Controlled vocabulary is a standardized set of terms used to organize knowledge for subsequent retrieval. It can facilitate search and browsing. It can be universally agreed on or locally created.
What to consider in applying or designing a thesauri for your project:
- Scope of the material (core and surrounding topics, your purpose, existing thesauri and your resource);
- Your project needs and intended audience;
- Funder requirements and institutional expectation;
- What types of controlled vocabularies you may need: subject, genre, physical format, personal names, organization names, events…
- When choosing particular terms over others, consider three warrants: literary warrant (discipline and field literature), user warrant and organizational warrant.
(Gazan, CONTROLLED VOCABULARY & THESAURUS DESIGN)