• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

IAC: Information Architecture conference

IAC: Information Architecture conference

  • IAC23 New Orleans
    • Tickets & Registration Info
    • Conference Theme
    • IAC23 for Everyone
    • Venue – InterContinental
    • Experience NOLA
    • COVID-19 Policy
  • Program
    • Schedule
    • Speakers
    • Workshops
    • Poster Night
    • Career Center
    • Activities for First-Timers
    • Social Activities
  • Sponsor IAC23
  • About
    • Code of Conduct
    • Vision & Values
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
    • Scholarships
    • Past conferences
    • IAC Advisory Board
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • IAC23 Volunteers
Home / Sessions / I’m a Taxonomist (and So Can You!): Vocabularies as Gateways

I’m a Taxonomist (and So Can You!): Vocabularies as Gateways

2019 IA Conference /

Time(s)

March 23, 2019
10:15 AM to 11:00 AM CT

Location

Peninsula 4

Description

OR: Why You Should Build a Larger Taxonomy Than You Think You Need

Most of the time, vocabulary (taxonomy, thesaurus, ontology) development is done for a specific purpose: to index a bunch of documents, structure website navigation, arrange products for e-commerce, and similar project scopes.

But the process of building and validating a vocabulary (as an exercise in and of itself) can circumscribe a domain in a structured way useful for modeling information environments – perhaps in a broader context than is necessary for your project as currently instantiated.

Having such a structure in place can provide a framework for future projects and connections to relevant external resources – and is a useful jumping-off point for validation to narrow the domain for a particular project scope.

This validation step is crucial to this process: the negotiation between taxonomic thinking and the point of view of subject matter experts, users, content owners, and other stakeholders.

In this talk, I will discuss how the process of vocabulary construction – and validation! – can help outline and structure a domain, be a paradigm for discovery, and define the scope of your project within the larger domain so delimited.

About the speakers

Bob Kasenchak
Bob Kasenchak

Bob is an information architect at Factor. As taxonomist and ontologist with an interest in knowledge graphs and Linked Data, he has worked for over a decade building and implementing taxonomy projects for publishing, enterprise, technology, and e-commerce clients. He brings experience with information modeling and semantic software to client-focused metadata and vocabulary projects.

A frequent writer and presenter on semantic topics in conferences and journals, Bob’s current research interests include ontologies, knowledge graphs, and text classification. Still active teaching and playing music, Bob has been a member of the local ensemble Gamelan Encantada for the past several years. He lives in Albuquerque with his wife.

Sponsor IAC

We’re looking for organizations who share our commitment to building and sustaining programs that drive a more inclusive industry. Learn more on the Sponsor IAC23 page or contact us directly at info@theiaconference.com for more information.

Thanks to this year’s sponsors!

Logo for sponsor Optimal Workshop
Platinum sponsor
Optimal Workshop
Logo for sponsor Factor Firm
Gold sponsor
Factor Firm
Logo for sponsor Last Call Media
Silver sponsor
Last Call Media
Logo for sponsor Design for Context
Scholarship sponsor
Design for Context

Logo for sponsor A Book Apart
In-Kind sponsor
A Book Apart
Logo for sponsor Balsamiq
In-Kind sponsor
Balsamiq
Logo for sponsor MURAL
In-Kind sponsor
MURAL
Logo for sponsor OOUX Masterclass
In-Kind sponsor
OOUX Masterclass
Logo for sponsor Rosenfeld Media
In-Kind sponsor
Rosenfeld Media

Logo for sponsor UX Camp DC
Community sponsor
UX Camp DC
Logo for sponsor World IA Day
Community sponsor
World IA Day

The information architecture conference ©2022

Privacy Policy ⋅ Code of Conduct