SKOS Simple Knowledge Organization System Reference

Description

SKOS Simple Knowledge Organization System

Reference

W3C Recommendation 18 August 2009

This version:

http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/REC-skos-reference-20090818/

Latest version:

http://www.w3.org/TR/skos-reference

Previous versions:

http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/PR-skos-reference-20090615/

Editors:

Alistair Miles , STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory / University of Oxford

Sean Bechhofer , University of Manchester

Please refer to the errata for this document, which may include some normative corrections.

Copyright © 2009 W3C ( MIT , ERCIM , Keio ), All Rights Reserved. W3C liability , trademark and document use rules apply.

Abstract

This document defines the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS), a common data model for sharing and linking knowledge organization systems via the Web.

Many knowledge organization systems, such as thesauri, taxonomies, classification schemes and subject heading systems, share a similar structure, and are used in similar applications. SKOS captures much of this similarity and makes it explicit, to enable data and technology sharing across diverse applications.

The SKOS data model provides a standard, low-cost migration path for porting existing knowledge organization systems to the Semantic Web. SKOS also provides a lightweight, intuitive language for developing and sharing new knowledge organization systems. It may be used on its own, or in combination with formal knowledge representation languages such as the Web Ontology language (OWL).

This document is the normative specification of the Simple Knowledge Organization System. It is intended for readers who are involved in the design and implementation of information systems, and who already have a good understanding of Semantic Web technology, especially RDF and OWL.

For an informative guide to using SKOS, see the [ SKOS-PRIMER ].

Synopsis

Using SKOS, concepts can be identified using URIs, labeled with lexical strings in one or more natural languages, assigned notations (lexical codes), documented with various types of note, linked to other concepts and organized into informal hierarchies and association networks, aggregated into concept schemes , grouped into ...

Original URL

http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/REC-skos-reference-20090818/

http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/REC-skos-reference-20090818/