First Public Working Draft: Data Catalog Vocabulary (DCAT) – revised edition

The Dataset Exchange Working Group has published a First Public Working Draft of Data Catalog Vocabulary (DCAT) - revised edition. DCAT is an RDF vocabulary designed to facilitate interoperability between data catalogs published on the Web. This document defines the schema and provides examples for its use. By using DCAT to describe datasets in data catalogs, publishers are using a standard model and vocabulary that facilitates the consumption and aggregation of metadata from multiple catalogs, and in doing so can increase the discoverability of datasets. It also makes it possible to have a decentralized approach to publishing data catalogs and makes federated search for datasets across catalogs in multiple sites possible using the same query mechanism and structure. Aggregated DCAT metadata can serve as a manifest file as part of the digital preservation process.