Controlled Vocabulary

Controlled vocabularies are standardized and organized arrangements of words and phrases that provide a consistent way to describe data. They provide concise and consistent language, allowing easier search and retrieval.

Examples

• Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)
• Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN)
• Getty Union List of Artist Names (ULAN)
• Homosaurus
• Library of Congress Name Authority File (NAF)
• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
• Nomenclature
• Virtual International Authority File (VIAF)

Further Resources

• Controlled Vocabulary (Wikipedia)
• Harping (2010) “What Are Controlled Vocabularies?”
• Library and Archives Canada (2018) “Controlled Vocabularies”