DCATbased

DCATbased refers to metadata implementations, data catalogs, and data portals that are built around the Data Catalog Vocabulary (DCAT). DCAT is a W3C standard designed to describe data catalogs, datasets, and their distributions in a machine-readable form to improve interoperability and discovery across portals and repositories. A DCATbased catalog uses DCAT classes such as dcat:Catalog, dcat:Dataset, and dcat:Distribution to model the catalog’s structure and its content.

In a DCATbased approach, catalogs provide metadata about datasets, including titles, descriptions, publishers, themes, licenses, and access or download endpoints. Datasets can have multiple distributions, each with its own format, media type, and access URL. The vocabulary integrates with Dublin Core and other metadata schemas through properties like dct:title and dct:description, facilitating cross-schema mapping.

Technically, DCATbased catalogs are typically serialized in RDF formats such as Turtle, RDF/XML, or JSON-LD and may be published as linked data. They support data linking and versioning, enabling machines to traverse catalogs and retrieve related resources automatically. DCAT-AP and DCAT-AP Europe provide profiles tailored to government and institutional use to ensure regional interoperability.

Applications include national and regional open data portals, research data repositories, and data services that aim to federate catalogs or publish metadata in a standardized way. The approach supports interoperability, asset reuse, and better data discovery but requires governance over metadata quality, licensing, and consistency across catalogs.

See also DCAT, DCAT-AP, and open data initiatives.