EN ISO 19146:2018
(Main)Geographic information - Cross-domain vocabularies (ISO 19146:2018)
Geographic information - Cross-domain vocabularies (ISO 19146:2018)
This document establishes a methodology for cross-mapping vocabularies. It also specifies an implementation of ISO 19135-1:2015 for the purpose of registering cross-mapped vocabulary entries.
Methodologies for the development of ontologies and taxonomies that relate to geographic information and geomatics are not within the scope of this document.
Geoinformation - Themenübergreifendes Vokabular (ISO 19146:2018)
Information géographique - Vocabulaires interdomaines (ISO 19146:2018)
Le présent document établit une méthodologie de mise en correspondance des vocabulaires. Il spécifie également une mise en place de l'ISO 19135‑1:2015 pour l'enregistrement d'entrées de vocabulaire mises en correspondance.
Les méthodologies de développement des ontologies et taxonomies liées aux informations géographiques et à la géomatique n'entrent pas dans le domaine d'application du présent document.
Geografske informacije - Interdisciplinarni slovarji (ISO 19146:2018)
Ta dokument določa metodologijo navzkrižne preslikave slovarjev. Določa tudi izvajanje standarda ISO 19135-1:2015 za namene registracije navzkrižno preslikanih slovarskih vnosov. Metodologije za pripravo ontologij in taksonomij, ki se nanašajo na geografske informacije in geomatiko, ne spadajo na področje uporabe tega dokumenta.
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2018
1DGRPHãþD
SIST EN ISO 19146:2010
Geografske informacije - Interdisciplinarni slovarji (ISO 19146:2018)
Geographic information - Cross-domain vocabularies (ISO 19146:2018)
Geoinformation - Themenübergreifendes Vokabular (ISO 19146:2018)
Information géographique - Vocabulaires interdomaines (ISO 19146:2018)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 19146:2018
ICS:
07.040 Astronomija. Geodezija. Astronomy. Geodesy.
Geografija Geography
35.240.70 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in science
znanosti
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EN ISO 19146
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
June 2018
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 35.240.70 Supersedes EN ISO 19146:2010
English Version
Geographic information - Cross-domain vocabularies (ISO
19146:2018)
Information géographique - Vocabulaires Geoinformation - Themenübergreifendes Vokabular
interdomaines (ISO 19146:2018) (ISO 19146:2018)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 12 June 2018.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2018 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 19146:2018 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
European foreword
This document (EN ISO 19146:2018) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 211
"Geographic information/Geomatics" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 287
“Geographic Information” the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by December 2018, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by December 2018.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 19146:2010.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 19146:2018 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 19146:2018 without any modification.
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 19146
Second edition
2018-06
Geographic information — Cross-
domain vocabularies
Information géographique — Vocabulaires interdomaines
Reference number
ISO 19146:2018(E)
©
ISO 2018
ISO 19146:2018(E)
© ISO 2018
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
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Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
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Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
ISO 19146:2018(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 1
4 Conformance . 6
4.1 Conformance class overview . 6
4.2 Vocabulary cross-mapping methodology conformance class . 7
4.3 Vocabulary cross-map registers conformance class . 7
5 Principles for cross-mapping of vocabularies . 7
6 Vocabulary cross-mapping methodology . 9
6.1 Introduction . 9
6.2 Governance framework stage . 9
6.3 Reference vocabulary stage .10
6.4 Cross-mapping stage .11
6.4.1 Overview .11
6.4.2 Identification of candidate vocabulary entries .11
6.4.3 Term comparison .11
6.4.4 Domain specification .12
6.4.5 Concept comparison .13
6.5 Documentation and publication stage .13
7 Cross-map register .13
7.1 Overview .13
7.2 Register management .14
7.2.1 Register stakeholder general requirements .14
7.2.2 Register owner .14
7.2.3 Register manager .14
7.2.4 Submitting organizations or communities .14
7.2.5 Management of registers .15
7.3 Register schema .15
7.3.1 Introduction .15
7.3.2 Packages .15
7.3.3 Vocabulary cross-map register schema .15
7.3.4 CrossMapRegister class.16
7.3.5 CrossMapRegisterItem class .20
7.3.6 ReferenceVocabularyEntry class .26
7.3.7 OperatingVocabularyEntry class .28
7.3.8 CrossMapAddition class .29
7.3.9 CrossMapAmendment class .32
7.3.10 CrossMapClarification class .32
7.3.11 CrossMapSubregisterDescription class .33
7.3.12 TermRelationship enumeration .36
7.3.13 ConceptRelationship enumeration .37
Annex A (normative) Abstract test suite .38
Annex B (informative) Terminology and domains .41
Annex C (informative) Cross-mapping examples.45
Annex D (informative) Backward compatibility .51
Bibliography .58
ISO 19146:2018(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 211, Geographic information/Geomatics.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition of ISO 19146:2010 which has been technically
revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— the principles for the cross-mapping of vocabularies have been revised;
— the vocabulary cross-mapping methodology has been reformatted into requirements and
conformance classes;
— the conceptual schema has been revised to harmonize with other ISO/TC 211 standards;
— the conceptual schema has been expanded to include the package Term Cross Map which specifies
the classes for registering and managing terminological entries and their cross-mapping.
