Controlled Vocabularies for Metadata Management
Create a single source of truth for your enterprise data.
TopQuadrant’s controlled vocabularies help standardize and govern the terms, labels, and definitions that power your metadata, ensuring consistency, clarity, and reuse across teams and systems.
What Is Controlled Vocabulary?
A controlled vocabulary is a structured list of terms used to ensure everyone describes data the same way. It defines how concepts, attributes, and relationships are named so that both machines and humans can understand and reuse information consistently.
When your data is built on controlled vocabularies, it becomes:
Findable: Quickly locate the right data across teams, tools, and domains
Accessible: Ensure authorized users can view and use data consistently
Interoperable: Connect information seamlessly across systems and applications
Reusable: Maintain clarity and context so data can power analytics, reporting, and AI
“Controlled vocabularies bring clarity, consistency, and connection to enterprise data.”
Why Controlled Vocabularies Matter
Even small sets of data can have a huge impact when used across multiple systems. Without governance, inconsistencies creep in, making it harder to find, connect, or trust your information.
TopQuadrant helps organizations bring order and control to these foundational data assets.
With flexible management and collaboration tools, teams can:
Define and maintain enterprise-wide vocabularies
Harmonize scattered lists from spreadsheets, databases, and applications
Support compliance, search, and metadata integration initiatives
How TopBraid EDG Simplifies Vocabulary Management
TopBraid® EDG (Enterprise Data Governance) provides the flexibility and power to manage and link vocabularies using a knowledge graph approach. This web-based platform enables both technical and business stakeholders to curate, connect, and reuse vocabularies across the organization.
With TopBraid EDG, you can:
Create, edit, and publish vocabularies using intuitive, web-based tools
Link related vocabularies, taxonomies, and ontologies for semantic precision
Collaborate across departments for unified metadata standards
Reuse vocabularies as the foundation for semantic applications and AI-driven data management
Related Knowledge
How TopQuadrant is embracing Large Language Models (LLMs)
Resource Hub Search Table of Contents < All Topics Main Data Governance How TopQuadrant is embracing Large Language Models (LLMs) Print How TopQuadrant is embracing
Enhancing Data Interoperability in Life Sciences
Resource Hub Search Table of Contents < All Topics Main Data Governance Enhancing Data Interoperability in Life Sciences Print Enhancing Data Interoperability in Life Sciences
Unifying Data Silos to Integrate Knowledge Delivery
Learn how Healthwise used TopBraid Enterprise Data Governance–Vocabulary Management (EDG–VM) to create a unified knowledge graph across domains.
Working with Modular Taxonomies in TopBraid EDG
In this video you will learn how to create and re-use modular taxonomies. TopBraid EDG lets you easily combine and build connections between them.
Searching within an Asset Collection in TopBraid EDG (Using Taxonomy as an Example)
This video explores free text and parametric search capabilities within an asset collection.
SKOS XL Taxonomies in TopBraid EDG
This video introduces you to using SKOS-XL (SKOS Extension for Labels) in TopBraid EDG. SKOS-XL lets you treat labels as independent resources.
