“Content architecture” : Semantic interoperability in an international comprehensive knowledge organisation system

Purpose – This paper seeks to develop a specified typology of various levels of semantic interoperability, designed to provide semantically expressive and functional means to interconnect typologically different sub‐systems in an international comprehensive knowledge organization system, supporting advanced information retrieval and exploration strategies. Design/methodology/approach – Taking the analysis of rudimentary forms of a functional interoperability based on simple pattern matching as a starting‐point, more refined strategies to provide semantic interoperability, which is actually reaching the conceptual and even thematic level, are being developed. The paper also examines the potential benefits and perspectives of the selective transfer of modelling strategies from the field of semantic technologies for the refinement of relational structures of inter‐system and inter‐concept relations as a requirement for expressive and functional indexing languages supporting advanced types of semantic interoperability. Findings – As the principles and strategies of advanced information retrieval systems largely depend on semantic information, new concepts and strategies to achieve semantic interoperability have to be developed. Research limitations/implications – The approach has been developed in the functional and structural context of an international comprehensive system integrating several heterogeneous knowledge organization systems and indexing languages by interconnecting them to a central conceptual structure operating as a spine in an overall system designed to support retrieval and exploration of bibliographic records representing complex conceptual entities. Originality/value – Research and development aimed at providing technical and structural interoperability has to be complemented by a thorough and precise reflection and definition of various degrees and types of interoperability on the semantic level as well. The approach specifies these levels and reflects the implications and their potential for advanced strategies of retrieval and exploration.