iv © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
ISO 19146:2018(E)
Introduction
The development of information products frequently requires the acquisition and combination of
multiple datasets from different data suppliers. The manner in which the data is combined depends on
the nature of the business need under consideration and may vary from the simple assembly of thematic
representations through to sophisticated integration, analysis and rendering. In every case, the data
suppliers and processors need to share a common understanding of the data's characteristics to ensure
their appropriate interpretation and use. The more complex or automated the processing becomes, the
more necessary it is for this understanding to be unambiguous.
A challenge that arises when combining disparate datasets stems from differing terminology
conventions adopted by the contributing suppliers. Frequently, a dataset will originate from a
community of professionals that provide support to a particular industry (for example, road transport).
The terminology used to describe the content, relationships and behaviour of the data reflects the
industry's alignment of concepts with its specialist culture, conventions and practices. A particular
concept, therefore, may be identified by different terms depending on the industry context in which it
is used.
The capacity to combine data that have been sourced from different professional communities is
dependent upon a common comprehension of the terms and concepts used to describe the business
meaning of the data. The availability of cross-mapping that reconciles the semantic differences between
the communities' vocabularies is therefore required.
This document establishes a methodology for cross-mapping between vocabularies. It is principally
intended for use by geospatial communities but may have wider application.
It is not the objective of this document to define an ontology or taxonomy; its purpose is to provide rules
for ensuring consistency when implementing cross-mapping processes. The rules, however, have been
developed with regard to taxonomic and ontological concepts and with a view to enabling semantic
interoperability. Their application to vocabulary cross-mapping, therefore, can be expected to provide
input to any future ontology or taxonomy initiatives.
This document applies the provisions of ISO 19135-1:2015 to the registration of geospatial concepts. It
also adopts terms and concepts that are taken from UML and terminology theory and practice.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 19146:2018(E)
Geographic information — Cross-domain vocabularies
1 Scope
This document establishes a methodology for cross-mapping vocabularies. It also specifies an
implementation of ISO 19135-1:2015 for the purpose of registering cross-mapped vocabulary entries.
Methodologies for the development of ontologies and taxonomies that relate to geographic information
and geomatics are not within the scope of this document.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 19103:2015, Geographic information — Conceptual schema language
ISO 19104:2016, Geographic information — Terminology
ISO 19115-1:2014, Geographic information — Metadata — Part 1: Fundamentals
ISO 19135-1:2015, Geographic information — Procedures for item registration — Part 1: Fundamentals
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http: //www .iso .org/obp
3.1.1
associative concept system
concept system (3.1.5) based on associative relations (3.1.2)
3.1.2
associative relation
pragmatic relation
relation between two concepts (3.1.4) having a non-hierarchical thematic connection by virtue of
experience
Note 1 to entry: An associative relation exists between the concepts 'education' and 'teaching', 'baking' and 'oven'.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.23]
3.1.3
characteristic
abstraction of a property of an object or of a set of objects
Note 1 to entry: Characteristics are used for describing concepts (3.1.4).
ISO 19146:2018(E)
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.4]
3.1.4
concept
unit of knowledge created by a unique combination of characteristics (3.1.3)
Note 1 to entry: Concepts are not necessarily bound to particular languages. They are, however, influenced by
the social or cultural background which often leads to different categorizations.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.1]
3.1.5
concept system
system of concepts
set of concepts (3.1.4) structured according to the relations among them
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.11]
3.1.6
cross-map entry
part of a cross-mapping (3.1.8) data collection which documents the cross-mapped relationships
between two concepts (3.1.4)
3.1.7
cross-map register
register of cross-map entries (3.1.6)
Note 1 to entry: A cross-map register may be realized as a subregister in a hierarchical register. In such cases, the
term (3.1.28) "cross-map subregister" may be used.
