The CESSDA Vocabulary Service is a unique tool which enables developers to search, browse, and download controlled vocabularies in a variety of languages. The tool is also useful for researchers, for administrators and translators of controlled vocabularies, and for data repositories providing metadata.
Researchers can use the tool to study the terms used in the data descriptions which in turn enables them to do more precise searches in the CESSDA Data Catalogue. For translators and data repositories, the CVS facilitates easy and robust vocabulary management.
Strong collaboration between CESSDA and the DDI Alliance means that internationally-recognised and widely-used DDI controlled vocabularies are hosted within the CESSDA Vocabulary Service alongside CESSDA’s own Topic Classifications.
A publication pipeline will be created from the tool so that DDI Alliance can publish the vocabularies on its own website as well.
How it works
English source versions of the controlled vocabularies have been translated by CESSDA members and other organisations, to provide unique multilingual functionality and usability. Authorized users of the CVS can create, manage, version and translate controlled vocabularies via an easy-to-use, well-supported interface:
“The intuitive and user-friendly editor interface makes both user access and vocabulary management quick and easy. The system also facilitates version control by guiding users towards consistent documentation of changes made between published versions.” (Henri Ala-Lahti, CVS content editor).
Other handy features include a version comparison table, automatically generated citation for the vocabularies; and automated cloning of the previous source and translated vocabulary versions as a basis for creating new versions.
The CVS also provides a browsing platform for all users. Data repositories using the vocabularies in their metadata, for example, can download the vocabularies in various formats suitable for upload into technical systems, reference documents and web services, enhancing their flexibility and usability. Detailed version history details changes between vocabulary versions, so they can update their legacy metadata and systems.
The CVS is a useful and timely resource that promotes international standardisation by providing a source of controlled vocabularies to suit varied metadata systems.
More information:
Contact person: Claus-Peter Klas
News on Finnish translations: New CESSDA vocabulary service has been launched
News on Swedish translations: SND news item: Swedish Translations Now Available in CESSDA Vocabulary Service