BODC operates the NERC Vocabulary Server (NVS) which provides access to controlled vocabularies. Some of these vocabularies are totally managed by BODC, others are managed by BODC on behalf of other organisations, while some are owned and, when relevant, managed by external governance authorities.

The following tools can be used to search any vocabularies hosted on the NVS

• Vocabulary search - to search the entire NVS catalogue or access specific known collections
• SeaDataNet Common Vocabulary Search Interface - to find vocabularies that form part of the SeaDataNet Common Vocabulary catalogue
• NVS SPARQL endpoint - allows users with a knowledge of the SPARQL standard query language to explore the NVS knowledge store and select the return format chosen. Once users are comfortable with this interface and with building SPARQL queries, they may take the resulting URLs and use them to access the SPARQL endpoint programmatically

In addition, BODC has developed a user interface that uses access control

• Vocabulary editor - allows governance authorities and their authorized representatives to manage terms and mappings related to vocabulary under their governance via a user interface

Finally, the following tools are specifically designed for users of the BODC P01 Parameter Usage Vocabulary (PUV), a controlled vocabulary for labelling measured and observed variables in data files and data bases

• Vocabulary builder - to search and submit new parameter or variable names based on the building blocks of the P01 semantic model
• SeaDataNet P01 Facet Search - a facet keyword search tool to enable users to subset the P01 PUV collection based on the components of the semantic model and on the SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

Contact the Vocabulary Management Group at BODC.