controlled_vocabularies

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Controlled vocabularies
This page http://tagunity.wikispaces.com/controlled_vocabularies

//todo:// write intro paragraph Vocabulary control is seen as necessary in systems that [todo //explain need for vocabularies in IA//]

The job of the controlled vocabulary is to provide an explicit model of the relations between concepts within a specific knowledge domain, be it a single organisation, organisational unit, or industry information portal. A controlled vocabulary is merely a predetermined list of preferred terms; a controlled vocabulary with a few extra features is called a thesaurus: > A [thesaurus] is a controlled vocabulary that may also include links to broader and narrower terms, as well as descriptions of preferred terms." (Rosenfeld & Morville, 2002, p. 48),

Rosenfeld and Morville (2002) suggest a controlled vocabulary is, in the simplest sense, be a "list of equivalent terms in the form of a synonym ring, or list of preferred terms in the form of an authority file. [The controlled vocabulary defines] hierarchical relationships between terms (e.g. broader, narrower) [in other words] a classification scheme” (p. 177).

From a systems architecture point of view, controlled vocabularies, and similarly thesauri, can run in the background where users do not have to interact with them. In this model of understanding systems configuration [? wording] the role of the various computing processes it to feed structured data to other components.

If well managed and maintained, for example within an organisation, controlled vocabularlies "can reduce vocabulary ambiguities," (see also semantic ambiguity). Controlled vocabularies "Need centrally managed, or managed by a systems that enables distributed control of terms in vocabulary terms," (Rosenfeld & Morville, 2002, p. 299).
 * Advantages and disadvantages of controlled vocabularies**

ontology_engineering
 * Tagunity links**

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 * References**