Topic Maps from a Knowledge Organization Perspective

This article comprises a literature review and conceptual analysis of Topic Maps-the ISO standard for representing information about the structure of information resources—according to the principles of Knowledge Organization (KO). Using the main principles from this discipline, the study shows how Topic Maps is proposed as an ontology model independent of technology. Topic Maps constitutes a 'bibliographic' meta-language able to represent, extend, and integrate almost all existing Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) in a standards-based generic model applicable to digital content and to the Web. This report also presents an inventory of the current applications of Topic Maps in Libraries, Archives, and Museums (LAM), as well as in the Digital Humanities. Finally, some directions for further research are suggested, which relate Topic Maps to the main research trends in KO.