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SKOS and Other W3C Vocabulary Related Activities. Gail Hodge Information International Assoc. NKOS Workshop Denver, CO June 10, 2005. Acknowledgements. Based on: Presentation by Alistair Miles of the Rutherford Laboratory at the OpenForum on Metadata Registries, April 2005.
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SKOS and Other W3C Vocabulary Related Activities Gail Hodge Information International Assoc. NKOS Workshop Denver, CO June 10, 2005
Acknowledgements • Based on: • Presentation by Alistair Miles of the Rutherford Laboratory at the OpenForum on Metadata Registries, April 2005. • Input from Joel Sachs, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore Co. and the SPIRE Project. • Documents from the SKOS Web site.
What is the Semantic Web? • Semantic Web grand vision: "The Semantic Web is an extension of the current web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation." • … in practice: The Semantic Web provides a common technological framework (i.e. URI, RDF, SPARQL, RDFS, OWL …) that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries. • Successful sharing and reuse requires an understanding of meaning.
Relevant W3C Semantic Web Activities • Best Practices and Deployment Working Group Chartered through January 31, 2006 Working drafts: • SKOS core related documents (vocabulary specification; guide; etc.) • SKOS Mapping Vocabulary • API for terminology web services • XML Schema Datatypes in RDF and OWL • Defining N-ary relationships on the semantic web: Use with individuals • Web Service Description Working Group 2 Chartered through January, 2006 Working Drafts • WSDL 2.0 • SOAP 1.1 Binding
Relevant Activities, contd. • RDF Data Access Working Group Chartered (roughly) till end of 2005 Working Drafts: • SPARQL Query Language for RDF • SPARQL Variable Binding Results XML Format • SPARQL Protocol for RDF (written in WSDL 2.0) • Web-Ontology Working Group (closed) Recommendations: • The whole OWL family of documents (language overview; language guide; language reference; use cases; etc.)
SKOS Core An extensible RDF language for describing concepts and concept schemes … … a concept scheme is a ‘set of concepts, optionally including relationships between concepts.’ … … i.e. controlled vocabularies, thesauri, classification schemes, glossaries, subject heading systems, terminologies … … e.g. AAT, DDC, AGROVOC …
OWL vs. SKOS Core • OWL is the language of the Semantic Web. • Why do you need SKOS if you have OWL? • SKOS Core … … more flexible, less demanding approach to modelling concepts … … better suited to types of KOS mentioned … … requiring little or no remodelling to express in RDF … … therefore low cost, while adding value through simple benefits of RDF/semantic web approach.
Basic SKOS Vocabulary • Skos:Concept Class (this resource is a concept) • Lexical Labelling Properties (associate concept with a name) • Symbolic Labelling (associate concept with symbols) • Semantic Relationship Properties (relationships between concepts) • Documentation Properties (definitions and change notes) • Subject Indexing (connecting an information resource to terminology, dc:subject)
Traditional Thesaurus to SKOS Mapping • Concept gets a URI, not a name • Lexical Labeling = names (not new concepts) • Skos:prefLabel • Skos:altLabel (Used For) • Relationship Labeling between concepts • Skos:broader • Skos:narrower • Skos:related • Documentation such as Scope notes • Skos:scopeNote • Skos: definition
SKOS Status • Development history • Initiated by Semantic Web Advanced Development for Europe project (SWAD-E) in 2003 • Public development process and open developer community • Driven by W3C Semantic Web Best Practices and Deployment Working Group since 2004 • SKOS Core status • 1st Public Working Draft May, 2005 • RDF Vocabulary and Guidelines for KOS Conversion also available • Comments requested by end of June 2005 • Standardization goal • W3C Working Group Note • W3C Recommendation track?
Open Issues: Understanding the Limitations of SKOS • Difference between SKOS Core and other RDF applications because modeling concepts adds another level of indirection • Properties are properties of the concept and not necessarily of the real-world thing • If two conceptual resources share the same meaning they are not necessarily the same resource • Meaning from definitions versus semantic context (relationships, labels, etc.) • Concept scheme versioning – use of Skos:inScheme property • HTTP URIs for Concepts (this is an open question for the Technical Architecture Group)
SKOS Resources • SKOS Home Page http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/ • SKOS Core Guide • SKOS Core Vocabulary • Quick Guide to Publishing a Thesaurus on the Semantic Web • SKOS Mailing List mailto:public-esw-thes@w3.org http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-esw-thes/
RDF/XML Using the UK Archival Thesaurus <rdf:RDF xmls:rdf=http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns# xmlns:rdfs=http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema# xmlns:skos=http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#> <skos:Concept rdf:about=”http://www.ukat.org.uk/thesaurus/concept/1750”> <skos:prefLabel>Economic cooperation</skos:prefLabel> <skos:altLabel>Economic co-operation</skos:altLabel> <skos:scopeNote>Includes cooperative measures in banking, trade, industry, etc. between and among countries.</skos:scopeNote> <skos:broader rdf:resource=http://www.ukat.org.uk/thesaurus/concept/ 3000”> [Economic policy] skos:narrower rdf:resource=http://www.ukat.org.uk/thesaurus/concept/ 3022”> [industrial cooperation] <skos:narrower rdf:resource=http://www.ukat.org.uk/thesaurus/ concept/3500> [Economic integration] <skos:inScheme rdf: resource=http://www.ukat.org.uk/thesaurus/> </skos:Concept> </rdf:RDF>