NLM is always interested in learning of additional candidate vocabularies for the Metathesaurus!

NLM has some general criteria for evaluation. Here is a list of questions that should be addressed with all requests that a source vocabulary be added to NLM's UMLS:

Evaluation Criteria

1. Who would the vocabulary serve? Will the addition help link into currently available electronic resources (patient records, journals, texts, etc.) How?
2. Is the vocabulary authoritative? - Is it maintained? By whom? How often? Is there an update model? Would the vocabulary and updates be officially sponsored? By whom and how?
3. Is the thesaurus available in a well-structured, computable electronic form? This is a must. NLM cannot take on printed publications, nor convert them. What is the format? When could NLM staff look at a sample set of files and documentation? Is there a technical contact person for questions about the files?
4. Have you examined the UMLS License agreement and resolved the questions about copyright ownership and license restriction levels?
5. What thesaurus characteristics and principles are used? Are there preferred terms, entry terms, a principled hierarchy? Are there other relationships such as broader/narrower? Are there definitions or other associated information? Are there mappings or connections to other vocabularies? Is it concept-oriented (i.e., organized by meaning)?
6. How fully descriptive are the terms when seen alone, rather than in the associated context (e.g. when seen as printed in context)?
7. Will there be many cases where the 'face' meaning of your terms are different from the meaning of the same term in other areas of biomedicine?
8. Who would be available to assist in editing and review? Do they have computer connectivity, equipment, support? This is necessary to at least some degree so that editing, review, and decisions can be efficient.

For consideration about inclusion in NLM's UMLS, send your request, along with written responses to the above questions, to:

      Jan Willis
      Bibliographic Services Division
      National Library of Medicine
      8600 Rockville Pike
      Bethesda, MD 20894
      USA
      Telephone 301-402-1076
      Fax 301-496-0822
      email willisj@nlm.nih.gov

Note: NLM has to prioritize our work and we may not be able to include additions which would consume large amounts of our effort in analysis, processing, or editing