Implicit Trust in a Data Model

Abstract : As an assessment of databases used to store Maritime Situational Awareness data, the hypothesis is posed that a database built upon a data model, utilizing international standards, recognized and accepted data modelling concepts, best practices, etc. would be more trusted by the community utilizing the data contained within the database. In this work, the validity of this hypothesis was investigated and assessed by decomposing trust into the sub-components: predictability, dependability, faith, reliability, robustness, familiarity, understandability, explication of intention, usefulness, competence, self-confidence, and reputation. An analysis of how these components are expressed in the context of a database system and in particular, how they impact the data model, was performed. The analysis indicates that reliability, understandability, usefulness, familiarity and reputation are the components that capture the concept of trust in a data model. These components were then applied in an analysis of the National Information Exchange Model-Maritime data model, essentially grading the model against the applicable trust components. Results vary from a poor grade on aspects of reliability, to excellent in terms of familiarity and reputation.