On the Semantic Web, vocabularies define the concepts and relationships (also referred to as “terms”) used to describe and represent an area of concern. Vocabularies are used to classify the terms that can be used in a particular application, characterize possible relationships, and define possible constraints on using those terms. In practice, vocabularies can be very complex (with several thousands of terms) or very simple (describing one or two concepts only).
There is no clear division between what is referred to as “vocabularies” and “ontologies”. The trend is to use the word “ontology” for more complex, and possibly quite formal collection of terms, whereas “vocabulary” is used when such strict formalism is not necessarily used or only in a very loose sense. Vocabularies are the basic building blocks for inference techniques on the Semantic Web.
What are Vocabularies Used For?
The role of vocabularies on the Semantic Web are to help data integration when, for example, ambiguities may exist on the terms used in the different data sets, or when a bit of extra knowledge may lead to the discovery of new relationships. Consider, for example, the application of ontologies in the field of health care. Medical professionals use them to represent knowledge about symptoms, diseases, and treatments. Pharmaceutical companies use them to represent information about drugs, dosages, and allergies. Combining this knowledge from the medical and pharmaceutical communities with patient data enables a whole range of intelligent applications such as decision support tools that search for possible treatments; systems that monitor drug efficacy and possible side effects; and tools that support epidemiological research.
Another type of example is to use vocabularies to organize knowledge. Libraries, museums, newspapers, government portals, enterprises, social networking applications, and other communities that manage large collections of books, historical artifacts, news reports, business glossaries, blog entries, and other items can now use vocabularies, using standard formalisms, to leverage the power of linked data.
It depends on the application how complex vocabularies they use. Some applications may decide not to use even small vocabularies, and rely on the logic of the application program. Some application may choose to use very simple vocabularies like the one described in the examples section below, and let a general Semantic Web environment use that extra information to make the identification of the terms. Some applications need an agreement on common terminologies, without any rigor imposed by a logic system. Finally, some applications may need more complex ontologies with complex reasoning procedures. It all depends on the requirements and the goals of the applications.
To satisfy these different needs, W3C offers a large palette of techniques to describe and define different forms of vocabularies in a standard format. These include RDF and RDF Schemas, Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS), Web Ontology Language (OWL), and the Rule Interchange Format (RIF). The choice among these different technologies depend on the complexity and rigor required by a specific application.
Let's Expand our Vocabulary:
Read the passage about Christopher Colombus and answer the questions below:
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. His career in exploration started when he was very young. As a teenager he traveled the seas and eventually made Portugal his base. He appealed to the kings of Portugal, France and England to finance a westward trip to the Indies, but all denied his request. After ten years of monumental efforts but fruitless results, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to finance Columbus in the hopes of acquiring great wealth.
On August 3, 1492, Columbus and three ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, left Palos, Spain and headed westward. After stopping in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, Columbus' ships hit the open seas. Covering about 150 miles a day, the trip was long and arduous. The crew was afraid of sea monsters and grew more restless every day land was not sighted. Columbus offered a reward for the first person to sight land. On October 12, a crew member aboard the Pinta sighted one of the Bahama Islands. Columbus set foot on what he believed was one of the Spice Islands, a group of islands in Asia (now known as Indonesia), where valuable spices and riches came from. He named the land San Salvador. Columbus failed to find the riches he expected, and continued to search for China. He next visited Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic). He encountered native peoples who he named "Indians" because he believed they were inhabitants of the Indies.
Columbus returned to Spain a hero. He was named viceroy of the Indies. He son returned to the New World but never found the riches he expected. Some began to believe that Columbus had found "a new world" rather that a shortcut to the Indies.
Christopher Columbus made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the world - North America. Though he probably wasn't the first explorer to see the continent, and he believed until his death that the islands he encountered were in the Asian continent, his discoveries were instrumental in the establishment of Spanish colonies in North America. Today, we celebrate Columbus Day in October to commemorate his discoveries.
Question:
- Covering about 150 miles a day, the trip was long and arduous.
What does the word "arduous" mean in the sentence above?
- difficult
- exciting
- painless
- extraordinary
- The crew was afraid of sea monsters and grew more restless every day land was not sighted.
What does "restless" mean in the sentence above?
- relaxed
- anxious
- violent
- deadly
- Though he probably wasn't the first explorer to see the continent, and he believed until his death that the islands he encountered were in the Asian continent, his discoveries were instrumental in the establishment of Spanish colonies in North America.
What does "instrumental" mean in the sentence above?
- important
- curious
- musical
- questionable
- He appealed to the kings of Portugal, France and England to finance a westward trip to the Indies, but all denied his request.
What does the word "appealed" mean in the above sentence?
- lied
- tried to convice
- cried
- answered
- After ten years of monumental efforts but fruitless results, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to finance Columbus in the hopes of acquiring great wealth.
What does the word "fruitless" mean in the sentence above
- happy
- unsuccessful
- incredible
- pleasing
Reference: mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/columbus_vocabulary
