Introduction

Classifications are widely used in Eurostat for data collection, production and dissemination in every area of statistics.

Eurostat offers its main statistical classifications and their correspondence table in RDF (Resource Description Framework) format and exposes them as Linked Open Data (LOD) to reuse and link data across organisations. The data are connected by a semantic structure that makes it possible for machines to read and process the data in a meaningful way. The representation is based on XKOS (Extended Knowledge Organization System), an ontology

for modelling statistical classifications, offering machine-readable access for reusing objects as well as facilitating linking among classifications on national, EU or international level.

For the dissemination of its main statistical classifications, Metadata catalogues and code lists, Eurostat uses the web-based semantic platform, ShowVoc. ShowVoc is an online, multilingual, platform built to allow an easy access to, dissemination and visualization of ontologies (OWL), thesauri (SKOS(/XL)), lexicons (Ontolex-lemon) and generic RDF-based datasets. ShowVoc is a reusable open-source semantic platform, owned by the Publication Office and used to manage and disseminate controlled vocabularies.

ShowVoc aims at making available as much information as possible about Eurostat’s statistical classifications. The information provided in ShowVoc covers the general description, the structure of the classification (i.e. codes and headings), the explanatory notes, correspondence tables between classifications, legal acts, methodological documents. The information is presented in several languages if available.

Main features

The Datasets within ShowVoc lists Eurostat’s statistical classifications, Metadata catalogues and code lists.

The ShowVoc application includes:

• a browsing interface (browse the content of Eurostat's classifications)
• multiple search options (search in datasets for codes and terms and search for correspondences or mappings (Alignments tab))
• datasets or correspondences available for download in machine readable formats (RDF, XML) (Metadata tab)
• datasets or correspondences available for download in various proprietary formats (xls, csv, mdb) (Metadata tab)
• query classification​s using the SPARQL endpoint that enables to extract and download the data based on reusable query templates

ShowVoc can be used to:

If you look for a statistical classification, correspondence table, metadata catalogue (statistical methodologies or standards), ShowVoc can help you:

• look up for codes and terms
• look up for correspondences (mappings) among classifications
• download classification dataset or correspondences in the format of your choice
• access the SPARQL endpoint and retrieve your data with SPARQL queries