Taxonomy Design for SharePoint
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This document provides an overview and introduction to taxonomies and their use in SharePoint. It defines what a taxonomy is, discusses different approaches to structuring taxonomies, and describes how taxonomies can benefit content retrieval over search alone. It also outlines how taxonomies can be used and customized in SharePoint, including as metadata, for filtering, sorting, and refining search results. The document discusses best practices for designing, editing, tagging content with, and governing taxonomies.
Taxonomy Design for SharePoint
- 1. Taxonomy Design for SharePoint IntraTeam Event Copenhagen 4 March 2020 Presented by Heather Hedden Taxonomy Consultant, Hedden Information Management
- 2. ▪ Taxonomy consultant – Independent, through Hedden Information Management – Previously as an employed and contract consultant ▪ Former staff taxonomist – At various companies: Gale/Cengage Learning, Viziant, First Wind ▪ Instructor of online and onsite taxonomy courses – Independently through Hedden Information Management – Previously at Simmons University – School of Library & Information Science ▪ Author of The Accidental Taxonomist (2010, 2016, Information Today, Inc.) About Heather Hedden 2 © 2020 Hedden Information Management
- 3. What is a taxonomy? ▪ Managed set of terms used to tag/index/categorize pages or content to make them easier to be found and retrieved ➢ supporting better findability than search alone ▪ The taxonomy is an intermediary that links the user to the desired content. ▪ The taxonomy should suit the content and the users. Introduction to Taxonomies 3 UsersContent Taxonomy
- 4. What is a taxonomy? 1. A hierarchy of terms/topics/categories arranged with narrower topics/subcategories displayed under their broader/parent categories. ➢ To guide users to find the desired topic (and its linked content of pages or documents) 2. A controlled vocabulary of metadata tags/labels to apply to pages, posts, or documents, so that they can be more precisely and comprehensively retrieved (than by search algorithms alone on keywords in text). ➢ Implemented as search suggestion terms, search refinement filters, or related topics and searches Introduction to Taxonomies 4
- 5. What is a taxonomy? Controlled and organized ▪ A kind of controlled vocabulary based on unambiguous concepts, not just words ▪ Terms are arranged in a structure of hierarchies or facets/filters to organize the terms. Introduction to Taxonomies 5
- 6. Two major approaches to taxonomies 1. A hierarchy of terms/topics/categories arranged with narrower topics/subcategories displayed under their broader/parent categories. ➢ To guide users to find the desired topic (and its linked content of pages or documents) ➢ Similar to navigation and site maps, but more topical and not just based on page titles 2. A controlled vocabulary of metadata tags/labels to apply to pages, posts, or documents, so that they can be more precisely and comprehensively retrieved (than by search algorithms alone on keywords in text). ➢ Implemented as search suggestion terms, search refinement filters, or post-search suggested related topics and searches Introduction to Taxonomies 6 © 2020 Hedden Information Management www.officedepot.com
- 7. 7 © 2020 Hedden Information Management World Bank https://data.worldbank.org
- 8. 8 Facets Introduction to Taxonomies For people For documents
- 9. Potential uses of taxonomies or controlled vocabularies ▪ Topic/category browsing ▪ Search (matching search strings to concepts) ▪ Discovery (related concept links or contents sharing the same concepts) ▪ Filtering results ▪ Sorting results ▪ Content management workflow (rights, audience, retention, etc.) ▪ Consistent metadata for identification, comparison, analysis ▪ Consistent tagging/indexing Introduction to Taxonomies 9
- 10. Benefits of taxonomies over search alone ▪ Indexing and retrieval based on concepts, not just words/phrases improves search results in both precision (accuracy) and recall (comprehensiveness) ▪ Taxonomy terms allow limiting/filtering large search results by topic ▪ Display of other taxonomy terms tagged to the same results set provides additional topics and content for the user to explore ▪ Taxonomies support the indexing of nontext content (images, video, audio). ▪ Multilingual taxonomies support accurate search and retrieval across multilingual content. Introduction to Taxonomies 10 © 2020 Hedden Information Management
