Controlled vocabularies are lists of standardized terms used to facilitate data transfer and discovery. They are available directly from websites like the NERC Vocabulary Server or "served" through that server. Examples of controlled vocabularies include platform types, units, instruments, and sea areas. The document provides URLs for vocabularies like SeaDataNet, EPSG, and MSBIAS and instructs users to contact a governance group to propose adding new terms. It includes practical exercises to familiarize users with finding terms from different controlled vocabularies.

1. Introduction to
Controlled Vocabularies
(Term Lists)

2. Controlled Vocabularies
What: list of terms to choose from
Aim: easier to transfer data
Where: Data Guidelines and Discovery
Metadata Standard
Vocabularies are available directly
or
‘served’ using the NERC Vocabulary Server
(SeaDataNet)

3. Example – Platform types

4. Website

5. NERC Vocab Service:
http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/client/vocabServer.jsp

6. SeaDataNet
http://seadatanet.maris2.nl/v_bodc_vocab/welcome.aspx/
• Units, Instruments, platforms, sea areas etc

7. SeaDataNet
Parameter relationships and discovery
http://seadatanet.maris2.nl/v_bodc_vocab/vocabrelations.aspx

8. Other Useful Controlled Vocabularies
http://www.epsg.org/
Marine Species of the British Isles
and Adjacent Seas (MSBIAS).
http://www.marinespecies.org/msbi
as/index.php http://www.ices.dk/datacentre/reco/

9. How to add?
E-mail Clare Postlethwaite
cfpo@bodc.ac.uk – check with
appropriate governance group.

10. Practical
Aim – to familiarise yourself with different controlled
vocabularies
1) Find the MEDIN webpage for controlled vocabularies
(www.oceannet.org/marine_data_standards/medin_approved.ht
ml)
2) Find:
a) Area code for the Irish Sea (use SeaDataNet)
b) The AphiaID for UK species Mytilus edulis (use MSBIAS)
c) Code for the horizontal reference system WGS84 (use
EPSG)
d) Platform Code for Moored Surface Buoy

11. • 1_4
• AphiaID: 140480
• EPSG::7030
• 41