Recent applications of Knowledge Organization Systems: introduction to a special issue

摘要

Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS), in the form of classification systems, thesauri, lexical databases, ontologies, gazetteers, and taxonomies, more than ever play a crucial role in digital information management and applications generally. Carrying semantics in a well-controlled and documented way, Knowledge Organization Systems serve a variety of important functions such as: tools for representation and indexing of information and documents, knowledge-based support to information searchers, semantic road maps to domains and disciplines, communication tools that provide a conceptual framework, and a conceptual underpinning for knowledge-based systems.