Online Workshop: Taxonomies and Controlled Vocabularies

Welcome!
This online workshop will teach you what 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.

Lesson 1: Introduction to Taxonomies and Controlled Vocabularies
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
4. Thesaurus display options
   

Lesson 2: Software for Creating Taxonomies and Thesauri
An overview of the various software tools to help create web thesaurus-type controlled vocabularies 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. Overview of the different kinds of software tools
2. MultiTes
3. Cognatrix
4. Data Harmomy
5. Synaptica
6. Freeware: including TheW32 and Protégé
7. Other, client-server software
   

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
3. Semantic variations for relationships
4. Creating hierarchies

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

1. Wording of 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 implementation
2. Taxonomy maintenance and governance
3. Folksonomies or social tagging
4. Taxonomy work and freelancing
5. Resources