Semantics in information retrieval is not new. It's apparent in the familiar back-of-the-book index, the Yellow Pages, and services like Lexis-Nexis. Now it's slowly being integrated into the fabric of the Internet through a collection of standards called the Semantic Web. We say "slowly" because unlike other Web standards (e.g. HTML, RSS), the Semantic Web is not always easy to understand, especially on a practical level.

In this article we show how the Semantic Web is not some esoteric construct dreamed up by artificial intelligence researchers but instead is a natural evolution of print and database information retrieval tools and standards. We begin by defining the concept and describing its essential components. Next, we discuss some corporate examples of Semantic Web implementations and touch on how semantic data stored in a relational database or spreadsheet can be converted into Semantic Web format. Finally, we comment on implementation and future developments.

What is the Semantic Web?
Technically, the Semantic Web is ...

... a collection of standards to facilitate data sharing and reuse across application, enterprise, and community boundaries.

More ... (members only) How to become a member

Created on September 13, 2007 l Updated on September 13, 2007