8th European Networked Knowledge Organization Systems (NKOS) Workshop
October 1 2009, Corfu, Greece

Read the workshop on Dlib Magazine here.

Programme:

Important Dates:

• Deadline for submission of papers: June 23, 2009
• Notification of paper acceptance: July 3, 2009
• Early registration deadline: July 31, 2009

Workshop Info:

The 8th NKOS workshop at ECDL explores the potential of Knowledge Organization Systems, such as classification systems, taxonomies, thesauri, ontologies, and lexical databases. These tools attempt to model the underlying semantic structure of a domain for purposes of information retrieval, knowledge discovery, language engineering, and the semantic web. The workshop provides an opportunity to report and discuss projects, research, and development related to Networked Knowledge Organization Systems/Services in next-generation digital libraries.

Modern digital information systems afford more options for mapping and presenting alternative orders of information than traditional physical libraries. The digital environment offers more possibilities of relating information and knowledge structures from different interests and discourses. Thus, the challenge is as much intellectual as technical when we want to develop and map knowledge organization systems that are useful and meaningful for the end-users operating in complex, interdisciplinary knowledge domains.

The workshop would address the general themes presented below, although the workshop is not limited to the predefined topics and remains open to other issues emerging from presentation proposals. Two important new themes for this workshop are Linked Data and KOS development methods. The workshop this year also invites proposals for posters.

• Linked data on the Web. How can KOS contribute to move towards the linked data applications? What are the next steps for SKOS-based tools? What kinds of KOS-based services are needed to take advantage of linked data?
• Models and methodologies for creation and development of KOS, its vocabulary and relations, and connected services. How to structure the development process? What variables to study about the information content, information environment and context, and future users? What methods to apply to capture the needed domain knowledge? How can Web 2.0 methods, including trust networks, co-references, distribution etc. influence and contribute to KOS construction?
• Social tagging. What is the role of social tagging and informal knowledge structures versus established KOS? (How) can tagging be guided and informed by KOS?
• KOS Interoperability. Intellectual and automatic methods for vocabulary mapping on concept as well as term level. Cross-browsing and cross-searching between distributed KOS services. Cross-media retrieval and KOS.
• Terminology services. What is the range of services that a terminology registry might offer and what role can it play as a shared infrastructure service?
• User-centred design issues. User-centred design strategies for KOS. How to develop understandable and thorough descriptions of concepts and terms? How to show and explain relationships?
• Semantic Web applications and implications of KOS, in particular SKOS- and OWL-based applications. How can KOS contribute to Semantic Web efforts and vice-versa?
• Economic and social issues in the context of KOS creation, maintenance and application. Feasibility of KOS development methods. Efficiency of KOS application in different contexts. Bias in KOS and consequent interoperability issues.

Workshop Format:

The workshop is planned to consist of an introduction, technical presentations, a poster session, and a concluding directed discussion.

Submission Instructions:

Proposals are invited for the following:

1. presentations (typically 20 minutes plus discussion time, potentially longer if the substance and importance warrant it) on work or projects related to the themes of the workshop (see above) or to NKOS more generally. The traditionally reflective style of the NKOS workshops allows time for discussion.
2. posters (first time in NKOS, as part of Session 5) on work or projects related to the themes of the workshop (see above) or to NKOS more generally, with time allowed for discussion.

Please email proposals (approximately 500 words for presentations and 200 words for posters, including aims, methods, main findings) by June 19th to Koraljka Golub (k.golub@ukoln.ac.uk). Advance indication that you intend to submit would be helpful. Proposals will be peer-reviewed by the program committee and notification of acceptance will be given by July 3rd. The early registration deadline for the conference and the workshop is July 31st.

Workshop Chairs:

Douglas Tudhope, University of Glamorgan, UK.
Koraljka Golub, UKOLN, UK.
Traugott Koch, Max Planck Digital Library, Germany
Marianne Lykke Nielsen, Royal School of Library and Information Science, Denmark.

Programme Committee:

Related webpages:

Workshop's External Site