Vocabularies#
This section provides information about the controlled vocabularies used in the project.
SeaDataNet Keyword Hierarchy#
The SeaDataNet keyword hierarchy is a controlled vocabulary used for categorizing oceanographic data. It consists of P08 categories (broader domain concepts) and P03 keywords (more specific parameter groups) that help standardize data descriptions across different datasets.
About SeaDataNet and BODC Vocabularies#
The keyword hierarchy is part of the SeaDataNet vocabulary framework, with the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) serving as the register manager. BODC, which is part of the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, develops and maintains these controlled vocabularies that have become international standards for marine data management. These vocabularies are designed to:
Facilitate accurate and consistent data description
Enable interoperability between different marine data systems
Support data discovery across multiple repositories
Ensure long-term understanding of archived data
The SeaDataNet vocabularies are published as Linked Data through the NERC Vocabulary Server (NVS) and are widely used by the international oceanographic community, including major initiatives like EMODnet and the Ocean Data Interoperability Platform.
In our project, we specifically use:
P08 vocabulary (https://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P08/current/): Defines broad scientific domains for parameter usage
P03 vocabulary (https://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P03/current/): Provides more specific parameter groups for discovery
A04 vocabulary (https://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/A04/current/): Includes the Hydrology domain field for inland water measurements
P02 vocabulary (https://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P02/current/): Contains hydrological topic categories linked through Hydrography
These standardized vocabularies allow us to classify and describe our oceanographic measurements in a way that aligns with international best practices and ensures interoperability with other marine data systems.
The interactive visualization below allows you to explore the full P08-P03 keyword hierarchy: You can explore the keywords and the hierchy below, and use this information to find the fitting keywords to your data.