Merge pull request #3 from NatasaSofou/patch-2

Update introduction.adoc

docs/modules/ROOT/pages/introduction.adoc

@@ -2,72 +2,46 @@
 
 [[sec:what-is-interoperability]]
 === What is interoperability?
+
+The term "interoperability" comprising of  ‘inter’ (Latin for between), ‘opera’ (Latin for work), and ‘ability’, refers to the intrinsic nature
+of systems or entities working together to achieve shared goals.
+
 Interoperability in the EU context refers to the capacity of systems or organisations, including public administrations,
 businesses, and citizens, to collaborate effectively and pursue common objectives across borders. This capability is crucial
 for providing efficient digital public services, facilitating economic transactions, and supporting the free movement of goods,
 services, people, and data. The European Interoperability Framework (EIF)[xref:references.adoc#ref:1[eif]],
-[xref:references.adoc#ref:2[eif2]] and Interoperable Europe Act (IEA) [xref:references.adoc#ref:3[reg24-903]] emphasise that interoperability involves the seamless exchange of information and trusted data sharing across
-sectors and administrative layers, which is essential for improving policy-making and public service delivery.
-
-The term itself combines ‘inter’ (Latin for between), ‘opera’ (Latin for work), and ‘ability’, suggesting the intrinsic nature
-of systems or entities working together to achieve shared goals. Solutions in interoperability are akin to toy bricks that
-can be exchanged, reused, and connected regardless of their differences in form or function.
-
-[[sec:the-need-for-semantic-interoperability]]
-=== The need for semantic interoperability
-
-Semantic interoperability is essential to mitigate the inefficiencies that undermine public services across Europe, characterised
-by the unnecessary repetition of information requests to citizens and businesses. In the complex environment of EU data exchange,
-the lack of a unified interoperability framework and standard data specifications leads to significant challenges. Governments
-at various levels, from local to European, face difficulties in accessing and sharing crucial data, resulting in costly and
-time-consuming administrative processes. This inefficacy is worsened by reliance on outdated methods such as exchanging PDF
-documents for verification, instead of leveraging modern, fully automated digital systems that could simplify and accelerate
-these processes.
+[xref:references.adoc#ref:2[eif2]] and Interoperable Europe Act (IEA) [xref:references.adoc#ref:3[reg24-903]] emphasise that interoperability involves the seamless exchange of information and trusted data sharing across sectors and administrative layers, which is essential for improving policy-making and public service delivery.
 
-Furthermore, the absence of semantic interoperability severely limits the capacity of public administrations to introduce
-and integrate digital solutions effectively across different sectors and geographical areas. This limitation often manifests
-early in the policy-making process, leading to legislation that is costly, complex to implement, and potentially unable to
-achieve its goals. Such scenarios not only stifle innovation within public administrations but also impede their ability to
-respond swiftly in crisis situations. The root of these interoperability conflicts often lies in the discrepancies in interpreting
-administrative procedures and legislation, the lack of widely accepted data models, and the absence of universal reference data,
-underscoring the critical need for standardised data practices that ensure clear, consistent, and expedient information exchange
-and decision-making at all governmental levels.
 
 [[sec:interoperability-through-semantic-specifications]]
 === Interoperability through semantic specifications
-The EIF [xref:references.adoc#ref:1[eif]], [xref:references.adoc#ref:2[eif2]] identifies four crucial layers of interoperability necessary for effective data exchange across the
-EU: Legal, Organisational, Semantic, and Technical. The Semantic and Technical layers, in particular, play pivotal roles in ensuring
-that data is not only exchanged efficiently but also understood consistently by all parties involved.
 
-*Semantic interoperability*, as defined by EIF, involves ensuring that the precise meaning of exchanged data is maintained throughout
-its transmission, adhering to the principle that "what is sent is what is understood." This layer encompasses both the semantic
+*Semantic interoperability*  ensures that the precise meaning of exchanged data is maintained throughout its transmission, 
+adhering to the principle that "what is sent is what is understood", encompassing both the semantic
 and syntactic aspects of data. The semantic aspect focuses on the meaning of data elements and their relationships, whereas
 the syntactic aspect deals with the structure or format of the data as it is exchanged. On the other hand, *technical interoperability*
 covers the infrastructures and applications that facilitate the linkage between systems and services. This includes aspects
 such as data representation, transmission methods, API design, access rights management, security, and overall system performance.
 
-To address these aspects, semantic data specifications come into play. These are detailed, standardised data modelling descriptions
+Semantic data specifications are detailed, standardised data modelling descriptions
 that help manage how data is defined, represented, and communicated across different systems. They comprise various artefacts
 that are both machine-readable and human-understandable, thus supporting consistent interpretation and utilisation across
 diverse IT environments and stakeholders (e.g. developers, business experts, end users, administrators, etc.).
 
-The SEMIC Style Guide [xref:references.adoc#ref:4[sem-sg]] serves as an important resource in this context, providing essential guidelines on creating
-and managing  such specifications. It covers naming conventions, syntax, and the organisation of artefacts within two critical
+The SEMIC Style Guide [xref:references.adoc#ref:4[sem-sg]] provides essential guidelines for creating
+and managing  such specifications, covering naming conventions, syntax, and the organisation of artefacts into two critical
 types of semantic data specifications: Core Vocabularies and Application Profiles.
 
-Core Vocabulary semantic data specifications are instrumental for the semantic interoperability layer. They enable public
+The Core Vocabularies  are semantic data specifications that enable public
 administrations to standardise data exchange processes, thus enhancing the clarity and consistency of data across different
 systems and sectors. By leveraging these standards, administrations can effectively bridge the gap between differing data
 practices, ensuring seamless service delivery that meets the needs of citizens and businesses alike.
 
 [[sec:what-are-the-core-vocabularies]]
 === What are the Core Vocabularies?
-In the vision document “e-Government Core Vocabularies” [xref:references.adoc#ref:5[cv-hb]], Core Vocabularies are defined as simplified, reusable and
-extensible data models that capture the fundamental characteristics of a data entity in a context-neutral and syntax-neutral
-fashion. SEMIC style guide provides a terminological clarification about the Core Vocabularies [xref:references.adoc#ref:6[sem-sg-cvs]] and elaborates that they
-are context-neutral semantic building blocks, like the Dublin Core Terms [xref:references.adoc#ref:7[dcmi]] or the Organization Ontology [xref:references.adoc#ref:8[org]], that can
-be extended into context-specific semantic data specifications. The use of the Core Vocabularies as a common building block
-for developing context-specific data models guarantees a minimum of semantic consistency. When the Core Vocabularies are extended
+Core Vocabularies are simplified, reusable and extensible data models that capture the fundamental characteristics of a data entity in a context-neutral and syntax-neutral
+fashion [xref:references.adoc#ref:5[cv-hb]]. The SEMIC style guide exlains how the  Core Vocabularies [xref:references.adoc#ref:6[sem-sg-cvs]]
+are context-neutral semantic building blocks that can be extended into context-specific semantic data specifications to ensure semantic consistency. When the Core Vocabularies are extended
 to create domain specifications and information exchange models, additional meaning (semantics) is added to the specifications,
 due to the contextualisation.