The NERC Vocabulary Server (NVS) provides access to standardized and hierarchically-organized vocabularies. These vocabularies are used by data creators and managers to standardize information, index and annotate data and associated metadata in databases and data files. This facilitates data searching in web portals and enables records to be interpreted by computers, opening up possibilities for automated data workflows, computer-aided manipulation, distribution, interoperability, and long-term reuse. By enabling vocabularies to be accessed in machine-readable formats, the NVS facilitates automated workflows, computer-aided data manipulation, and distribution, which are essential for interoperability. The NVS is used across multiple domains, including environmental sciences, oceanography, and geosciences, showcasing its capacity to address interoperability challenges across disciplines.
NERC's Vocabulary Server (NVS)

Abstract
Overview
Copy link to OverviewCountry | United Kingdom |
Start date | 2007 |
Annual Budget | n/a |
Responsible organisation(s) | Government Agency |
Target group(s) | Researchers, data managers, and the marine science community |
Policy instrument type | Technical infrastructural tool |
Background
Copy link to BackgroundManaged by the British Oceanographic Data Centre and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the NVS is predominantly targeted at the oceanographic and associated domains. It is used by the marine science community in the UK, Europe, and globally, showcasing its capacity to address interoperability challenges across disciplines.
Objective(s)
Copy link to Objective(s)To enhance the discoverability, accessibility, and interoperability of research data by providing standardized vocabularies.
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