IPSV/GCL Help

This page explains how to use IPSV which is hosted on the esd-toolkit website.

IPSV is for use in metatagging electronic resources according to what they are about. Preferred terms from IPSV are for populating the Subject element of metadata.

Start by looking at the top level terms. Click on the plus-box beside any one of the 16 terms to see narrower terms at the next level down. Some of them have even more levels below, and you can keep on drilling down.

If you click on any of the terms, the right-hand side of the screen will bring up extra information, sometimes with a scope note explaining what the term covers, and sometimes cross-references to related terms in another hierarchy. If you click on the plus-box beside one of the related terms, the entry will expand and show information on the related term. You can then click on the related term name to navigate to it within the hierarchy. You can navigate all round IPSV this way.

If you have a term in mind but you can't see where to find it, enter it in the search box for "Name" at the bottom of the screen. Be sure to tick the box beside it, to include non-preferred terms in the search.

Then press the button beside "Perform search". If the term is present as part or whole of any IPSV term, a drop-down box will show all the places where it occurs. For example, if you search for the word "access", the drop-down box will offer you a range of different types of access, from "Access courses" and "Access to countryside" through to "Wheelchair ramps".

Select the drop-down entry that seems closest to what you are looking for, and a display will open up for that term with all its non-preferred synonyms. For example, if you choose "Wheelchair ramps" the right-hand screen will show the full details for that term, and the hierarchies on the left-hand side will open up where you can find the term under "Equipment for disabled people".

The reason why you were able to find "Wheelchair ramps" in that example is because the word "access" appears in one of its non-preferred synonyms. If you always remember to tick the box that includes non-preferred terms, your search will be as complete as possible.

Whether you select a term by navigating or by searching, the right-hand side shows these details:

• The term itself (this is always a preferred term, so it is valid for use in metadata)
• Sometimes, a scope note clarifying how the term should be used
• Sometimes, a history note clarifying when the term was introduced or changed
• A term usage count, which shows how many pages have been tagged with that particular term. These pages can also be accessed if you click on the link provided
• Any non-preferred equivalent terms. These are not valid for metadata. They are present only to help you find the right preferred term
• Any related terms. These are always preferred terms, and sometimes they are more useful than the term you first thought of
• Broader terms, these are always preferred terms. They appear further up in the hierarchy on the left of the screen. They may be useful to consider if the lower level term is too specific for your resource
• ID, a unique number designating the concept represented by the term
• Mapping to LGCL, showing the nearest term or terms in the Local Government Category List
• Mapping to LGSL, showing relevant services in the Local Government Service List
• LA Web site A to Z, indicating whether this term is one of those recommended for inclusion in all English local authority website A-Z directories.

Right at the top of the list of top level terms there is a small drop-down box named "IPSV". If you select "IPSV Abridged" in that drop-down list, the display will switch to a version that is much simpler than the full IPSV. The structure at the top levels is identical, but some of the lower levels have been cut off, reducing the total size to about one-fifth. The abridged version may be easier to implement, for organisations that do not cover community information. But to comply with Local e-Government Priority Outcome R3, local authorities must implement the full IPSV.

Again, at the top of the list of top level terms on the left of the screen, in the small drop-down box, you can select "IPSV internal vocabulary" if you only want to see the internal terms, which are a subset of the full IPSV. This subset only covers topics for internal information resources and is therefore much smaller than the full IPSV. Navigation through the list is the same as using the full or abridged IPSV.

Frequently Asked Questions