![]() However, the application of the DDI CVs extends beyond the DDI itself, since such CVs could be used, for instance, to annotate Methods sections in journal articles.Ĭontrolled vocabularies can also be structured, which means that some sort of relationship is established among the terms in the vocabulary. using the same terms to describe the same feature across different datasets. Such controlled vocabularies are particularly useful to describe data consistently, i.e. Screenshot from DDI Controlled Vocabulary for Mode of collection Using such a vocabulary helps avoiding mistakes such as using ‘PAPI’ to refer to self-administered paper questionnaires.įigure 1. It includes an unambiguous ‘Value of the Code’, but also a ‘Descriptive Term of the Code’, alongside a definition. Take for instance the DDI Controlled Vocabulary for Mode of collection: the list represents the most common ways to collect data in the SBE sciences. A Controlled Vocabulary Working Group is in charge of reviewing the comments, additions, and edits proposed by the community. The CVs consist of lists of terms with their definitions. Within the DDI alliance, many controlled vocabularies are being developed to describe the (meta)data. The Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) is an international standard for describing the data produced in the Social, Behavioural and Economic (SBE) Sciences domain. In their non-hierarchical form, whereby no formal relationships are specified among terms, CVs can be used to label digital resources, to facilitate retrieval of said resources, and to filter the results of a search. This additional information is not mandatory, but is helpful for those who want to (re)use the CV. Additional information clarifies the meaning of the terms and the conditions of use.Fixing the spelling allows to reduce ambiguity and the risk of duplication.Normative means that there are policies to establish roles and responsibilities, such as who maintains and curates the list, and how to propose changes (e.g.There are some important elements in this definition: What are the features of a controlled vocabulary (CV) then? A controlled vocabulary – or terminology – can be defined as “a normative collection of terms, the spelling of which is fixed and for which additional information may be provided such as a definition, a set of synonyms, an editor, a version, as well as a licence determining the condition of use.”. Most of us are familiar with a vocabulary, or a collection of terms with their definitions. ![]() Thanks to the annotations enabled by controlled vocabularies and related resources, the ODISSEI Portal will allow advanced semantic queries to support findability and interoperability. The aim of this short article is to provide definitions to understand their use in the context of annotating the metadata ingested into the ODISSEI Portal, a repository that combines metadata from a wide variety of research data sources into a single interface. Ironically, these terms are not always used correctly, and their applications are wider than it is presented here. In this short article, I will describe some resources that are used to help humans and machines make sense of metadata: controlled vocabularies, taxonomies and thesauri. the machine must be able to achieve a basic understanding of terms and concepts. ![]() For instance, in the data management landscape, the Interoperability principle (the ‘I’ in FAIR) relies on the idea that even the machine ‘understands what we mean’, i.e. There are instances in which we need to do the same with machines. These types of misunderstandings are common in human interactions, but most of the time they can be disambiguated, for instance by explaining a certain term, using a more widespread synonym, or describing the context in which that term is used. “I know what I meant to mean!”, a frustrated Gloria (Sofia Vergara’s Modern Family character, season 6, episode 7) exclaims after being mocked for misusing a figure of speech.
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