Measuring the Impact and Effectiveness of Transitioning to a Linked Data Vocabulary

Abstract

Language used to describe resources in an institutional repository may benefit from the consistency offered by a controlled vocabulary and an introduction into the larger linked data universe. Transitioning to a linked data vocabulary presents concerns regarding the effectiveness of mapping pre-existing terms and the potential for semantic loss. This paper describes such a transition to OCLC's FAST vocabulary in the University of Kansas institutional repository. It analyzes the outcomes of this transition and its subsequent impact on resource usage when exposed as linked data.