Resource Report

URL: https://wiki.nci.nih.gov/display/LexEVS/LexGrid

Proper Citation: LexGrid (RRID:SCR_006627)

Description: LexGrid (Lexical Grid) provides support for a distributed network of lexical resources such as terminologies and ontologies via standards-based tools, storage formats, and access/update mechanisms. The Lexical Grid Vision is for a distributed network of terminological resources. It is the foundation of the National Center for Biomedical Ontology BioPortal interface and web-services, and can parse OBO format, as well as other formats such as OWL. Currently, there are many terminologies and ontologies in existence. Just about every terminology has its own format, its own set of tools, and its own update mechanisms. The only thing that most of these pieces have in common with each other is their incompatibility. This makes it very hard to use these resources to their full potential. We have designed the Lexical Grid as a way to bridge terminologies and ontologies with a common set of tools, formats and update mechanisms. The Lexical Grid is: * accessible through a set of common APIs * joined through shared indices * online accessible * downloadable * loosely coupled * locally extendable * globally revised * available in web-space on web-time * cross-linked The realization of this vision requires three interlocking components, which are: * Standards - access methods and formats need to be published and openly available * Tools - standards based tools must be readily available * Content - commonly used terminologies have to be available for access and download Platform: Windows compatible, Mac OS X compatible, Linux compatible, Unix compatible

Abbreviations: LexGrid

Synonyms: Lexical Grid

Resource Type: software resource

Defining Citation: PMID:19261933

Keywords: software library, parse, ontology