What is LOV about?

Vocabularies we are about are the many dialects (RDFS and OWL ontologies) used in the growing linked data Web. Most popular ones form now a core of Semantic Web standards de jure (SKOS, Dublin Core, FRBR …) or de facto (FOAF, Event Ontology …). But many more are published and used. Not only linked data leverage a growing set of vocabularies, but vocabularies themselves rely more and more on each other through reusing, refining or extending, stating equivalences, declaring metadata.

LOV objective is to provide easy access methods to this ecosystem of vocabularies, and in particular by making explicit the ways they link to each other and providing metrics on how they are used in the linked data cloud, help to improve their understanding, visibility and usability, and overall quality.

Who needs LOV?

LOV targets both vocabulary users and vocabulary managers.

• ─ Vocabulary users are provided with a global view of available vocabularies, complete with precious metadata enabling them to select the best available vocabularies for describing their data, and assess the reliability of their publishers and publication process.
• ─ Vocabulary managers are provided with feedback on the usability of what they maintain and publish, common best practices their publication should stick to in order to keep being reliably usable in the long run.