Introducing SKOS
Categorised under: Information architecture, XML
Peter Mikhalenko has written an article that introduces SKOS. To quote:
SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System), recently introduced by the W3C, is a model for expressing knowledge organization systems in a machine-understandable way, within the framework of the Semantic Web. The SKOS Core Vocabulary is an RDF (Resource Description Framework) application. Using RDF allows data to be linked and merged with other RDF data by Semantic Web applications. SKOS Core provides a model for expressing the basic structure and content of concept schemes, including thesauri, classification schemes, subject heading lists, taxonomies, terminologies, glossaries, and other types of controlled vocabulary. This article will provide some examples for using SKOS and discuss the general principles of building such knowledge bases.
The W3C has, in my opinion at least, a very poor record on releasing standards that make sense or can be used. So while I’m prepared to give SKOS a chance, I’m coming from a sceptical starting point …
James Robertson is the Managing Director of 