1. Introduction to Controlled Vocabularies (Term / Code Lists)

2. Controlled Vocabularies What: list of standardised terms to choose from Aim: easier to transfer and interpret data, also allows automated interoperability MEDIN usage: Data Guidelines and Discovery Metadata Standard Vocabularies are available directly by manual lookup – e.g. SeaDataNet ‘served’ machine to machine - e.g. the NERC Vocabulary Server ReSTful interface

3. Example – Platform types Populates the platformType field in Detailed Metadata in Data Guidelines

4. Availability through website www.oceannet.org

5. http://seadatanet.maris2.nl/v_bodc_vocab_v2/welcome.asp Instruments, platforms, sea areas, geometries etc SeaDataNet client

6. MEDIN Keywords Keywords describe certain aspects of your dataset MEDIN recommends “BODC Parameter Discovery Vocabulary” – P02

7. SeaDataNet hierarchies Parameter relationships and discovery How best to choose your P02 term?

8. Located at: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/ Uses Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) concepts to build URLs: Format is: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/collectionID /collectionVersion/status/http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/collectionID /collectionVersion/status/ Example: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P02/current/ accepted/http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P02/current/ accepted/ Fully computer readable. Output in XML NERC Vocab Service:

9. Other Useful Vocabularies http://www.epsg.org/ http://www.marinespecies.org/msbias/index.php http://www.ices.dk/datacentre/reco/

10. How to add? E-mail Sean Gaffney sgaf@bodc.ac.uksgaf@bodc.ac.uk - check with appropriate governance group.

11. Practical Aim – to familiarise yourself with different controlled vocabularies 1)Navigate to the MEDIN webpage for controlled vocabularies www.oceannet.org www.oceannet.org 2) Find: a)Two different area codes for the Irish Sea (use SeaDataNet vocabularies) b)The AphiaID for UK species ‘Mytilus edulis’ (use MSBIAS) c)Code for the horizontal coordinate reference system WGS 84 [2D projection] (use EPSG) d)The entrykey, vocabulary name and associated date for a Keyword for “Man-made Structure” WIN AN AMAZING PRIZE

12. Answers a)1_4 (using SeaVoX gazeteer) [or 19 using SeaDataNet sea areas] * b)140480 c) EPSG: 4326 d) MMST SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary date last modified 2008-01-30 * - SeaVoX, not SeaDataNet sea areas, is the agreed MEDIN vocabulary for water bodies