Distributed Thesaurus Web Services
Eric Johnson · Cataloging & Classification Quarterly · 2004
SUMMARY HTML-based information services provide access to online information sources but do not make them useful for much more than viewing in a Web browser. There is also no cohesive cataloging or subject access scheme for the Internet. XML and Web services provide the framework for enhancing the information content of all types of data delivered over the Internet and for enhancing the functionality of specialized yet interoperable networked information retrieval applications. The Thesauro-Web, a proposed network of thesaurus access and navigation services, could provide enhanced subject access for the World Wide Web and enhance the functionality of information retrieval applications. The idea behind the Thesauro-Web is described here in detail, with examples of applicable XML protocols and descriptions of possible uses.