Catchplus > Projects > Common services > OpenSKOS > Users

For online information and the website of OpenSKOS, please visit http://openskos.org.

Using thesauri from OpenSKOS
There are several ways to get information in and out of OpenSKOS:

  • Via RESTful API: Search, request, modify and add information. To add information you’ll need an user account with the appropriate rights. A request for an account can be directed to the organisation that houses the OpenSKOS agency.
  • Via the OAI-PMH protocol: OpenSKOS contains a ‘data provider’ (which offers SKOS-concepts to be harvested) as well as a ‘data harvester’ (which brings in SKOS vocabularies from other locations).
  • The API comprises Linked Open Data-wise access: Representations of data objects in an Open SKOS repository are available in several different formats, for instance in RDF, json en html.
  • Via an interactive Dashboard application, which enables you to set up uploads and/or harvesting.
  • Via an interactive Editor application (build by Picturae commissioned by Beeld en Geluid) you can manage your vocabularies directly in OpenSKOS.

Publish your own thesauri in OpenSKOS
There are several options to publish your own vocabulary:

  • Contact an agency which uses the OpenSKOS software. Ask for an user account and upload versions of your SKOS vocabulary. Look below for a list of OpenSKOS agencies.
  • Offer your SKOS vocabulary using the OAI-PMH protocol, make sure the updates of yout vocabulary will be periodically harvested by a OpenSKOS agency. The National Library uses this method.
  • Arrange with an OpenSKOS provider to host an OpenSKOS instance for you. (Sound and Vision offers her GTAA thesaurus this way, Picturae is the hosting party.)
  • Download the OpenSKOS source code and  the installation/configuration instructions form GitHub, and publish your vocabulary via your own OpenSKOS instance (CLARIN-NL and CLARIN-EU use this method).

Convert your thesauri to SKOS
You will have to convert your vocabulary to SKOS yourself. For more information on SKOS, please visit website bij W3C.

OpenSKOS agencies
- Picturae (Mark Lindeman)
- Sound and Vision as an ow instance hosted by Picturae
- Meertens Instituut will soon host an instance for CLARIN(-NL) in the context of the CLAVAS project (Hennie Brugman)

About six vocabularies are currently published via OpenSKOS.

CATCH

CATCHPlus builds on the running programme "Continuous Access To Cultural Heritage" (CATCH), ran by N.W.O. (The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research). In CATCH, computer scientists, the humanities and the cultural heritage sector have set up a unique collaboration with collection managing institutions. Innovation, transferability and cooperation are central issues in this project.

CATCH started in 2004 and a number of subprojects has finished. In CATCHPlus, the prototypes and demos fro eight of the finished projects will be converted to reliable tools. Software that is solid and can be used in multiple institutions. From prototype to reliable application!

For more information on CATCH, go to the NWO homepage: www.nwo.nl/catch