ISO 25964 “Thesauri and interoperability with other vocabularies” is the first thesaurus standard explicitly featuring a data model for monolingual and multilingual thesauri, recommendations for exchange formats and protocols and an XML schema. Part 1: “Thesauri for information retrieval”, officially numbered ISO/DIS 25964-1, has been released as a draft available for public comment until the end of February 2010 (the ballot will end March 26).

Clause 15 describes the data model underpinning a XML schema, presented both using UML (Fig. 15) and in tabular format. The full range of options described in the standard is accommodated. It models logically the underlying structure of thesaurus data, not necessarily representing the way data is held within a given computer system. The five main classes appearing are Thesaurus, ThesaurusConcept, ThesaurusTerm, ThesaurusArray and Note. How to see the text and to comment on it, has been described in an earlier blog message [1].

The XML schema for data exchange, derived from the data model, is included in the standard as an informative appendix (Annex B), and is available free of charge at [2]. The schema may be used for electronically transmitting a whole thesaurus or portions of a thesaurus. Everybody is invited to give feedback on the draft schema by advancing from that page to the comments page for the schema and clicking on the “Add a Comment” link there. In addition, a test XML document using the schema is available as well. All comments will be open for public viewing. Links to the schema are also provided at the ISO 25964 public project page [3].

One of the predecessors to the new thesaurus standard is BS 8723. A data model and XML schema developed in the context of this standard and documented in Part 5 of the standard (BS 8723-5), dealing with exchange formats and protocols for interoperability, is freely available for comparison at [4].

[1] http://metadaten-twr.org/2009/11/06/commenting-and-balloting-on-the-new-draft-international-thesaurus-standard-opened/
[2] http://www.niso.org/schemas/iso25964/
[3] http://www.niso.org/workrooms/iso25964/
[4] http://schemas.bs8723.org/Model.aspx

ISO/DIS 25964-1 (compare our news item at [1]) has recently been released by ISO TC46/SC 9, as a draft available for public comment, in English language only. It is available from ISO as pdf (5 MB) or paper version, both at a cost of 98 CHF [2].

Information and documentation. Thesauri and interoperability with other vocabularies, Part 1:
Thesauri for information retrieval
Revises: ISO 2788:1986. Revises: ISO 5964:1985
134 pages

From now on until 26 March 2010, the ISO balloting process will take place, inviting comments and voting through the national standards bodies.
The publication, commenting and balloting procedure is, however, different in every country.

UK
In the UK, the DIS will be available for anyone to purchase from BSI at 20 pounds. This may sound like a high price, but it is much less than the price at ISO or the one applied when the standard eventually is approved. BSI will soon also provide a tool for viewing the draft online and submitting comments, whether or not you live in the UK [3]. The BSI national committee will review all of the comments received before formulating a UK response to the DIS.

In some other countries, the DIS might only be submitted to the national TC 46/SC9 committee for comments and voting. For details, you will have to ask your national standards body.

Germany
Please find below the details regarding Germany, in German, received by DIN NABD:

Der Text wird den 21 Mitarbeitern des NABD 9 zugaenglich gemacht und nur die koennen direkt kommentieren bzw. am Balloting teilnehmen. Die Livelink Notification E-Mail zum Balloting, mit kostenlosem Zugang zum Text des DIS, wird zeitnah an die Mitarbeiter des NABD 9 versendet. Die Geschäftsstelle des NABD organisiert das deutsche Balloting über das Livelink System. Von dort erfolgt die Weitergabe des konsolidierten Ergebnisses an die ISO.

Wenn deutschen Kollegen Mitarbeiter der NABD bekannt sind, koennen sie Kommentare an diese Personen geben.
Kommentare, die als Blog Comments hier im TWR-Blog abgegeben oder mir als Email (traugott.koch@mpdl.mpg.de) zugeschickt werden, koennen von mir als Teil meiner konsolidierten Stellungnahme an die Geschaeftsstelle des NABD weitergereicht werden.

[1] http://metadaten-twr.org/2009/05/27/new-iso-thesaurus-standard-under-development/

[2] http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=53657

[3] http://drafts.bsigroup.com/