- 11. Metadata & Controlled Vocabularies ▪ Some, but not all, metadata properties get filled with values/terms from a controlled vocabulary (taxonomy). ▪ When a controlled vocabulary term is tagged to content in a designated metadata property, then it becomes metadata. ▪ Most implementations of controlled vocabularies are as metadata. Exceptions (non-metadata controlled vocabularies): ▪ A nondisplayed controlled vocabulary that serves only search ▪ A taxonomy that is a model for navigation Introduction to Taxonomies
- 12. SharePoint can make use of taxonomies various ways: 1. As facets or post-search refinement/filters 2. Metadata terms for sorting or filtering columns of content items (documents, images, etc.) in document libraries 3. Implemented in navigation as menu labels, headers, and page URL names 4. Search support (functioning as a synonym ring), with added technologies 5. As a hierarchical model for naming and organizing libraries and folders Taxonomy use in SharePoint
- 13. SharePoint supports various types of terms for tagging as metadata 1. Globally/enterprise-shared “Common” sets of tags in the Term Store 2. Locally used sets of tags as Document Categories for specific sites 3. Globally/enterprise-shared uncontrolled Enterprise Keywords – Users can add new terms anytime, but they also see what terms others have created so may choose to use those terms. ▪ Features are the same for on-premises or cloud/Office 365 versions ▪ No new taxonomy features have been made since 2010 Taxonomy use in SharePoint
- 14. SharePoint Term Store With permission, can be edited in Site Settings > Site Administration > Term Store Management Term Store Group – set of Term Sets with shared users Term Set – a hierarchical taxonomy or facet Term – a node or concept Term sets then are used as refinement filter/facet types and as library column headers. Taxonomy use in SharePoint
- 15. Displayed terms as post-search refinement filters/facets
- 16. Taxonomy Integration with Search 16 Terms available from the taxonomy vary based on search © 2020 Hedden Information Management
- 17. Filtering and Sorting ▪ Filtering – displays a selection of the library/folder’s files, that meet the filtered criteria ➢ such as only the files that have been tagged by a certain taxonomy term ▪ Sorting – also called Grouping, displays all of the library/folder’s files, grouped by selected criteria label ➢ such as grouped by tagged taxonomy term, alphabetically arranged by term name (Those not tagged with a taxonomy term, as blank, sort to the top.) If documents are put into folders and subfolder, change the view to make the folders not display and there is a long list of all documents in the library. Taxonomy use in SharePoint
- 18. Selecting metadata terms (once it is made available as a column) for sorting or filtering columns within Document libraries 18 Taxonomy use in SharePoint
- 19. Filtering and Sorting ▪ Filtering or sorting are enabled in settings, so not every column may be filtered or sorted. ▪ Filtering by a selected taxonomy term when multiple terms are tagged to the same document is still possible. Filtered results include all documents that have been tagged with the selected term, even if tagged with additional terms. Taxonomy use in SharePoint
- 20. 20 Taxonomy use in SharePoint Other customization in making taxonomy metadata available to filter
- 21. Selecting metadata terms (once it is made available as a column) for sorting or filtering columns within Document libraries 21 Taxonomy use in SharePoint Using drop-down options for Column Filters
- 22. Taxonomy in SharePoint Term Store features ▪ Multiple taxonomies or multiple facets ▪ Unique identifiers on terms ▪ Hierarchical taxonomies, many levels deep ▪ Synonyms, also called “Other labels,” in support of tagging ▪ Scope notes or definitions in a “Description” field ▪ Type-ahead search on taxonomy terms and on synonyms for those tagging ▪ Option to create broader categories, which are not terms for tagging, to group terms ▪ Customizable sort order of terms at the same level Creating or Editing Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 23. Taxonomy in SharePoint Term Store deficits ▪ Does not enforcement of standards (can create duplicates, circular references, same terms as both preferred an synonyms) ▪ Tagging user interface browse of hierarchies has very limited space in certain contexts (requires much scrolling) ▪ Hierarchies do not display in search refinements/facets