International  Virtual  Observatory  Alliance
 
IVOA Documents
ivoa.net


Vocabularies in the Virtual Observatory
Version 1.00

IVOA Working Draft 20 March 2008

Interest/Working Group:
http://www.ivoa.net/twiki/bin/view/IVOA/IvoaSemantics
Author(s):
Sébastien Derriere, Alasdair J G Gray, Norman Gray, Frederic V Hessman, Tony Linde, Andrea Preite Martinez, Rob Seaman, Brian Thomas
Editor(s):
Alasdair J G Gray, Norman Gray, Frederic V Hessman, Andrea Preite Martinez

Abstract

As the astronomical information processed within the Virtual Observatory becomes more complex, there is an increasing need for a more formal means of identifying quantities, concepts, and processes not confined to things easily placed in a FITS image, or expressed in a catalogue or a table. We proposed that the IVOA adopt a standard format for vocabularies based on the W3C's Resource Description Framework (RDF) and Simple Knowledge Organisation System (SKOS). By adopting a standard and simple format, the IVOA will permit different groups to create and maintain their own specialised vocabularies while letting the rest of the astronomical community access, use, and combine them. The use of current, open standards ensures that VO applications will be able to tap into resources of the growing semantic web. Several examples of useful astronomical vocabularies are provided, including work on a common IVOA thesaurus intended to provide a semantic common base for VO applications.

Status of this document

This is an IVOA Working Draft for review by IVOA members and other interested parties.
It is a draft document and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time.It is inappropriate to use IVOA Working Drafts as reference materials or to cite them as other than "work in progress".



Available formats: .html


maintained by  ::ivoa document coordinator::