Taxonomy & metadata development

What is taxonomy and metadata development? 

Taxonomy and metadata development are a collection of definitions. Metadata schemas, also referred to as data models, define the entities, attributes, and relationships within your information. Parts of the data model require pre-defined controlled vocabularies, such as pick lists and hierarchies that are needed for “tagging”. These controlled vocabularies are known as taxonomies and ontologies. A taxonomy is a structured collection of terms, whereas an ontology is a structured collection of terms where the concepts within the terms is made explicit.

Why you need taxonomy and metadata

Metadata schemas, taxonomies and ontologies are a crucial part of an information architecture, as they enable your information to be findable, manageable, and usable. Without metadata, efficient searching, browsing, categorising, of information is not possible. Without taxonomies and ontologies your metadata values will remain inconsistent, ambiguous, and disconnected.

New AI tools, despite the hype, cannot fully deliver accurate tagging. In addition, successful use of AI tools requires the definition of a context for their successful operation. This context mostly consists of an information architecture, and in particular a well-designed metadata schema with corresponding taxonomies and ontologies.

Our taxonomy and metadata development services
  • Domain model: a conceptual overview of all your information, no matter where it is
  • Metadata schemas: the entities, attributes, and definitions of your information 
  • Taxonomies: the set of values, typically hierarchical, that define the terms used by key metadata fields 
  • Ontologies: the set of values, typically hierarchical, that define the conceptual meaning of terms used by key metadata fields
  • Guidance: documentation to help you govern and manage your metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies
  • Tooling: options on software tools to manage your metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies
  • Implementation: implementation of software tools to manage your metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies
Key benefits
  • A metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies are part of a well-designed information architecture and will help you to sort through the background noise of too much information, reveal new connections and highlight opportunities to better exploit your information
  • Working with us will help you understand your information and give you the detail you need to structure your information to most effect

How we do it

Creation of a metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies require an understanding your organisation and the information that it currently holds and may want to hold. This understanding is achieved by the discovery and analysis of the content, technology, people, and business requirements within your organisation.

We review all relevant data sources such as system and database exports. We talk to key stakeholders on the information they use, how they use it, and what new information they would like to have access to. Gathering of information from stakeholders is via interviews, informal discussions and workshops as needed.

Why us?

Metataxis has helped many organisations develop effective metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies, in support of system design and implementation, but also to simply understand the information they hold.

As internationally recognised experts we are well positioned to help you put in place the necessary architecture to enable you to leverage your information. Crucially, we understand that a metadata schema, taxonomies, and ontologies must deliver value and we use our many years of practical experience to do just that.

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Improving records management with Microsoft 365

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New information architecture modernises publishing business

Make your information work harder