by default ▪ Term Store taxonomies synonyms, which support tagging, are not also included end-user search ▪ No true polyhierarchy within a Term Set ▪ No associative relationships (related terms) Creating or Editing Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 24. Editing the taxonomy (terms sets and terms in the Term Store) Site Settings > Site Administration > Term store management Creating or Editing Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 25. ▪ Create hierarchical relationships ‒ not too deep ‒ when true in all circumstances ‒ logical, expected, and helpful to the person tagging ▪ Write a descriptions (scope note) ‒ if providing additional helpful guidance, not always ‒ keeping them concise ▪ Create “other labels” (synonyms) ‒ for variations those who tag are likely to look up ‒ for approximately equivalent (in the context) or more specific concepts ‒ that begin with a different word that might be looked up first Creating or Editing Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 26. Because user can only do a search on the start of a term name, you need to add “other labels” with different words at the beginning. Example: Travel expenses Do not need "Other labels" for: Travel claims Travel costs Travel expenditure But do need "Other label" for Expenses, travel Creating or Editing Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 27. Option for short term lists, in addition to Term Store taxonomies: Choice Lists ▪ A short flat “pick list” of terms or categories ▪ No synonyms or hierarchies ▪ Good for broad categories ▪ Not shared with other sites like the Term Store Creating or Editing Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 28. ▪ Pages and documents can be tagged with taxonomy terms and other metadata ▪ Manually or automated with additional software ▪ Formerly tagged when uploaded, now can be tagged later even if required. ▪ Complex manual tagging can be done with a template ▪ Tagging policy, guidelines, and training are important Tagging with Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 29. View of taxonomy as a term set for someone tagging ▪ Only up to 10 terms on the same level display. Clicking on the up/down arrows will display more. ▪ Right triangle/arrows indicate deeper levels. ▪ Larger font/grayed out, with tag at angle indicates this is a grouping category with narrower terms but itself cannot be used for tagging. 29 Tagging with Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 30. ▪ Expanding the hierarchy. ▪ Mouse-over a term to read its description. ▪ Click on terms to select them, which will appear in the Select box below. ▪ Term set can be configured to allow multiple or only a single term selected when tagging. 30 Tagging with Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 31. ▪ Tagging-user can also search the taxonomy by entering words or phrases in the box next to “Select”. ▪ Matches to the word(s) in terms or synonyms (in parentheses) are highlighted in yellow. ▪ The term’s broader term path is shown following a colon, to give context. 31 Tagging with Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 32. ▪ Type-ahead auto-fill for searching and selecting taxonomy terms may also be implemented directly in the Properties pane Office 365 view 32 Tagging with Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 33. ▪ Type-ahead auto-fill for searching and selecting taxonomy terms may also be implemented directly in the Properties pane, ▪ It only lacks the full hierarchical path of each term, displaying only the immediate broader terms. 33 Tagging with Taxonomies in SharePoint
- 34. Taxonomy Governance ▪ Decide whether the metadata property/term set is required or not ▪ Decide whether multiple or only a single term is permitted from a term set ▪ Create Taxonomy editorial policy/guidelines for maintenance ▪ Criteria and process for approving the addition of new terms ▪ Term format and style guidelines ▪ Create tagging policies, guidelines and instructions ▪ Determine and role and department that owns and maintains the global taxonomies and metadata and provides guidance for local taxonomies Taxonomy Governance
- 35. Heather Hedden Hedden Information Management Carlisle, MA USA www.hedden-information.com accidental-taxonomist.blogspot.com heather@hedden.net +1-978-467-5195 http://books.infotoday.com/books/Accidental-Taxonomist-2nd-Edition.shtml Use code TAT20 through 30 April for 25% discount Contact/Resources 35 © 2020 Hedden Information Management