Online Workshop: Taxonomies and Controlled Vocabularies

Welcome!
This online workshop will teach you want you need to know to get started in creating taxonomies or controlled vocabularies, whether you need to create a taxonomy to organize information on a web site, classify information in a content management system, or establish a controlled vocabulary for a periodical or database indexing project.

The content of each new lesson will be posted weekly.

Lesson 1: Introduction to taxonomies
Types of taxonomies and controlled vocabularies, their definitions, and uses. Links to examples on the Web will be included for various types.

1. Definitions of taxonomy, controlled vocabularies, thesauri, etc.
2. Types and applications of taxonomies and controlled vocabularies
3. Controlled vocabulary displays and organization: A-Z, hierarchies, categories, and facets

Lesson 2: Software for creating taxonomies
An overview of the various software tools to help create web thesaurus-type taxonomies and descriptions of several single-user desktop programs. Students are encouraged to download at least one free or demo software package of their choice to use for practice thesaurus creation in lessons 3 and 4.

1. Over view of the different kinds of software tools
2. MultiTes
3. WebChoir TCS-10
4. Term Tree 2000
5. Freeware
6. Software for larger team projects: Synaptica, Wordmap, and Data Harmony Thesaurus Master

Lesson 3: Hierarchical structure and term relationships
Best practices for structuring a taxonomy or thesaurus according to recognized standards

1. Broader/narrower relationships
2. Related/associated relationships and complex variations (ontologies)
3. Issues in determining top level terms/facets and issues deciding on hierarchy depth and broadness

Lesson 4: Wording of terms and their variants
Deciding how to name preferred terms and non-preferred terms in the controlled vocabulary

1. Issues in wording terms (style and format, pre- vs. post-coordination, homonyms)
2. Coming up with variants/non-preferred terms
3. Differences in term names and variants needed for human vs. automated indexing; and for thesaurus vs. hierarchy vs. facets.

Lesson 5: Concluding topics and issues

1. Processes for taxonomy development and implementation
2. Taxonomy governance (ownership and maintenance)
3. Folksonomies or social tagging
4. Types of work and freelancing
5. Resources

Lessons: Weekly lesson texts are comprised of a set of three to six web pages, one for each chapter of the lesson. Each lesson has links, and some have associated graphics of screenshots. It is not necessary to go through an entire lesson at one sitting, but each chapter page is designed to be read at one sitting. The lessons and chapters vary in length, depending on the topic. Lessons and associated information will be posted on the Simmons Moodle online course service, not at this Web site.

Exercises/Assignments: Most lessons have assignments. Although you are not required to submit the assignments, you are welcome to submit them, either as e-mail attachments to the instructor, attachments to Discussion Forum postiings, or to the course site, if you would like feedback. Questions to the instructor are welcome at any time.

Discussion Forums: Discussion Forums are a part of this workshop. Each lesson has its own forum in order to group discussion topics by lesson topics. Students are encouraged to post lesson comments and questions to the appropriate lesson forum first, prior to e-mailing the instructor directly, since other students might have similar issues. You may post to the appropriate Discussion Forum any comments or questions about any lesson at any time. You do not need to post on topics related to the current lesson or the immediate past lesson. Lingering questions to lessons several weeks behind are still welcome.

Please check each Discussion Forum frequently to see if other students or the instructor have posted any comments or questions. I suggest that you visit the Discussion List each time you sit down to work on the course.

Software: Special software does not need to be purchased to complete the workshop, but students should download a free demo version of one or more of the software tools discussed in lesson 2.

Readings: The required reading is: ANSI/NISO Z39.19 (2005) Guidelines for Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies, which will be made available as a freely downloadable pdf.

Other recommended, but not requried, books are:

• Aitchison, J., Gilchrist, A. & Bawden, D. (2000). Thesaurus construction and use: a practical manual (4th ed.). Chicago, IL, USA: Fitzroy Dearborn.
  
• Lambe, Patrick. (2007). Organising Knowledge: Taxonomies, Knowledge and Organisational Effectiveness. Oxford, England: Chandos Publishing.

Links to additional articles on the Web are provided within each lesson.

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