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Hedden Information Management

Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Online Workshop: Taxonomies and Controlled Vocabularies

Five weekly lessons, online at any time (no live component).

Next session:
   February 1 - March 7

Workshop Description
Workshop Outline
Workshop Expectations
Registration
Simmons GSLIS Workshops site (external link)

Workshop Description

Taxonomies and thesauri are structured sets of terms used for indexing or categorizing content. They are used in a wide variety of applications ranging from periodical indexing, image archive management, enterprise content management, commercial product categorization, online news service interfaces, and web site information architecture. There is a growing demand for people who can create and manage taxonomies, and indexers already have many of the basic skills.

This one-day workshop will provide the additional information and some of the practice needed for those with indexing or library science backgrounds to start working on taxonomies and thesauri. Short practical exercises will be interspersed among many of the topics. This workshop takes a broader approach from past conference workshops on taxonomies, which were focused on enterprise taxonomies. This workshop also includes demonstrations of thesaurus software packages affordable for the individual.

Workshop Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction to taxonomies
Types of taxonomies and controlled vocabularies, their definitions, and uses. Links to examples on the Web will be included for various types.

1. Definitions of taxonomy, controlled vocabularies, thesauri, etc.
2. Types and applications of taxonomies and controlled vocabularies
3. Controlled vocabulary displays and organization: A-Z, hierarchies, categories, and facets

Lesson 2: Software for creating taxonomies
An overview of the various software tools to help create web thesaurus-type taxonomies and descriptions of several single-user desktop programs. Students are encouraged to download at least one free or demo software package of their choice to use for practice thesaurus creation in lessons 3 and 4.

1. Over view of the different kinds of software tools
2. MultiTes
3. WebChoir TCS-10
4. Term Tree 2000
5. Freeware
6. Software for larger team projects: Synaptica, Wordmap, and Data Harmony Thesaurus Master

Lesson 3: Hierarchical structure and term relationships
Best practices for structuring a taxonomy or thesaurus according to recognized standards

1. Broader/narrower relationships
2. Related/associated relationships and complex variations (ontologies)
3. Issues in determining top level terms/facets and issues deciding on hierarchy depth and broadness

Lesson 4: Wording of terms and their variants
Deciding how to name preferred terms and non-preferred terms in the controlled vocabulary

1. Issues in wording terms (style and format, pre- vs. post-coordination, homonyms)
2. Coming up with variants/non-preferred terms
3. Differences in term names and variants needed for human vs. automated indexing; and for thesaurus vs. hierarchy vs. facets.

Lesson 5: Concluding topics and issues

1. Processes for taxonomy development and implementation
2. Taxonomy governance (ownership and maintenance)
3. Folksonomies or social tagging
4. Types of work and freelancing
5. Resources

Lessons: Weekly lesson texts are comprised of a set of three to six web pages, one for each chapter of the lesson. Each lesson has links, and some have associated graphics of screenshots. It is not necessary to go through an entire lesson at one sitting, but each chapter page is designed to be read at one sitting. The lessons and chapters vary in length, depending on the topic. Lessons and associated information will be posted on the Simmons Moodle online course service, not at this Web site.

Exercises/Assignments: Most lessons have assignments. Although you are not required to submit the assignments, you are welcome to submit them, either as e-mail attachments to the instructor, attachments to Discussion Forum postings, or to the course site, if you would like feedback. Questions to the instructor are welcome at any time.

Discussion Forums: Discussion Forums are a part of this workshop. Each lesson has its own forum in order to group discussion topics by lesson topics. Students are encouraged to post lesson comments and questions to the appropriate lesson forum first, prior to e-mailing the instructor directly, since other students might have similar issues. You may post to the appropriate Discussion Forum any comments or questions about any lesson at any time. You do not need to post on topics related to the current lesson or the immediate past lesson. Lingering questions to lessons several weeks behind are still welcome.

Software: Special software does not need to be purchased to complete the workshop, but students should download a free demo version of one or more of the software tools discussed in lesson 2.

Readings: The required reading is: ANSI/NISO Z39.19 (2005) Guidelines for Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies, which will be made available as a freely downloadable pdf.

Other recommended, but not required, books are:

• Aitchison, J., Gilchrist, A. & Bawden, D. (2000). Thesaurus construction and use: a practical manual (4th ed.). Chicago, IL, USA: Fitzroy Dearborn.
  
• Lambe, Patrick. (2007). Organising Knowledge: Taxonomies, Knowledge and Organisational Effectiveness. Oxford, England: Chandos Publishing.
  
• Stewart, Darin L. (2008) Building Enterprise Taxonomies. Portland, OR: Mokita Press.

Links to additional articles on the Web are provided within each lesson.

Registration

Download the registration form for Simmons GSLIS Continuing Education workshops. Fill it out, specifying the session date and format (online), and mail it with your payment (checks or cash only) for $250 ($200 for Simmons GSLIS alumni) made out to “Simmons College” to:

Kris Liberman, Program Manager
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
The Office of Continuing Education
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115-5898
P: 617-521-2803
F: 617-521-3192
gslisce@simmons.edu

If your employer is paying for the workshop, please send in (or fax) your completed registration form with a notation “employer to send payment.”

Continuing Education/Professional Development

All enrolled attendees will receive a Certificate of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for one unit, which will be mailed to them after the workshop.

Simmons College provides Professional Development Points (PDPs) according to the Massachusetts Department of Education requirements for certification revised as of 7/1/00. Attendees who request PDPs for (re)certification will earn 15 PDPs for this one-day workshop

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