3.1.8
cross-mapping
comparison of terminological entries (3.1.31) from different domains (3.1.12) to determine their
semantic relationship
3.1.9
definition
representation of a concept (3.1.4) by a descriptive statement which serves to differentiate it from
related concepts
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.3.1]
3.1.10
delimiting characteristic
essential characteristic (3.1.14) used for distinguishing a concept (3.1.4) from related concepts
Note 1 to entry: The delimiting characteristic support for the back may be used for distinguishing the concepts
‘stool’ and ‘chair’.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.7]
3.1.11
designation
designator
representation of a concept (3.1.4) by a sign which denotes it
Note 1 to entry: In terminology work three types of designations are distinguished: symbols, appellations and
terms (3.1.28).
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.1]
2 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
ISO 19146:2018(E)
3.1.12
domain
distinct area of human knowledge to which a terminological entry (3.1.31) is
assigned
Note 1 to entry: Within a database or other terminology collection, a set of domains will generally be defined.
More than one domain can be associated with a given concept (3.1.4).
[SOURCE: ISO 19104:2016, 4.11]
3.1.13
domain concept
concept (3.1.4) that is associated with a specific domain (3.1.12)
Note 1 to entry: A concept may be associated with several domains and separately identified as a domain concept
in relation to each.
3.1.14
essential characteristic
characteristic (3.1.3) which is indispensable to understanding a concept (3.1.4)
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.6]
3.1.15
general concept
concept (3.1.4) which corresponds to two or more objects which form a group by reason of common
properties
Note 1 to entry: Examples of general concepts are ‘planet’, ’tower’.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.3]
3.1.16
generic concept
concept (3.1.4) in a generic relation (3.1.18) having the narrower intension (3.1.20)
Note 1 to entry: In this context, a narrower intension means fewer characteristics (3.1.3), resulting in a concept
definition (3.1.9) with a broader scope.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.15, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.1.17
generic concept system
concept system (3.1.5) in which concepts (3.1.4) that belong to the category of the subordinate concept
(3.1.25) are part of the extension of the superordinate concept (3.1.26)
3.1.18
generic relation
genus-species relation
relation between two concepts (3.1.4) where the intension (3.1.20) of one of the concepts includes that of
the other concept and at least one additional delimiting characteristic (3.1.10)
Note 1 to entry: A generic relation exists between the concepts ‘word’ and ‘pronoun’, ‘vehicle’ and ‘car’, ‘person’
and ‘child’.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.21]
3.1.19
homonymy
relation between designations (3.1.11) and concepts (3.1.4) in a given language in which one designation
represents two or more unrelated concepts
Note 1 to entry: An example of homonymy is:
ISO 19146:2018(E)
— bark;
— ‘sound made by a dog’;
— ‘outside covering of the stem of woody plants’;
— ‘sailing vessel’.
Note 2 to entry: The designations in the relation of homonymy are called homonyms.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.25]
3.1.20
intension
set of characteristics (3.1.3) which makes up the concept (3.1.4)
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.9]
3.1.21
monosemy
relation between designations (3.1.11) and concepts (3.1.4) in a given language in which one designation
only relates to one concept
Note 1 to entry: The designations in the relation of monosemy are called monosemes.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.23]
3.1.22
operating vocabulary
vocabulary (3.1.32) that is not a reference vocabulary (3.1.24)
3.1.23
polysemy
relation between designations (3.1.11) and concepts (3.1.4) in a given language in which one designation
represents two or more concepts sharing certain characteristics (3.1.3)
Note 1 to entry: An example of polysemy is:
— bridge;
— ‘structure to carry traffic over a gap’;
— ‘part of a string instrument’;
— ‘dental plate’.
