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Purpose: The objective of this paper is to describe the evolution of the available subject heading list, i.e. the CC Soggettario (Carabinieri Corps Soggettario), towards a thesaurus, that is CCThes (Carabinieri Corps Thesaurus), to support subject indexing and retrieval of the documentary heritage held by the Historical Office of the General Command of the Carabinieri Corps. This work follows the need to implement a controlled vocabulary compliant with the state-of-the-art standards. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology implements the practice of reengineering available vocabularies, following standardised guidelines for thesaurus development. The conversion process includes the balance maintenance of what has been achieved in the CC Soggettario and the enrichment of the semantic structure in the thesaurus by using both deductive and inductive methods. Findings: The main result of this study is a thesaurus compliant with ISO 29964-1:2011 recommendations, which improves information retrieval performances and interoperability with other vocabularies and applications. It generally has a mono-hierarchical structure with the possibility of admitting, as an exception, the poly-hierarchy for a few concepts. An introductive user guide has been created as a complementary tool to the CCThes. Originality/value: This is an applied study which deals with Knowledge Organisation System (KOS) reengineering and outlines this process using a pragmatic approach. The paper strength lies in providing the description of performed activities and conveying a set of resources to approach KOS reengineering practice. The study is also relevant for the preservation and diffusion of a part of the social memory and identity of Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the information and knowledge organisation competency of third- to fifth-grade primary school students in Hong Kong directly or indirectly. The majority of the students are aged 8–11 years. The types of information and knowledge organisation schemes to be identified or organised include shallow taxonomies (e.g. a list of entities, a list of features of an entity, a list of events) and simple descriptive ontologies (e.g. a sequence of events, reasons of events, relation between entities or events). A total of 86 students participated in the study. Each student was asked to read an English book and a Chinese book, and to answer assessment questions about the content within the books. The questions ask children to identify members of a flat taxonomy and organise simple descriptive ontologies. The children's overall information and knowledge organisation competency is found to be weak, but children's information and knowledge organisation capabilities are not equally weak. The children identify features of an entity significantly better than a list of events, and identify reasons significantly better than flat taxonomies and relations. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for book writers, book cover designers, teachers, librarians and designers of information systems for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humanities scholars can today engage in research inquiry using data from a range of varied collections which are often characterised by poor subject access, often resulting in systems that underperform and even effectively prevent access to data, information and knowledge. In spite of the availability of professional standards and guidelines to provide quality-controlled subject access through knowledge organisation systems (KOS), subject access in such collections is rarely based on KOS. At the same time, KOS themselves may come with problems such as being slow to update, being rigidly structured and not incorporating end-users' vocabulary. It may therefore be useful to consider methods for remediating these deficiencies in KOSs, such as collecting user-generated metadata via social tagging or complementing automated indexing techniques with manual ones. To help address the above problems, the paper discusses these challenges and points to possible solutions in different contexts. It does so by reflecting on an open educational resource (OER) devoted to this theme, titled Introduction to Knowledge Organisation Systems for Digital Humanities. It was developed as part of an EU project called DiMPAH (Digital Methods Platform for the Arts and Humanities), 2021–2023, creating seven OERs for inclusion in DARIAH Teach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the exploratory study conducted with the goal of developing an understanding of the current state of information representation and knowledge organisation in cultural heritage collections in Arabian Gulf countries and perspectives for future developments. This comparative case study focused on three institutions (an archive, an academic library, and a museum), including early adopters and leaders in digital archiving in the region. The mixed-methods research combined semi-structured interviews with in-depth comparative content analysis of metadata records that represent items in institutions' collections. Despite the limitations of the small-sample analysis, this exploratory case study makes a substantial contribution to research and practice. It is the first study to evaluate information representation and knowledge organisation practices in cultural heritage collections of Arabian Gulf countries. This study also can inform planning and implementation of the large-scale study of the state and perspectives of information representation and knowledge organisation across digital and physical collections of libraries, museums, and archives in the region. Suggestions for future research are included. Practical implications of the study include empirical support for the need for metadata training, developing and documenting metadata creation guidelines and crosswalks, collection and use of feedback from users and knowledge management professionals to improve information representation and knowledge organisation. Results also provide insights into interoperability potential of metadata for future regional, national and international aggregations of cultural heritage digital collections across the Arabian Gulf region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of cultural heritage for supporting the knowledge economy has promoted its digitisation and online publication. Many cultural heritage repositories have published millions of digitised items using semantic web technologies and Linked Data approaches. These repositories frequently use knowledge organisation systems to classify the resources, but the domain heterogeneity makes it difficult to know if they are the most suitable ones. This paper describes the process used to discover and profile the knowledge organisation systems used in the cultural heritage domain. Additionally, for those knowledge organisation systems with a thesaurus-like structure, a detailed quality analysis is performed. The results of this analysis can be used as a key factor for the selection of knowledge organisation systems in classification tasks. • Discovery and study of KOS in cultural heritage LD collections is difficult. • The use of cultural KOS is concentrated: 17% of the KOS aggregate 80% of the uses. • KOS definitions are important for reusability but not usually provided. • KOS consistency quality is less relevant than completeness and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the semantic integration of data extracted from archaeological datasets with information extracted via natural language processing (NLP) across different languages. The investigation follows a broad theme relating to wooden objects and their dating via dendrochronological techniques, including types of wooden material, samples taken and wooden objects including shipwrecks. The outcomes are an integrated RDF dataset coupled with an associated interactive research demonstrator query builder application. The