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A Collaborative Approach to Developing a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus

This collaborative project aims to develop a multilingual forestry thesaurus to improve access to global forest information. The thesaurus will enrich metadata, enhance the Global Forest Information System (GFIS), and enable multilingual subject access. By involving subject specialists, native speakers, and users in the development process, the project ensures usability and broad coverage. Through activities such as mapping existing terminologies, identifying gaps, and seeking feedback, the project will create a comprehensive multilingual forestry thesaurus benefiting GFIS and other systems.

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A Collaborative Approach to Developing a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus

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  1. A Collaborative Approach to Developing a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus • A project in development between IUFRO, CABI and FAO • Gillian Petrokofsky, CAB International • Barbara Richards, FAO • Niels Bruun de Neergaard, IUFRO

  2. Introduction and Background • Explosion in online information requires improved information management tools • Users need to be able to locate information • by subject • in many languages • Sustainable forest management is a global concern; in response IUFRO created GFIS that requires multilingual subject access

  3. Problem: locating relevant information sources corresponding to needs Solution: IUFRO Task Force develops an Internet based Metadata service to provide coordinated worldwide access to forest related information.

  4. launched on 29 August 2002 Copenhagen

  5. Introduction and Background • Differences in terms used in different databases • We need to collaborate to improve access to global forestry information with a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus.

  6. What is a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus? • A controlled vocabulary of terms used to describe the subject content of information resources in the domain of forestry - it brings together terms such as ‘forestry policy’, ‘forest policy’ and ‘forestry policies’ • A multilingual thesaurus has terms in multiple languages that are coded or linked across those languages.

  7. What is a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus?

  8. French Translation English Agrovoc Thesaurus CABI Why develop a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus? • Will allow us to take advantage of the current ability of the software and hardware of different information systems to communicate with each other.

  9. Why develop a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus? • It will enrich metadata in forestry information systems.

  10. Why develop a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus? • It will significantly enhance the Global Forest Information System (GFIS)

  11. Why develop a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus? • It will improve multilingual access to forestry information. For example, users can have the following subject choices: Forestry > Forestry - General aspects > Forestry policies Foresterie > Foresterie - Considérations générales > Politique forestièref Ciencias forestales > Ciencias forestales - Aspectos generales > Política forestal

  12. Why develop a Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus? • Users can also search and view subject information in the language of their choice:

  13. Developing the thesaurus collaboratively • Because forestry information encompasses broad cross-disciplinary coverage, a forestry thesaurus needs to reflect this • We need to ensure its usability by a wide audience • We need to encourage participation of subject specialists, native speakers, users and information managers.

  14. specialized wood energy terms specialized entomology terms specialized forest fire terms local forest type terms Developing the thesaurus collaboratively • Goal of collaboration is to provide a means of cooperation and communication between systems and providers at a broad level without excessive rigidity.

  15. Project activities • Map AGROVOC and CAB Thesaurus forest-related terminology as a basis for harmonising Metadata in GFIS • Identify subject gaps in existing thesauri by examining current terminology usage by researchers in bibliographic references in CAB ABSTRACTS database • Solicit feedback on missing or outdated terms • through Website • FAO Forestry Department • GFIS nodes

  16. Project activities • Examine possibilities of mapping harmonised terms to commonly used multilingual library classification systems, e.g. the Forest Decimal Classification (FDC). • Produce a complete project proposal and work plan to create a multilingual forestry thesaurus.

  17. Existing resources • CAB Thesaurus • Agrovoc • Mapped CABI-Agrovoc terms • GFIS Africa subject indexing • Identification of additional terms • Expertise within IUFRO Member Institutions, FAO and CABI • IUFRO’s SilvaVoc clearinghouse for multilingual forest terminology.

  18. Main benefits of collaborative approach • GFIS can take advantage of networks developed by IUFRO, FAO and CABI to harness the views of people on the ground... the eventual users of the system.

  19. Main benefits of collaborative approach • The Multilingual Forestry Thesaurus will function as a reference tool that structures and standardises forestry terminology in multiple languages for use by GFIS • It will also be able to be used in any number of different systems to improve access to forestry information.

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