Do%20conceptual%20systems%20improve%20concepts%20effectiveness?

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Do conceptual systems improve concepts
effectiveness?

Statistics Portugal/ Metadata Unit Luísa Saraiva
(luisa.saraiva_at_ine.pt)

• Joint UNECE/Eurostat/OECD
• Work Session on Statistical Metadata (METIS)
• Lisbon, 11 13 March, 2009

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Digging below the surface

• ACCURACY
• collecting
• treatment
• sharing
• dissemination
• of statistical information

the management and interchange of data and
metadata
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Digging below the surface

• Terminology management
• building of concept systems
• harmonization of concepts
• provide efficiency in the organization and
  representation of knowledge

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concerning concepts system in statistics
Portugal
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concerning concepts system in statistics
Portugal
Attributes
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concerning concepts system in statistics
Portugal
Information retrieval
CODED - OECD Glossary
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grasping the meaning, to occupy the right place

• Conceptual system
• structured set of concepts established according
  to the relations between them, each concept being
  determined by its position in the set
• which characteristics
• show their similarities and delimitations
• are essential to the evaluation of the
  connections supporting their relations
• reveal gaps and inadequacies

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grasping the meaning, to occupy the right place

• Concepts do not exist as
• isolated units of knowledge,
• but always in relation to others

Hierarchic Relations Generic
Hierarchic Relations Partitive
Associative Relations
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tying designations and definitionsto their
respective concepts!

• Essential conditions to build concept systems
• exhaustive understanding of the conceptualization
  that structures knowledge
• objectives and expectations of real and potential
  users
• changes, evolution and expansion that will
  inevitably occur

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tying designations and definitionsto their
respective concepts!

• Stages to be accomplished
• gathering of unstructured concepts
• consulting of sources of information
• the allocation of the concepts within the concept
  system
• the formulation of the definitions and the
  designations for each one.

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tying designations and definitions to their
respective concepts!

• concepts selection
• terms attribution
• definitions formulation
• the way the model of the concepts structure is
  achieved

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detail of a concept system (1)
(1) Indented list
Unstructured concepts Structured concepts
Environment Environment
Biological waste Waste Containment Disposal of waste Household waste Dumping at sea Solid waste Industrial wastes management Landfil Waste collection 4 Waste 4.1Biological waste 4.2 Household waste 4.3 Solid waste 4.4 Industrial wastes 4.5 Waste management 4.5.1Disposal of waste 4.5.1.1 Containment 4.5.1.2 Landfil 4.5.1.3 Dumping at sea 4.5.2 Waste collection
4 ? 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Generic Relations
4 ? 4.5 Associative Relations
4.5 ? 4.5.1 4.5.2 Partitive Relations
4.5.1 ? 4.5.1.1 4.5.1.2 4.5.1.3 Partitive Relations

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How far leads the path?

• Convergence
• is of vital importance for users in general
• ensures consistency
• reduces ambiguity
• avoids misunderstandings

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How far leads the path?

• However big the undertaking may be
• its worth running
• the risk!

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• Statistics Portugal Concepts system
• access and presentation
• in real time

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Thank you for your attention