Discovering The Semantic Web, Linked Data, And Knowledge Organisation Systems


Sarah Saunders of Electric Lane presents an overview of the main concepts and techniques used for The Semantic Web, Linked Data and KOS (Knowledge Organisation Systems).  If you are new to this subject the article offers a good introduction to what is possible and why so many people are becoming excited by these new technologies.

Linked Data is part of the Semantic Web, and for those wondering exactly what that is, here’s a quick explanation. Semantic Web is the term used to describe a Web environment in which the meaning (or semantics) of information is made explicit and therefore machine readable. Our brains can handle very complex information. When we say we want an apple, we can work out from the circumstances that we want the eating type of apple, not the company Apple or the Big Apple, or an Apple computer. Machines need much more explicit instructions to contextualise the exact meaning of a word. We know that by building up a series of simple instructions, starting with the basic 0 or 1 choice, computers can perform very complex tasks. The Semantic Web, a term coined by Tim Berners-Lee the creator of the World Wide Web, describes an environment in which information can be accessed and processed automatically in an intelligent way. Linked data makes sense of the Semantic Web by providing a framework for a network of related information.” [Read More]

Sarah also summarises some presentations from the third UK ISKO Conference which was held last month in the same article.

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One comment

  • The definition provided in this article; “Semantic Web is the term used to describe a Web environment in which the meaning (or semantics) of information is made explicit and therefore machine readable.” Is so entirely inaccurate I question how it’s even possible that something like this can be published?!

    Scary.

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