English: The diverse individuals who engage in nanoinformatics can be viewed as fitting across four categories of roles and responsibilities for nanoinformatics methods and data:

• Customers (who need either the methods to create the data, the data itself, or both, and who specify the scientific applications and characterization methods and data needs for their intended purposes), • Creators (who develop relevant and reliable methods and data to meet the needs of customers in the nanotechnology community), • Curators (who maintain and ensure the quality of the methods and associated data), and • Analysts (who develop and apply methods and models for data analysis and interpretation that are consistent with the quality and quantity of the data and that meet customers’ needs).

In some instances, the same individuals perform all four roles. More often, many individuals must interact, with their roles and responsibilities extending over significant distances, organizations, and time. Success requires that communication be effective across each of the twelve links (i.e., in both directions across each of the six interfaces) that exist among the various customers, creators, curators, and analysts.