RE: Scientific and common names in SKOS

Thanks Leonard and to all for the reply.
 
I think Antoine solution would be better, as i can specify the preferred
terms between all the scientific names (”@en-x-scientific") and the preferred
between the common names (”@en-x-common").
But combining Antoine solution and Stephen solution (adding a cutom attribute
such as fao:type="common") would be event better.
 
I also like the possibility of creating relationships between terms (such as
expressed with SKOS eXtension for Labels XL) but this seems to me do not
solve the problem for indexing or retrieving pertinent info...
 
This is very important, because while indexing or retrieving document we
can/should somehow establish the context for the use of the same concept: I
may decide to tag a scientific document with the URI + a tag specifying it is
a scientific document or tag a document about a receipt of a potato with the
same URI + a tag specifying this is a "general audience" document....
I do not want to go back to term indexing, but seems to me that URI for
indexing may not be enough: we may need to attach some other info...
 
regards
Margherita

 -----Original Message----- 
 From: public-esw-thes-request@w3.org on behalf of Leonard Will 
 Sent: Tue 9/30/2008 13:43 
 To: public-esw-thes@w3.org 
 Cc: 
 Subject: Re: Scientific and common names in SKOS
 
 


 On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 at 08:00:35, "Sini, Margherita (KCEW)"
 <Margherita.Sini@fao.org> wrote
 >The problem is that I wish not to use altLabels for scientific
names,
 >because the concept may have actually many more others altLabels...
In
 >fact i wish that people while indexing or searching documents, they
 >could use a common name OR a scientific name based in their needs (a
 >document on a receipt of potato or a scientific treaty on the
species).
 
 In a well-structured indexing and retrieval system with a linked
 thesaurus, it should be possible to retrieve documents by searching
on
 preferred _or_ non-preferred (alt) terms. That is the reason for
having
 altLabels. The "preferred" term is somewhat arbitrarily chosen
(though
 for this purpose we try to choose the term most likely to be sought),
to
 act as a label for the concept and to link it with documents being
 indexed.
 
 If an indexer seeks to use an altLabel when linking a concept to a
 document, the system should automatically use the prefLabel in
 constructing the link. It may or may not tell the indexer that it has
 done this. (It may in fact use a concept number or other code rather
 than either of the labels.)
 
 If a searcher searches with an altLabel, the system should
automatically
 substitute the prefLabel in constructing a search statement. It may
or
 may not tell the searcher that it has done this.
 
 Two other issues arise:
 
 A. If the need is to display lists of documents grouped under subject
 labels, optionally using either common or scientific names, then you
 will have to give the labels a type attribute, as has been suggested,
so
 that the correct one can be chosen in each case. This may not be
 practicable, however, because:
 
 (1) many organisms do not have common names, or have several common
 names, and there is often not a one-to-one relationship between
common
 and scientific names;
 
 (2) listing documents under individual thesaurus terms is not usually
 sufficient to produce a useful list. A useful classified display
 normally requires the pre-coordination of more than one concept (e.g.
 "potatoes : diseases" or "potatoes : prices") and SKOS does not yet
 provide for pre-coordination.
 
 B. The "SKOS eXtension for Labels (XL)" provides at
 <http://www.w3.org/TR/skos-reference/#xl-label-relations>
 for the expression of relationships between different label types. We
 have done the same thing in the British Standard DD8723-5 data model
at
 <http://schemas.bs8723.org/2008-06-03/DD8723-5/Model/Model.jpg>
 which provides for the equivalence relationship to have a "role"
 attribute.
 Example 91 given in the SKOS-XL document shows how one label can be
 shown to be an acronym of another, but the relationship could be
 specified as "common name / scientific name".
 
 Leonard Will
 --
 Willpower Information       (Partners: Dr Leonard D Will, Sheena E
Will)
 Information Management Consultants              Tel: +44 (0)20 8372
0092
 27 Calshot Way, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 7BQ, UK. Fax: +44 (0)870 051
7276
 L.Will@Willpowerinfo.co.uk
Sheena.Will@Willpowerinfo.co.uk
 ---------------- <URL:http://www.willpowerinfo.co.uk/>
-----------------

Received on Wednesday, 1 October 2008 20:05:23 UTC