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Standards for networked knowledge organisation
systems
European Library Automation GroupBucharest, April 2006
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A critical role • Future of the web depends on
distributed services interoperating using semantic descriptions
• Future of the library depends on providing integrated access to dispersed and disparate resources
• Intelligent, integrated subject access needs networked knowledge organisation systems
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NKOS
• Networked Knowledge Organisation Systems
• Thesauri, classification schemes, subject heading schemes, taxonomies
• Network-accessible to human or machine clients
• Available to a variety of different applications
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What can an NKOS do? • Support discovery (browsing)• Translate a search
– Natural language -> controlled vocabulary– Spoken languages (English -> French)– Indexing languages (AGROVOC -> LCSH)
• Enrich a search (expand, refine)• Display results in a meaningful way• Automatic classification /categorisation
Without standards, each vocabulary means developing a new service
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Levels of standards
Content standards
Communication (format) standards
Service (protocol) standards
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New content standards
• IFLA Guidelines for Multilingual Thesauri (2005)
• ANSI / NISO Guidelines for Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies Z39.19 - 2005
• British Standard BS 8723 Structured Vocabularies For Information Retrieval (2005-2006)
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BS 8723• Structured vocabularies =
Knowledge organisation systems• Purpose
– Update ISO and BS standards (1985)– Update from print format to
networked, electronic applications– Provide guidance on electronic
management and use– Integrate mono- and multi-lingual
standards
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• Pt 1 - Definitions, symbols, abbreviations
• Pt 2 - Thesauri• Pt 3 - Vocabularies other than thesauri• Pt 4 - Interoperability between
vocabularies• Pt 5 - Interoperability between
components of IR systems
BS 8723
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Equivalence• Re-examine notion of
equivalence– Synonyms or quasi-synonyms in a
monolingual context– In a multilingual context– In mapping one vocabulary to another
(classifications, filing plans, taxonomies, subject headings, ontologies)
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Symmetry• Traditional symmetrical multilingual
thesaurus– Each concept must have an equivalent
in each language --> forced meanings, loan words, coined words or neologisms
• Asymmetrical multilingual thesaurus– Different numbers of terms/concepts in
different languages– No longer enforce one-to-one
correspondence between languages BUT more complex for systems to use
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bétail
gros bétail
boeuf cheval horsescattle
livestock
French English
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bétail
gros bétail
boeuf cheval horsescattle
livestock
?
Multilingual thesaurus - Solution A
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bétail
gros bétail
boeuf cheval horsescattle
livestock
Multilingual thesaurus- Solution B
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bétail
gros bétail
boeuf cheval horsescattle
livestock
Asymmetrical thesaurus / mapping
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Mapping• Establishing equivalences between
one structured vocabulary and another
• UMLS, MACS (Clavel, Landry), HILT• Similar complex, partial, inexact,
hierarchical equivalences• Information systems will need to
support these equivalences
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• IR system interoperability– Ability of a search/indexing system to make
use of more than one KOS in a networked environment
• Management of structured vocabularies – Translation / adaptation– Migration
• From one management system to another• From management system to IR application
Goals for communication standards
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Communication standards• Tend to be vocabulary-, application-
or protocol- specific– Tag/data format – ISO 2709 / MARC Authorities format– Institution-specific XML – VocML– Alexandria Digital Library Protocol– ZThes (Z39.50 Profile)– VDEX– SKOS Core (Semantic web)
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Semantic Web Application Development (SWAD)
• Semantic web activity– EU- and W3C- sponsored research– Simple Knowledge Organisation
System (SKOS) Core– Make existing KOS (thesauri,
classifications, subject heading lists) usable in framework of Semantic Web
– Uses Semantic Web standards = XML/RDF (not Topic Maps)
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SKOS
• SKOS Core (version 2.0)– SKOS Core Vocabulary
• A set of RDF classes and properties
– SKOS Core Guide
• Identify concepts via URI• Describe concepts via RDF• Publish concepts via an RDF
document available from HTTP or RDF server
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Simple example
economic aid
fr aide économiquees ayuda ecónomicaSN Use for aid at international level.UF economic assistanceBT development aidNT financial aidRT financial grants
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economic aid
skos:prefLabel
Class (Concept)
Property
Literal
subject
predicate
object
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developmentaid
economic aid
skos:prefLabel
skos:broader
skos:prefLabel
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developmentaid
economic aid
skos:prefLabel
financialaid
financialgrants
skos:broader
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:related
skos:narrower
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developmentaid
economic aid
skos:prefLabeleconomic assistance
skos:altLabel
financialaid
financialgrants
skos:broader
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:related
skos:narrower
Use for aid at international level.
skos:scopeNote
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developmentaid
economic aid
skos:prefLabeleconomic assistance
skos:altLabel
financialaid
financialgrants
skos:broader
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:related
skos:narrower
Use for aid at international level.
skos:scopeNote
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
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developmentaid
economic aid
skos:prefLabeleconomic assistance
skos:altLabel
financialaid
financialgrants
skos:broader
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:prefLabel
skos:related
skos:narrower
Use for aid at international level.
skos:scopeNote
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
xml-lang=“en”
aide économique
aide financièrexml-lang=“en”
skos:altLabel
skos:prefLabel
xml-lang=“fr”
xml-lang=“fr”
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<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:skos="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#"><rdf:type rdf:resource="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#Concept"/>
<skos:Concept rdf:about=" http://foobar.org/thes/7021"> <skos:prefLabel xml-lang=“en”>economic aid</skos:prefLabel> <skos:altLabel xml-lang=“en”>economic assistance</skos:altLabel> <skos:prefLabel xml-lang=“fr”>aide économique</skos:prefLabel> <skos:altLabel xml-lang=“fr”>aide financière</skos:altLabel> <skos:scopeNote xml-lang=“en”>Use for aid at international level. </skos:scopeNote> <skos:broader rdf:resource=" http://foobar.org/thes/8013" /> <skos:narrower rdf:resource=" http://foobar.org/thes/3024" /> <skos:related rdf:resource=" http://foobar.org/thes/3024" /> </skos:Concept>
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Other properties / classes
• skos:definition / skos:historyNote / skos:editorialNote /skos:changeNote
• skos:hiddenLabel• skos:Collection / skos:member• skos:hasTopConcept• skos:ConceptScheme / skos:inScheme• Properties can be extended (e.g. for
specific types of BT/NT relationship or types of notes)
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SKOS issues• Ontology approach doesn’t allow for
all thesaurus information• Information about non-preferred terms• Equivalences between non-preferred terms
• For web interoperability, not for management
• RDF / Topic Maps - the Betamax/VHS of subject access?
• Versioning / Mapping / Take up / Protocols
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BS 8723
• Part 5 Interoperability of structured vocabulary components of an IR system – Aims to list and evaluate different
format and service approaches to thesaurus interoperability
– Input from a wide number of people expert in a variety of technologies
– For more information, contact Ron Davies ron (a) rondavies.be
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Conclusion
• Most interesting time for structured vocabularies since the 1960s
• Urgent need for broad-based standards to facilitate network interoperability in information retrieval
• Important progress in standards though more work to be done
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For more information
• IFLA Guidelineshttp://www.ifla.org/VII/s29/pubs/Draft-multilingualthesauri.pdf
• ANSI Z39.19http://www.niso.org/standards/standard_detail.cfm?std_id=814
• BS 8723http://www.bsonline.bsi-global.com/server/index.jsp
• SKOShttp://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core/
• 5th European NKOS Workshop (Sept. 21, 2006)
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/nkos/nkos2006/