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Semantic Fingerprinting for Name Disambiguation
Many institutions and organizations – notably (but not limited to) publishers – have large, or sometimes very very large, lists of names. These names are from member directories, employees and staff, clients and customers, marketing, development, and many other sources; indeed, oftentimes the lists from various departments in the same organization are not connected or resolved with one another in any way.
Read MorePumas and Cougars and Snails, OH MY!
When you use a thesaurus for indexing context covering multiple disciplines, the need for disambiguation of terms is increased. This fact of thesaurus life was well illustrated in a presentation at this year’s DHUG (Data Harmony Users Group) meeting. The presentation, by Rachel Drysdale, Taxonomy Manager of the Public Library of Science (PLOS), was titled “The PLOS Thesaurus: the first year.”
Read MoreAccess Innovations Named in KMWorld’s Annual “100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management”
Access Innovations, Inc., a leader in digital data organization, announces its inclusion on KMWorld’s annual list of the “Top 100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management.”
Read MoreInformation and Data Governance/Management – Adding Ideas From Complementary Disciplines
After critical business information has been identified at a high level and a focal has been assigned, best practices from complementary disciplines can be incorporated. Identify the main subjects for a business specific controlled vocabulary. Each company or organization develops its own language for talking about what it does. Like all languages, organizational languages are based on a common way of seeing and thinking. A technology or farm machinery company may use alphanumeric designations to identify thousands of products. An entertainment firm may use cryptic acronyms in discussing thousands of events or programs. An agricultural organization may talk about plans and events as they relate to “the harvest.” Even within one company, the language varies between departments. A finance department is likely to have a language that is different from the language used in research or operations departments.
Read MoreMarjorie M.K. Hlava Selected to Receive Prestigious Miles Conrad Award from the National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS™)
Marjorie (Margie) M.K. Hlava, president of Albuquerque-based Access Innovations, Inc., has been selected to receive the prestigious Miles Conrad Award from the National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS). The award will be presented at the upcoming 2014 NFAIS Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA, February 23-25, 2014. In keeping with longstanding tradition, Marjorie will present a 45-minute lecture with her perspective on the information industry during the NFAIS Annual Conference.
Read MoreInformation and Data Governance/Management – How to Start
The link between Business and Information Technology is the data, information, and process assets that are stored and automated through technical tools. This blog suggests the first steps toward governing and managing these important assets before tool implementation, helping to avoid the too common “graveyards” of expensive, underused tools.
Read MoreAccess Innovations, Inc. Selects Heather Kotula as DHUG Meeting and Marketing Coordinator
Heather Kotula, a long-time employee of Access Innovations, Inc., has recently been promoted to the position of DHUG (Data Harmony Users Group) Meeting and Marketing Coordinator. Heather is one of many faces of fresh, young talent at Access Innovations, and her promotion can only mean good things for the company.
Read MoreKnowledge Management and Data Governance – Management and Tools
As an IT process and governance consultant, I see a large number of software tools for managing knowledge, information, and data. The choices between vendors and in-house development options seem endless. Evaluation can be challenging because descriptions of purpose, use, and comparative approach are often not clear, standardized, or based on research.
Read MoreThe Ghosts of Concepts Future
As taxonomists, we have a responsibility to discern those future concepts, although they may still be invisible to most. We can save the various expressions of those concepts in search logs from being rejected from consideration for a vocabulary simply on account of their as yet infrequent appearance. In a taxonomy or thesaurus, we can provide labels that will consolidate the indexing for a concept whose researchers have not yet settled on a name. In some cases, especially with widely used vocabularies, we can perhaps determine the name by which a concept will be known on a standard basis.
Read MoreThe Ghost of Taxonomies Present
Wouldn’t it be splendid if, in the ‘spirit’ of Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Present, we could use taxonomies to accomplish lofty goals such as cure and eradicate sickness; promote international understanding; promote justice and social harmony; and lessen and eradicate poverty?
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