What Does Linked Data Mean?
Linked data is a paradigm for publishing data on the Web and collaborating with users and machines. It promotes that data be simple and structured. It promotes a bottom-up approach for publishing data and helps data to be interconnected and rich in context, resulting in data being a more valued asset.
Techopedia Explains Linked Data
Based on the RDF model, linked data views data as a collection and in relation to other data. In other words, it promotes large integration of data found on the Web. The focus of the linked data paradigm is to enable the sharing of structured data on the Web as easily as possible. Linked data does not necessarily mean using new tools or technologies for the data found on the Web. In fact, what it does is to enrich the existing data found with the help of structured data. The structured data is achieved through other technologies such as resource description framework and hypertext transport protocol. Resource description framework is considered one of the key components of linked data.
There are significant benefits associated with the linked data concept. It provides a single standardized access mechanism for all involved and also is shareable, extensible and reusable, even on different results and different interfaces. It helps in elimination of extra processing of data for users and eliminates the need for library-specific data formats. Search engines and data browsers can easily find the structured data promoted by linked data. From an organization’s perspective, linked data enables the improvement of the internal data curation procedures and also the links between objects. Data is more discoverable and enriched, and there is control over the data as well. Another key benefit is the promotion of interdisciplinary research by means of enrichment of knowledge.