith & Varzi, 200?).
The boundary setting task of the cadastral surveyor can be stated with reference to the fiat-bona fide distinction. The universe of discourse of the boundary setting task consists of the bona fide landscape and an 'overlay' made of documentation of previous fiat (symbolic) activities. The boundary documentation exist in terms of deeds that refer to bona fide terrain objects as well as to the fiat boundary, possibly including maps and measurement sheets with the same dual information content. Elaborated systems consist of a cadastral map system that is tightly related to the boundary documentation of deeds.
Cadastral act and prescripts may provide for procedures, if such agreement cannot be reached.
The outcome of the boundary setting is a refined fiat perception of the landscape, a fixed boundary in technical terms.
3.1
In the other cadastral textbook of international scope, the need of cadastral and land registration systems is grounded in detail, and then it states: "For all purposes mentioned above, a system of uniquely-defined land units, which cannot be changed except through legal process, is imperative" (Larsson, 1996: 13; his italics). The definition of 'land units' was discussed in the previous section, and concluded with the fiat terrain objects. What Larsson terms 'a legal process' was in previous section called a 'symbolic activity'. It obligates the parties concerned, and is socially remembered.
3.2
by making a distinction between basic functions, and applications, respectively. The basic functions comprise 8 items, which are undertaken by a geodetic surveyor and necessarily used in the professional tasks in which the geodetic surveyor is engaged. The professional tasks are termed the applications, which are detailed into 13 items.
Mention is made here of the functions
· 3.1.4 Cadastral and boundary surveying: the determination and interpretation of boundaries and demarcations on the surface or in space from or into verbal, cartographic or mathematical description together with the abstract legal concept thereof.
· 3.1.5 Land and Geographic Information Systems: the obtainment, compilation, input and manipulation of land and geographical information in a system usually computer based and the presentation of that data in ways and formats specifically required.
Other of the 8 functions include land and geodetic surveying, photogrammetry and remote sensing, and cartography. Among applications mention is made of
· 3.2.7 Cadastral management (which includes the legal, economic and fiscal definition of real estate): the compilation, management and revision of land registration records, land terriers, remembrement archives, and other such legal references and archives whether public or private.
Other of the 13 applications include the provision of mapping and charting, geographic information management, land consolidation, administration of land use regulations, spatial planning and development, as well as items within construction survey (2), and property valuation and management (3) (after Stannard/CLGE, 1996)
relates to the fact that new research becomes available to the profession and is commercialised as quickly as other professions and companies manage to do
The GIS field draws upon research in information systems development. Semantic modelling, Soft Systems Methodology, and other methodologies pertain to the cadastral universe of discourse, as the routine transactions are aptly treated from an information systems point of view (see e.g. Hirschheim, 1995; Stubkjær, 1999). Finally, within the discipline of linguistics it has been noted that when natural language is used by a community of speakers sharing specialised knowledge (i.e. professionals) the language frequently takes on characteristics different from the language as a whole. The resulting language is by linguists called a sublanguage (Grishman, 1987; Stubkjær, 1994, 1997).
The actors are physical persons who represent an organisation or a part thereof.
The organisation is counted among the domain entities, rather then the representing actor, or the actor network, as it is considered a more basic entity.
The universe of discourse entity authorities is further motivated below.
4.4 Authorities
The state needs to be visible in one of the universe of discourse entities, because cadastre and land registry cannot be explained without reference to the state. However, it is characteristic for the Western, democratic state that authority is divided between stable, and rather autonomous organs: originally the Parliament, the government, and the courts, and later supplemented with local and regional governmental bodies. The divided authority is the authority that once was attributed to the absolutist regent. This conception is as valid as the understanding that Parliament debates, decides, and issues socially binding rules. Research has identified a host of actor networks, which are in operation well before the draft bill is submitted to Parliament, and which have influenced the shaping of the problem, as well as the proposed solution. What is left for Parliament is, at least, to verify the change of the rule set. Even as the conductor of a ritual procedure the Parliament serves as a societal point of reference that is needed to structure the otherwise chaotic rule sets.
An authority may be charismatic (Max Weber), and it may issue enabling, wise, or infallible statements. However, the criterion here is the perceivable position of authority within a social hierarchy. Of cause, the quality of authoritative activity matters. For example, a number of economic historians have noted the importance of credible property rights, especially in terms of freedom from arbitrary seizures of property by governments, for understanding relative rates of growth in different time periods and regions (Weimer, 1997:8). 'Arbitrary seizures' means departing from the rule of law and trespassing the boundary of the domain of the authority. Further research may provide a better understanding of quality criteria, or meta-rules, for an authority.
Concluding, an authority is an organisation or a person that is widely expected to be the primary agent for the issue, change, or interpretation of socially committing rule sets within a specific field. This definition apply for governmental bodies, but may also apply for (bodies within) professional associations, for university or research units, and even for self-established groups like the Internet Engineering Task Force. Governmental authorities are qualified by coercive power, but it is the widely accepted unique position, rather than the power, that distinguishes the authority. The unique and acknowledged position implies that the authority is always involved in renewing the rule sets within its domain.
6.
In another application-oriented discipline, accounting, McCarthy (1982; 1999) presented a Resources-Events-Agents accounting model, based on the Entity-Relationship formalism of Chen (1976). This model has three types of primitive entities: Economic resources, economic events, and economic agents, respectively, where agents are detailed into economic units. Furthermore, the model has four types of primitive relationships: Stock-flow, duality, control, and responsibility, respectively. The R-E-A model of 1982 was further elaborated, and from 1995 - more that ten years after its presentation - it provided a conceptual base for an increasing number of textbooks.
(McCarthy, 1999) discusses impediments of the development, and notes the tight connection of the E-R formalism with database design and implementation, as well as opposition from quarters, who cling to the double-entry accounting way of thinking. Interestingly, he notes, change initiatives come to a large extent from industry, where new software packages are implemented, rather than from university faculty. From a methodological point of view, he considers the E-R formalism in the context of conceptual or semantic modelling, and the design of 'ontologies'. He looks for other knowledge domains, where schematic and taxonomic structures like the R-E-A model are developed.
7.
brought about the raising of important research issues, namely to devise formal cadastral and land registry institutions that are cost efficient relative to the transaction costs of the real estate market. Furthermore, the developed universe of discourse entries