semantic framework combines the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) with the Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT). The NLP, data cleansing and integration methods are described in detail together with illustrative scenarios from the web application Demonstrator. Reflections and recommendations from the study are discussed. The Demonstrator is a novel SPARQL web application, with CRM/AAT-based data integration. Functionality includes the combination of free text and semantic search with browsing on semantic links, hierarchical and associative relationship thesaurus query expansion. Queries concern wooden objects (e.g. samples of beech wood keels), optionally from a given date range, with automatic expansion over AAT hierarchies of wood types and specialised associative relationships. Following a 'mapping pattern' approach (via the STELETO tool) ensured validity and consistency of all RDF output. The user is shielded from the complexity of the underlying semantic framework by a query builder user interface. The study demonstrates the feasibility of connecting information extracted from datasets and grey literature reports in different languages and semantic cross-searching of the integrated information. The semantic linking of textual reports and datasets opens new possibilities for integrative research across diverse resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive amounts of data from different contexts and producers are collected and connected relying often solely on statistical techniques. Problems to the acclaimed value of data lie in the precise definition of data and associated contexts as well as the problem that data are not always published in meaningful and open ways. The Linked Data paradigm offers a solution to the limitations of simple keywords by having unique, resolvable and shared identifiers instead of strings This paper reports on a three-year research project "Digging Into the Knowledge Graph," funded as part of the 2016 Round Four Digging Into Data Challenge (https://diggingintodata.org/awards/2016/project/diggingknowledge-graph). Our project involves comparing terminology employed within the LOD cloud with terminology employed within two general but different KOSs - Universal Decimal Classification and Basic Concepts Classification. We are exploring whether these classifications can encourage greater consistency in LOD terminology and linking the largely distinct scholarly literatures that address LOD and KOSs. Our project is an attempt to connect the Linked Open Data community, which has tended to be centered in computer science, and the KO community, with members from linguistics, metaphysics, library and information science. We focus on the shared challenges related to Big Data between both communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a systematic literature review carried out to investigate the applications and potential roles of thesaurus in digital libraries. It also describes the process of systematic literature review (SLR) followed to carry out this study. 466 unique publications from Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) and Scopus had been subjected to SLR, and 29 papers have been analysed. Various possible applications of thesaurus in digital libraries have been identified and described. Also different approaches followed by researchers in choice of the thesaurus have been identified. Search and browse functionalities offered by thesaurus to the users of digital libraries are described. The discussion presented in this paper can play as cues for the digital library administrators in decision making towards implementing thesaurus for enhanced information retrieval. This study would allow researchers of information retrieval systems, including that of digital libraries, to proceed from more informed standpoints. Also, the discussion can be used to evaluate and improve education in library and information science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to present a brief overview of several Research Data Management (RDM) issues and a detailed literature review regarding the RDM aspects adopted in libraries globally. Furthermore, it will describe several tendencies concerning the management of repository tools for research data, as well as the challenges in implementing the RDM. The proper planned training and skill development for all stakeholders by mentors to train both staff and users are some of the issues that need to be considered to enhance the RDM process. An effort will be also made to present the suitable policies and workflows along with the adoption of best practices in RDM, so as to boost the research process in an organisation. This study will showcase the implementation of RDM processes in the Higher Educational Institute of India, referring particularly to the Central Library @ NIT Rourkela in Odisha, India with a proposed framework. Finally, this study will also propose an area of opportunities that can boost research activities in the Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge organisation systems (KOS) include a variety of tools and methods for organising information and knowledge 'things'. When we refer to KOS we generally mean classification schemes, thesauri, semantic networks, and authority control systems. Most academic disciplines are supported by professionally developed and maintained KOS. This is not the case for knowledge management. Knowledge management is insufficiently treated in existing KOS. The research is exploratory in its approach to developing KOS tools for the field. It is engaging in that at every stage of development it leverages the knowledge and input of the larger knowledge management community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an expression about historical background, current trends and applications of taxonomies. It is based on the published literature discussing various aspects of taxonomies. The survey is based on free text search for the terms: Taxonomy, Knowledge organisation, Knowledge organisation systems, and Knowledge organisation tools in various online databases (Emerald, Taylor & Francis, Wilson web, Science Direct, Wiley online), and Google. Besides online databases some articles were identified from conventional journals and books. A number of periodicals across disciplines cover the subject. After analysis the relevant articles coinciding with the scope of the paper are presented under three categories: need, description, and benefits. The review reveals that the use of taxonomies is being highly advocated by the scholars for the efficient knowledge organization and retrieval of information in the digital environment due to the expeditious and compounded growth of information on the web and the failure of search engines to retrieve the relevant information. The ability of the taxonomies to retrieve the digital information with high precision and recall is unanimously accepted and established beyond doubt. It is also revealed that taxonomies are being implemented in various organizations/web portals across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to survey development and deployment of taxonomies using a literature review and classification of articles. This paper is based on the published literature discussing development and deployment of taxonomies. The review reveals that in spite of the fact that implementing taxonomies is considered difficult taxonomies are being implemented in various organizations/web portals across the globe for efficient knowledge organization and retrieval of information in the digital environment In business organisations taxonomies are believed to advance a wide range of corporate objectives. The involvement of users and the role of librarians in taxonomy design is advocated. The traditional bibliographic tools like (DDC, LCSH, MeSH, ERIC etc.) are extensively employed to develop taxonomies to suit individual organizational requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]