Charles Copp, Neil Caithness & Richard White

 Evaluation, selection and acquisition of existing thesauri  Thesaurus modelling - logical and physical data models  Initial provision of the thesaurus  Thesaurus handling tools  Thesaurus implementation  Thesaurus refinement  Evaluation, selection and acquisition of existing thesauri  Thesaurus modelling - logical and physical data models  Initial provision of the thesaurus  Thesaurus handling tools  Thesaurus implementation  Thesaurus refinement

BIOCASE is about disseminating information relating to natural science specimens and biodiversity held by many organisations across Europe. To do this efficiently we need:  Agreement to make data available  Data in an accessible form  A schema that enables merging of data from different sources  Software to query the data and return results to a remote user  A user-interface that enables people to create searches and view the returned information  Consistent indexes that ensure searches find the maximum amount of available information  Agreement to make data available  Data in an accessible form  A schema that enables merging of data from different sources  Software to query the data and return results to a remote user  A user-interface that enables people to create searches and view the returned information  Consistent indexes that ensure searches find the maximum amount of available information

 Simple lists of terms put together without rules soon become a mess  To encourage consistency in cataloguing  To keep the number of indexing categories small.  To allow for inevitable variation in form and the existence of synonyms and multi-lingual alternatives  To structure terms into hierarchies that allow broader and narrower searches  To have links to related terms that might find information under different headings  Simple lists of terms put together without rules soon become a mess  To encourage consistency in cataloguing  To keep the number of indexing categories small.  To allow for inevitable variation in form and the existence of synonyms and multi-lingual alternatives  To structure terms into hierarchies that allow broader and narrower searches  To have links to related terms that might find information under different headings

 Taxa: Both ‘scientific’ and common names with potential for multi-lingual versions of names. Living species and fossils. Hierarchical relationships between taxonomic ranks. Rarity and conservation status?  Biotopes: Habitats, Biomes and Land-cover types: Various commonly used classifications and free terms. Correlation between terms where possible.  Geographic terms: Formal classifications of administrative areas. Old and new country names and place names. Geographic relationships (contains, near to)  Geological and earth science terms: Stratigraphy, Rock-names, Minerals, Soils, hydrological terms. Other terms as need is identified e.g. geomorphological and structural terms  Museological terms: Specimen type and preservation method (e.g. mounted skin, bones, spirit specimen)  ? Many others possible e.g. Collectors names, Books and publications, Expeditions  Taxa: Both ‘scientific’ and common names with potential for multi-lingual versions of names. Living species and fossils. Hierarchical relationships between taxonomic ranks. Rarity and conservation status?  Biotopes: Habitats, Biomes and Land-cover types: Various commonly used classifications and free terms. Correlation between terms where possible.  Geographic terms: Formal classifications of administrative areas. Old and new country names and place names. Geographic relationships (contains, near to)  Geological and earth science terms: Stratigraphy, Rock-names, Minerals, Soils, hydrological terms. Other terms as need is identified e.g. geomorphological and structural terms  Museological terms: Specimen type and preservation method (e.g. mounted skin, bones, spirit specimen)  ? Many others possible e.g. Collectors names, Books and publications, Expeditions

 Published sources in both electronic and paper form  Termlists and thesauri downloaded from the web  Links to on-line thesauri on the web  New terms derived from indexing partner databases  Establishing agreements with list managers and suppliers  New work where need is identified  Published sources in both electronic and paper form  Termlists and thesauri downloaded from the web  Links to on-line thesauri on the web  New terms derived from indexing partner databases  Establishing agreements with list managers and suppliers  New work where need is identified

Term Vers. Facts Term Version Relation Terms in Item List Item Term Language List Version ListList Type Related ItemHierarchies Term Type Term Facts BT NT BT NT Use Use For Use Use For Related Term Related Term

Multiple terms in a list item

Matching items from multiple lists

Finding items from associated facts

Chronostratigraphic List Biostratigraphic List Lithostratigraphic List