Helen Lippell - Taxonomies: Practical Approaches to Developing and Managing Vocabularies for Digital Information

Praise for Taxonomies: Practical Approaches to Developing and Managing Vocabularies for Digital Information

Helen Lippells new book is a treasure trove of taxonomy practical best practices for any digital transformation initiative. Spanning a variety of use cases and industry applications of taxonomy, there are many nuggets to get you started on your taxonomy program, from business use cases, to taxonomy development and management, and integration into the user experience. Her book pulls from a wide variety of industry experts who have preserved their wisdom in these pragmatic case studies, real stories from the frontline. Many of the scenarios definitely resonated with me in my own experiences in information architecture and taxonomy development. I also appreciated the wealth of tips and tools provided, so be sure to also peruse the appendix for jumpstarting your taxonomy development work.

Madonnalisa Chan, Product Management Director Content and Taxonomy Services, Salesforce, USA

Helen has done a brilliant job (as youd expect) curating a wonderfully written, informative and useful set of essays on how to make better decisions to structure your taxonomies.

Her enthusiasm for the subject is palpable from page one. Whether youre starting out in your career, have embarked on a major project, or want to refresh your ontological knowledge, this book will help you organise your thoughts and your content. I can see myself using this as a point of reference for many years to come.

Lisa Riemers, Content and Digital Strategist, Lisa Riemers Ltd, UK

There is something in this book for everyone, from the novice taxonomist to the experienced consultant. Particularly useful are the sections dealing with identifying the benefits and getting buy-in from senior management, always tricky subjects, but very clearly discussed here. Another welcome aspect is the emphasis on understanding and working with your users to make sure your taxonomy is actually fit for purpose.

Judi Vernau, Information Architect, Metataxis, New Zealand

Bringing together this collection of contributions on a wide range of taxonomy-related issues from highly experienced practitioners into a seamless and authoritative book is a major achievement by Helen Lippell. The diversity of approaches to taxonomy strategy, development, implementation and management will be of immense value both to organisations that are starting to appreciate the value of metadata and taxonomies and also to those who have started on a taxonomy journey and are looking for inspiration and advice on how to maximise the return on their investment.

Martin White, Managing Director, Intranet Focus Ltd, UK and Visiting Professor, Information School, University of Sheffield, UK

All the meticulously edited chapters in this book will become your default reference when you are trying to explain why taxonomies are becoming so essential in this ever-changing digital content transformation landscape that we are currently living in. The case studies and the knowledge shared by these taxonomy practitioners will guide and inspire your information architecture, content management or any metadata related taxonomy project you might be developing right now. So many good references and best practices that I guarantee you will be re-reading the chapters more than once. I highly recommend it!

Leslie Santibanez, Information Architect, DataElix, Inc., Canada

Excellent and comprehensive book to start off your taxonomy project, but also to review a project that is ongoing. With a practical approach and plenty of examples, the book helps ensure all bases are covered, from buying-in to design to execution.

Personally, I found the indications on building a successful business case extremely useful and insightful since it guides you to consider all the important elements providing tips and practical ideas. It made me rethink my initial approach to the benefits of my own taxonomy project.

Rich with practical examples, the book provided suggestions for metrics, which helped to frame the project and monitor its developments essential to demonstrate its value over time.

Despite not being a textbook, it is an extremely comprehensive work covering all aspects of taxonomies, from the project initiation to the actual design of the taxonomy, to all possible applications and its governance. The chapter on interoperability and the wider metadata ecosystem was particularly insightful and contributed to place the taxonomy project in the right context, while reading about corporate search engines also helped me to critically assess the project I am working on and to complement my initial knowledge.

Insightful and practical, the book guides the reader throughout the whole journey of a taxonomy project, helping to reflect critically on all the aspects that need to be considered from the start. Upon reading, you will feel that you will have considered all the elements and chosen the right approach tailored to your specific case.

Ivan Donadello, Information Management Officer, European External Action Service (EEAS), Belgium

Taxonomies

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Taxonomies

Practical Approaches to Developing
and Managing Vocabularies for Digital
Information

Edited by

Helen Lippell

This compilation: Helen Lippell 2022

The chapters: The contributors 2022

Published by Facet Publishing

7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE

www.facetpublishing.co.uk

Facet Publishing is wholly owned by CILIP: the Library and Information Association.

The editor and authors of the individual chapters assert their moral right to be identified as such in accordance with the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Except as otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, with the prior permission of the publisher, or, in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of a licence issued by The Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to Facet Publishing, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE.

Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright material reproduced in this text, and thanks are due to them for permission to reproduce the material indicated. If there are any queries please contact the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-78330-481-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-78330-482-0 (hardback)

ISBN 978-1-78330-483-7 (PDF)

ISBN 978-1-78330-525-4 (EPUB)

First published 2022

Text printed on FSC accredited material.

Typeset from contributors files in 10.5/13pt University Old Style and Myriad Pro by Flagholme Publishing Services.

Printed and made in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY.

For Simon Turmaine and Liz Marley
I miss your wisdom, generosity and friendship

Contents

Figures and Tables