Note 2 to entry: The designations in the relation of polysemy are called polysemes.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.24]
3.1.24
reference vocabulary
vocabulary (3.1.32) that is the basis for terminological comparisons with one or more other vocabularies
3.1.25
subordinate concept
narrower concept
concept (3.1.4) which is either a specific concept or a partitive concept
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.14]
4 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
ISO 19146:2018(E)
3.1.26
superordinate concept
broader concept
concept (3.1.4) which is either a generic concept (3.1.16) or a comprehensive concept
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.2.13]
3.1.27
synonymy
relation between or among terms (3.1.28) in a given language representing the same concept (3.1.4)
Note 1 to entry: The relation of synonymy exists, for example, between deuterium and heavy hydrogen.
Note 2 to entry: Terms which are interchangeable in all contexts are called synonyms; if they are interchangeable
only in some contexts, they are called quasi-synonyms.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.19]
3.1.28
term
verbal designation (3.1.11) of a general concept (3.1.15) in a specific subject field
Note 1 to entry: A term may contain symbols and can have variants, e.g. different forms of spelling.
Note 2 to entry: In this document, a verbal designation is always a written designation.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.4.3]
3.1.29
terminological data
data related to concepts (3.1.4) or their designations (3.1.11)
Note 1 to entry: The more common terminological data include entry term (3.1.28), definition (3.1.9), note,
grammatical label, subject label, language identifier, country identifier and source identifier.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.8.1]
3.1.30
terminological dictionary
technical dictionary
collection of terminological entries (3.1.31) presenting information related to concepts (3.1.4) or
designations (3.1.11) from one or more specific subject fields
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.7.1]
3.1.31
terminological entry
part of a terminological data (3.1.29) collection (ISO 10241-1:2011, 3.1.2) which contains the
terminological data related to one concept (3.1.4)
Note 1 to entry: A terminological entry prepared in accordance with the principles and methods given in ISO 704
follows the same structural principles whether it is monolingual or multi-lingual.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.8.2, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.1.32
vocabulary
terminological dictionary (3.1.30) which contains designations (3.1.11) and definitions (3.1.9) from one
or more specific subject fields
Note 1 to entry: The vocabulary may be monolingual, bilingual or multilingual.
[SOURCE: ISO 1087-1:2000, 3.7.2]
ISO 19146:2018(E)
3.2 Abbreviated terms
The following abbreviated terms are used in this document.
LBS Location-based services
UML Unified Modeling Language
3.3 Conceptual schema notation
The conceptual schema specified by this document is described using the Unified Modeling
Language (UML) and follows the profile specified by ISO 19103:2015 Geographic information —
Conceptual schema language.
Several model elements used in this document are defined in packages specified in other International
Standards; these are listed in Table 1.
Table 1 — UML package identifiers
Prefix Package
CI Citation [ISO 19115-1:2014]
RE Register [ISO 19135-1:2015]
TR Terminology Register [ISO 19146:2010]
In earlier versions of ISO/TC 211 standards, the names of UML classes (with the exception of basic data
type classes) included a two-letter prefix that identified both the standard and the UML package in
which the class was specified. In newer versions of ISO/TC 211 standards, this convention is no longer
applied. The two letter prefixes specified for classes adopted from earlier International Standards are
continued in this document. Classes and packages new to this document do not use a prefix.
In accordance with the guidance of ISO 19103, all data element names are presented as character
strings which combine multiple lower-case words as needed to form precise and understandable names
without using any intervening characters (such as “_”, “-“, or space). For attributes and operation names,
association roles, and parameters, capitalization is applied to the first letter of each word after the first
word. For package, class, type-specification, and association names, capitalization is also applied to the
first letter of the first word.
This document has a normative reference (and conformance class dependency) to ISO 19103, ISO 19104,
ISO 19115-1 and ISO 19135-1. The result of this is that all classes (except enumerations and codelists)
are stereotyped <>.
4 Conformance
4.1 Conformance class overview
This document defines conformance classes for:
— Vocabulary cross-mapping methodology;
— Vocabulary cross-map registers.
To conform to this document:
— a vocabulary cross-mapping methodology shall satisfy all of the requirements in Table 2 with the
corresponding abstract test suite given in A.1;
— a vocabulary cross-map register shall satisfy all of the requirements in Table 3 with the corresponding
abstract test suite given in A.2 and ISO 19135-1:2015, A.1, A.2 and A.3.
6 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
ISO 19146:2018(E)
4.2 Vocabulary cross-mapping methodology conformance class
Table 2 defines the characteristics of the conformance class for the vocabulary cross-mapping
methodology.
