Federal Controlled VocabulariesData Architecture Sub-Committee (DAS)

April 8, 2010

Brand K. Niemann

Federal Controlled Vocabularies

• What Are They• Examples• Discussion

Why a Controlled Vocabulary?Improve effectiveness of information storage and retrieval systems

Knowledge workers spend 25-35% of their time searching for information with 50% success1

• The need for vocabulary control arises from two basic features of natural language, namely:• Two or more words or terms can be used to represent a

single concept• Example: salinity/saltiness VHF/Very High Frequency

• Two or more words that have the same spelling can represent different concepts• Example: Mercury (planet) Mercury (metal) Mercury (automobile)

Mercury (mythical being)

• Tutorial http://www.slis.kent.edu/~mzeng/Z3919/1need.htm

1 Working Council of CIOs, Business Wire, Feb 27 2001

Controlled Vocabulary

Synonym Ring

Authority File

Taxonomy

Thesaurus

+ Words with same meaning in a given context

+ Preferred Terms (USE)

+ Broader (BT) and Narrower Terms (NT)

+ Related Terms (RT) {BT, NT, USE}

List Set of terms arranged in logical way

Increasing structural and semantic complexity

Why and when to use: http://www.slis.kent.edu/~mzeng/Z3919/6pro&con.htm

Dimension and Context

Controlled Vocabulary: Dimension and Context

Synonym Ring

Authority File

Taxonomy

Thesaurus

+ Words with same meaning in a given context

+ Preferred Terms (USE)

+ Broader (BT) and Narrower Terms (NT)

+ Related Terms (RT) {BT, NT, USE}

List Set of terms arranged in logical way

Increasing structural and semantic complexity

Dimension and Context (not a definitive list)

Organization human resources, marketing, accounting, etc.

FunctionType

employment, staffing, training, etc.

Subject water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution, etc.

Identify a document or database for a data catalog (data.gov, data.gov.uk, etc.)

Consistent vocabulary for describing database or documentdcat and related, Dublin Core, SKOS, FOAF1

Identify a data Item Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)Uniform Resource Indicator (URI)

Identify a data Element Patient Person First NameISO/IEC 11179-5/UDEF

Relate a Resource

Relate a Vocabulary

1 http://richard.cyganiak.de/2010/03/dcat-for-egov-ig.pdf

Controlled Vocabulary ExamplesAgency--Context--Dimension

DOD-Center for Army Lessons LearnedIntended Purpose: Organization of equipment supporting the business--Function (Also by Type)

NASA-NASA ThesaurusIntended Purpose: Organization of equipment supporting the business--Type

EPA-Data Classes and AreasIntended Purpose: Organization of subject areas supporting the business--Subject

IRS-IRS Tax Map Intended Purpose: Organization of topics for answering questions---Subject

Synonyms and Word Equivalent

Radio - Radio Detection and Ranging

Telescope -scope

Manned Lunar Space Vehicle - Apollo 11 Mission

Waste - Run-off

Amended Tax Return-1040X

Authority File Radio Detection Finding - (USE) Radio

Scope(USE) Telescope

Run-off(USE) Waste

Employment Income(USE) Wages and Salary

Taxonomy+ Broader (BT) and Narrower Terms (NT){BT, NT, USE, UF}

(BT) Radar (by function)(NT) aircraft radars(NT) airport radar systems(NT) Ground Based Radar(NT) imaging radar(NT) meteorological radar(NT) missile site radar(NT) search radar(NT) terrain analysis radar

(BT) Instruments(NT) Accelerometers(NT) Acoustic Sensors(NT) etc..(NT) Telescopes (NT) Optical telescopes (NT) Radio telescopes

(BT) Substances(NT) Chemicals(NT) Biological(NT) Contaminants(NT) Wastes(NT) Radiation(NT) Commercial Products

(BT) Tax Topics(NT) IRS Help(NT) IRS Procedures(NT) Collection(NT) Alternative Filing Methods(NT) General Information(NT) Which Forms to Use

Thesaurus+ Related Terms (RT)

(BT) Radar(RT) AN/MPQ-65(RT) AN/MPQ-65 Radar set(RT) navigation (RT) instruments(RT) noise (radar)(RT) radar scattering

(BT) Radio Telescopes(RT) Microwaves (High Energy Radio Telescope)

(BT) Wastes(RT) Garbage(RT) Refuse(RT) Biosolids(RT) Pollution Control Facilities

(BT) Itemized Deductions(NT) Should I Itemize?(ET) Publication 501 (RT) Tax Topic 551Publication 501 - (ET) Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information

Discussion Topics and General Considerations

1. Sources for Federal Controlled Vocabularies considerations

2. Relate vocabularies across domain considerations – Move from levels of concreteness to abstractness– Understand similarity between domains and

differences between domains– Require consistency

3. Your input

Language Universals and Linguistic Typology, Comrie, 1989(Survey of World languages for comparison and classification)

ResourcesGuidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies

9

Related Efforts 10

Federal CV Efforts 11

Display Types 12

Automated Example 13

Ontology Spectrum 14

Sample Tools 15

Guidelines

• ANSI/NISO Z39.19 - Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies– http://www.niso.org/kst/reports/standards?

step=2&gid=&project_key=7cc9b583cb5a62e8c15d3099e0bb46bbae9cf38a

Related EffortsUniversal Data Element Framework (UDEF)

Controlled vocabulary for naming data elements based on ISO/IEC 11179-5.http://www.opengroup.org/udef/

Digital Express Research Institute (DERI) Data catalog (dcat) vocabulary

RDF Vocabulary for exchange of data catalogs, such as data.gov and data.gov.uk (early draft)

http://vocab.deri.ie/dcatUniversal Core (UCORE) Agreed upon representations for

most commonly shared and understood elements.https://ucore.gov/ucore/

NIEM IEPD Agreed upon exchange for area of shared interest.http://www.niem.gov/

etc

Federal CV Efforts

• USAF Vocabulary OneSource• https://gcic.af.mil/OneSource/welcome.aspx

• CENDI September 11, 2008 Workshop New Dimensions in Knowledge Organization Systems

• http://cendiwiki.wik.is/2008_September_11

• SKOS for the DoD Metadata Registry @ https://metadata.dod.mil/mdr/documents/DoDMWG/2010/01/2010-01-13_SKOS.ppt

• Taxonomy Tuesday• http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Taxonomy_Tuesday

• VoCampDCMay 2009• http://vocamp.org/wiki/VoCampDCMay2009

• etc

Display Types

More Types: http://www.slis.kent.edu/~mzeng/Z3919/53display.htm

Automated Example

Controlled Vocabulary

Controlled Vocabulary

Courtesy of Leo Obrst, Mitre Corporation

Sample Tools