O n the D efinitiOn anD S cOpe

Maria Klingegård (Nilsson) In 2007, some 10 years after the inception of the International Although the proposed Society of Information Fusion (ISIF) information fusion (IF) definition aims to restrict Folksam and Integrated Transport conference, we set out to review the multitude of definitions the limits of the field of Research Lab for the subject that had been proposed until then and to craft. [...] Only one definition mentions the scientific basis thermore, such a definition would allow researchers outside of the field: “As a technology, data fusion is actually the integration the area to more easily relate their own research to the field and application of many traditional disciplines and new areas of of IF and thereby allow a higher degree of cross-fertilization engineering to achieve the. [...] have been derived from each of the contributing parts” [27] A PROPOSED DEFINITION OF THE RESEARCH FIELD Although some of these statements indicate how to measure 3 progress toward the goal, e.g., by estimating the accuracy of The basis for the following discussion is the definitions of IF predictions and estimates or the benefit for a decision maker, included in the appendix.4 this is less clear i. [...] To obtain a more complete understanding of the implica- and multiple sources to achieve refined position and identity tions of the definition—including the relevance of the field for estimates, and complete and timely assessments of situations other fields and areas of application—the terms in the definition and threats, and their significance. [...] The current revision RICHARDSON AND MARSH (1988)r of the report was supported by the research and development “Data fusion is the process by which data from a multitude of program of the Swedish Armed Forces and the Excellence Cen- sensors is used to yield an optimal estimate of a specified state ter at Linköping-Lund in Information Technology.