Table 2 — Vocabulary cross-mapping methodology conformance class
Conformance class identifier vocabulary cross-mapping methodology
.iso .org/iso/19146/conf/cmm>
Standardization target vocabulary cross-mapping
Dependency ISO 19104:2016
Requirements All requirements in Clause 6.
Tests All tests in A.1.
4.3 Vocabulary cross-map registers conformance class
Table 3 defines the characteristics of the conformance class for vocabulary cross-map registers.
Table 3 — Vocabulary cross-map register conformance class
Conformance class identifier vocabulary cross-map register
.org/iso/19146/conf/cmr>
Standardization target vocabulary cross-map
Dependency ISO 19103:2015
ISO 19104:2016
ISO 19115-1:2014
ISO 19135-1:2015
Requirements All requirements in Clause 7.
Tests All tests in A.2.
All tests in ISO 19135-1:2015, A.1, A.2 and A.3.
5 Principles for cross-mapping of vocabularies
A vocabulary is the medium through which a national, ethnic or occupational community of interest
formalizes and communicates its adopted language. It is an important resource for all who seek
an understanding of the community's cultures and practices. The terms and definitions identify the
concepts that characterize the community's philosophies, technologies and activities. Its structure and
supporting information identify the relationships between the concepts and the context in which they
are to be used.
Vocabulary cross-mapping is the medium through which two or more communities of interest formalize
and communicate the relationships between their languages. It is also the mechanism through which
the terminologies of different communities can be integrated, harmonized and rationalized. While
ostensibly a process of comparing terms and definitions, its outcome is highly dependent on the level of
cultural understanding that exists between the participating communities. The active involvement of
all is required to resolve semantic differences and achieve a common understanding of concepts.
Vocabulary cross-mapping is an integral part of the broader standardization agenda. It should, therefore,
be implemented in a manner that complements other standardization practices while respecting and
reconciling the cultures, processes and viewpoints of the participating communities. The following
ISO 19146:2018(E)
overarching principles (which have equal importance) support this expectation. It is recommended
that they be observed during any cross-mapping initiative.
— Cross-mapping should proceed as a collaborative venture.
The active participation of all communities is required to reconcile differing semantics and achieve
a common understanding of concepts. A community should not cross-map its vocabulary to that of
another community without collaborating with that community.
— Cross-mapping should take place in an open and transparent environment.
All deliberations should take place in an open environment and should be communicated to all
participating communities. Each participating community should have unrestricted access to
the vocabularies of the other communities. If communities have published their vocabularies in
different languages (for example, one community has published in English and another in French),
translations of each should be provided in all relevant languages, accompanied by information
regarding degree of correspondence (ISO 19104:2016, 8.4.3).
— The authority of each community in relation to its vocabulary should be acknowledged.
Each participating community should be acknowledged as the ultimate authority regarding the
correct use and interpretation of its terms and definitions. Terms and conventions applied by each
community should be respected.
— A stable reference vocabulary, published in a specified reference language, should be adopted for all
cross-mapping undertakings involving a particular discipline.
A reference vocabulary is necessary to provide consistency when multiple cross-mapping initiatives
are to be undertaken over a period of time. The reference vocabulary may segment or partition its
contents and may include terms and definitions from external sources. A reference vocabulary that
replicates terminological entries from recognized industry or International Standards should be
used if possible.
In the case of geographic information, the reference vocabulary should be the English terms and
definitions included in the ISO 19100 series of standards and published on the ISO Online Browsing
Platform (https: //www .iso .org/obp/ui/).
— Cross-mapping should not circumvent established processes.
Cross-mapping should not be used to circumvent the established processes of the individual
collaborating communities. For example, it should not directly deprecate terms, nor should it
nominate new terms and definitions to address perceived gaps in a concept system. However, it may
trigger other processes within the collaborating communities to deprecate terms or to improve
concept system structures.
— Terminology should be consolidated rather than proliferated.
The purpose of vocabulary cross-mapping is to standardize the association of specific terms
with specific concepts. It should not be used as a mechanism for permanently entrenching
unnecessary duplication in terminology conventions. The cross-mapping process may facilitate
the rationalization of terminology by identifying synonyms for deprecation. Ultimately, the cross-
mapping process should lead to the consistent application of terms and definitions.
— Cross-mapping should be recognized through publication in a register.
