[Fwd: Vocab format]

Hi all

The forwarded message is extracted from a lively discussion on 
International Virtual Observatory Alliance forum.
See http://www.ivoa.net for general background
and http://www.ivoa.net/forum/semantics/0709/index.htm for the general 
discussion.

-- 

*Bernard Vatant
*Knowledge Engineering
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*Mondeca**
*3, cité Nollez 75018 Paris France
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attached mail follows:

What format should any vocabulary be stored in?
 
Since there is a W3C standard for the description and definition of concepts
and terminology - SKOS: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/ - I'd like to
propose that this be used for any and all vocabularies which the IVOA
creates. Such a format could then be transformed into other forms if these
are necessary. This makes it possible for us to use any existing or future
tools which are created. SKOS might be extended if it requires constructs
unique to astronomy but since we're discussing a vocabulary, it seems
unlikely.
 
Someone mentioned that astros need to apply more than one definition to a
term. I think this is a bad thing to do: if a thing can be defined in two or
more ways then it is not a thing, it is two or more things. What we ought to
do is create separate definitions of the different concepts and then link
them back to whatever common concept they are supposed to address. Having
multiple definitions will make it impossible to address the multiple
concepts.
 
Please add your own proposals for a definition language or reasons why SKOS
is or is not suitable. 
 
T.
 
-- 
Tony Linde
Phone:  +44 (0)116 223 1292    Mobile: +44 (0)785 298 8840
Email:  Tony.Linde@leicester.ac.uk
Web:    http://www.star.le.ac.uk/~ael
 
Project Manager, EuroVO VOTech   http://eurovotech.org 
Programme Manager, AstroGrid     http://www.astrogrid.org 
Chair, JISC U&I Workgroup        http://tinyurl.com/ymxvqw
 

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