ISO TS 24634-2024 PDF

Full title and description

Management of terminology resources — TermBase eXchange (TBX)-compliant representation of concept relations and subject fields. This technical specification defines how to represent concept-to-concept relations and subject-field metadata within TBX-formatted terminological resources (examples use the DCA — data category as attribute — TBX style).

Abstract

This document specifies requirements and recommendations for representing subject fields and concept relations in TBX-compliant terminological document instances. It provides practical examples using the DCA style of TBX markup and gives normative guidance to ensure consistent interchange and modelling of conceptual relations and subject metadata.

General information

• Status: Published / Current.
• Publication date: 31 October 2024 (2024-10).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 01.020 (Terminology) — 35.240.30 (IT applications in information, documentation and publishing).
• Edition / version: Edition 2, 2024 (ISO/TS 24634:2024).
• Number of pages: 18.

Scope

The specification covers requirements and recommendations for encoding subject fields (domain/topic metadata) and explicit concept relations (such as broader/narrower, related-to, part-of, etc.) within TBX-compliant terminological resources, focusing on interoperable representations suitable for exchange, processing and integration with terminology management tools. It is intended to be used alongside the TBX core standard and relevant data-category standards.

Key topics and requirements

• Formal definitions and examples for representing concept relations (e.g., hierarchical and associative links) in TBX instances.
• Guidance on encoding subject fields / domain metadata so term records can be filtered, discovered and reused across systems.
• Use of the DCA (data-category-as-attribute) TBX style in examples and recommended encodings.
• Normative references and alignment with data-category specifications / repositories (ISO 1087, ISO 12620 parts, etc.).
• Interoperability considerations for import/export between termbases, tools and automated workflows (exchange-focused constraints and recommendations).

Typical use and users

Primary users include terminologists, terminology resource managers, localization and language-technology engineers, metadata specialists, lexicographers, tool and platform vendors (termbase/TBX implementers), and teams responsible for multilingual content exchange and terminology interoperability. The specification is used to standardize how subject fields and conceptual relations are modelled for exchange and tool integration.

Related standards

Key related standards and documents include: ISO 30042 (TBX — TermBase eXchange, edition 2 / 2019) for TBX structures and the DCA/DCT styles; ISO 1087 (Terminology vocabulary); ISO 12620 series (data category specifications and repositories, parts published in 2022). ISO/TS 24634:2024 is a complementary technical specification intended to be used together with these documents.

Keywords

terminology, TBX, TermBase eXchange, DCA, concept relations, subject fields, metadata, termbase, terminology exchange, ISO/TC 37.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/TS 24634:2024 is a technical specification that defines how to represent concept relations and subject-field metadata inside TBX-compliant terminological documents to improve interoperable exchange and consistent modelling.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers requirements, recommendations and examples (using the DCA TBX style) for encoding hierarchical, associative and other conceptual relations, and for expressing subject/domain metadata within TBX term records to support discovery and reuse.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Terminologists, localization engineers, terminology/tool vendors, metadata specialists and any organization exchanging or consolidating terminological resources with TBX-based workflows.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: This edition (ISO/TS 24634:2024, edition 2) is the current published technical specification (published October 2024) and replaces the earlier 2021 edition, which has been withdrawn.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the ISO/TC 37 family of standards for management of terminology resources and is intended to be used alongside TBX (ISO 30042), ISO 1087 (terminology vocabulary) and the ISO 12620 data-category standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: TBX, termbase, terminology exchange, concept relations, subject fields, data category (DCA), interoperability, ISO/TC 37.