The cross-mapping should be readily accessible to all user groups if the objective of rationalizing
terminology is to be achieved. An authoritative public register should formally report the outcome
of a cross-mapping initiative.
8 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved
ISO 19146:2018(E)
— Vocabulary cross-mapping should lead to an expanded knowledge base.
Vocabulary cross-mapping should relate vocabularies that are maintained in various types of
knowledge base such as thesaurus, taxonomy and ontology, integrating established domain-based
concepts and content into an expanded knowledge base.
— Cross-mapping should accommodate continuous change.
Vocabularies, including reference vocabularies, will evolve over time in response to technology and
business process development. The cross-mapping of concepts should be periodically reviewed to
identify and accommodate any changes.
6 Vocabulary cross-mapping methodology
6.1 Introduction
The vocabulary cross-mapping methodology specified in this document comprises four stages, being:
— the governance framework stage – in which the working relationship between the participating
communities (vocabulary owners) is formalized;
— the reference vocabulary stage – in which the participating communities select a reference
vocabulary for the cross-mapping initiative;
— the cross-mapping stage – in which the term and concept relationships between cross-mapped
terminological entries are classified;
— the registration and publication stage – in which an authoritative repository for cross-mapping
outcomes is provided.
6.2 Governance framework stage
The governance framework stage establishes a governance regime to
— facilitate the smooth progression of the cross-mapping initiative, and
— legitimize the initiative's outcomes to the members of the participating communities of interest.
The governance framework is jointly developed by the participating communities and is the subject of a
formal agreement based on a mutual understanding.
Requirement 1. The participating communities shall co-sponsor any initiative to cross-map their
vocabularies. The co-sponsors shall establish an open and transparent governance regime to provide
oversight of the project. The governance regime shall be incorporated in a formal agreement between
the participating communities.
The formal agreement identifies the roles and processes to be implemented during the initiative. It may
also include information regarding resources, schedules and publication arrangements.
Requirement 2. The formal agreement shall specify:
— the establishment and membership of a steering committee;
— the establishment, membership and reporting obligations of a project team;
— the dispute resolution process;
— the publication arrangements for the completed cross-mapping;
— the ownership of any existing registers and sub-registers utilized during the process;
— the ownership of any new registers and sub-registers established during the process.
ISO 19146:2018(E)
The following should be noted.
— The steering committee should ensure that the cross-mapping project is undertaken in accordance
with the principles described in Clause 5 of this document.
— The composition and operation of the project team should be determined by the participating
communities. In instances where one or more of the communities is an open community, the project
team may include all members of that community working through social media.
— The project team's role is to collectively consider the cross-mapping of terms and concepts. During
the process, it may identify opportunities to improve a vocabulary’s structure or content. The
project team should not be empowered to change the content of any vocabulary (unless this is
specifically allowed by the affected community). However, it may provide recommendations to the
participating communities regarding additions, amendments or retirements from their respective
vocabularies.
— In the event that the project team cannot agree on a cross-mapping issue, the issue should be
escalated to the steering committee. Members of the steering committee should consult with their
communities and subsequently jointly consider the respective positions. If consensus cannot be
agreed, then the issue should be recorded as an unresolved conflict.
— The project team should prepare a draft document for the steering committee. The draft should
identify instances where cross-mapping has been achieved and the nature of the relationships
identified. It should also identify instances where additions or amendments to the vocabularies
should be considered. The steering committee members should circulate the draft within their
communities, seeking comments. The comments should be provided to the project team. The project
team should consider the comments and amend the cross-mapping and draft as appropriate.
— Requirements regarding the documentation and publication of cross-mapping outcomes are
specified in 6.5. The project team should submit the final cross-mapping documentation to the
steering committee for consideration. Each participating community should seek endorsement for
the document's proposals through its normal balloting or approval arrangements. The proposals
and outcomes should not be formally adopted until endorsed by all participating communities.
6.3 Reference vocabulary stage
The reference vocabulary stage identifies the reference and operating vocabularies that are to be
utilized during the cross-mapping process.
A reference vocabulary shall be selected by each of the participating communities before cross-mapping
can begin (see Requirement 3). There are two options, being:
— Agreement by all participants to recognise a single reference vocabulary (for example, a nominated
community vocabulary or a vocabulary published by an ISO Technical Committee);
— Each participant adopting its community voca
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