About VINE

VINE is a free, open source software tool for mapping between multiple controlled vocabulariesA managed list of terms. In the context of vocabularies, management typically includes careful selection of terms, maintenance of terms over time (i.e. addition, deprecation, modification), and presentation of the vocabulary in an accessible format. Related Guide. Mapping between controlled vocabularies in a given domain is essential to interoperabilityThe ability of two or more information systems to exchange metadata with minimal loss of information. Related Guide between different data systems in the domain. In other words, it's important to have a machine-readableIn the context of metadata, formatted in a way that is well defined and processable by the system's software and hardware. Metadata with this characteristic can be discovered, ingested, and presented by an electronic system (also known as 'computable'). Related Guide way for a search computer to understand how terms are related (for example, if one term is equivalent to, more general than, or narrower than another term).

How to Get VINE

VINE is available from SourceForge and as part of the MMI Ontology Registry and Repository

How to Use VINE

Before using VINE, it's necessary to identify, and obtain the controlled vocabularies in the domain of interest. The best way to acquire the appropriate vocabulary files is to contact experts in the domain of interest. The files can have any extensionAddition to a metadata standard that allows users to provide information in additional fields, or additional ways, that were not mentioned in the original standard. Related Guide, but must be in either RDFResource Description Framework or OWLWeb Ontology Language formats.

If you are dealing with files in other formats (text, relational data bases, Microsoft Excel), you will need to harmonizeIn the context of crosswalking, metadata schema of the source and the target standards are represented in the same syntax during harmonization. Related Guide them (bring them into RDF/OWL) before using VINE. A number of tools can accomplish this:

• Voc2RDF: online application and now integrated as part of the the MMI Ontology Registry and Repository
• Voc2OWL : Free and available on SourceForge

Once your vocabulary is in RDF, there are many tools available for working with, and visualizing, the information in your vocabulary; See MMI for a list of such tools.

About Vocabulary Mapping

Doing accurate mapping requires an in-depth knowledge of the meaning of the terms in each vocabulary. It is usually most efficient to gather a small group of domain experts, who are familiar with the controlled vocabularies, together for an in-person mapping session. In addition to the domain experts, the mapping team may also include a facilitator, recorder, tools specialist, ontology specialist, domain lead, and communication liaison. (See the Vocabulary Mapping Workshop Template)

In the mapping session:

1. Open VINE
2. Choose New File (this means a new mapping file)
3. Import the controlled vocabulary files
4. Begin mapping between individual terms in the vocabulary files. It may be helpful to choose one of the controlled vocabularies as a reference (or base) vocabulary to which to map other vocabularies. See Guide to the Mapping Process
5. Save this .owl mapping file (and/or choose to Export it into ASCIIAmerican Standard Code for Information Interchange format

References

MMI VINE description

Help in the VINE software

Template for Holding a Vocabulary Mapping Workshop, including the following two pages, in particular:

• VINE Guide and the
• Mapping Process Guide