5.7. Controlled Vocabularies

Creating information, archiving it for future uses, and communicating it to others and to computer systems is a formidable challenge. Not only must there be a common language and vocabulary, but there has to be a common taxonomy—a description of the relationship between words. From a business perspective, controlled vocabularies are critical because they define the ease with which knowledge workers and managers can store and retrieve information in Knowledge Management tools. Just as the best-stocked library or bookstore in the world isn't worth much if patrons or customers can't locate the information they need, the most complete corporate intelligence is useless without a means of identifying it for archiving and later retrieval.

A common contextual framework is mandatory in every successful KM initiative because words can have different meanings, depending on context and the perspectives of those involved. For example, the word "fish" may bring to mind a goldfish in a fish tank for a child, a marlin struggling on a line—that is, the action of fishing—for a fisherman, a plate with slab of seared salmon for an urban professional, or a box of frozen fish sticks for a college student.

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