This the top-level collection record for all of Geoscience Australia's public vocabularies. The vocabularies are all formulated using the SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System) information model and delivered both as machine-readable Resource Description Framework (RDF) data and also as HTML web pages. Each vocabulary is delivered individually as RDF & HTML data and all vocabularies are linked to from both GA's vocabularies index static web page and also from the Australian National Data Service (ANDS)'s Research Vocabularies Australia (RVA) portal. All vocabularies, collections of concepts within vocabularies and individual concepts are identified with URI persistent identifiers of the form: http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/def/voc/ga/{VOCABULARY-KEY}/{COLLECTION-OR-CONCEPT-NAME} This means that you can access all the information about a vocabulary, a collection or a concept directly by entering that URI into your web browser.

The International Geo-Sample Number (IGSN) provides a globally unique identifier for physical samples used to generate analytical data. This unique identifier provides the ability to link each physical sample to any analytical data undertaken on that sample, as well as to any publications derived from any data derived on the sample. IGSN is particularly important for geochemical and geochronological data, where numerous analytical techniques can be undertaken at multiple analytical facilities not only on the parent rock sample itself, but also on derived sample splits and mineral separates. Australia now has three agencies implementing IGSN: Geoscience Australia, CSIRO and Curtin University. All three have now combined into a single project, funded by the Australian Research Data Services program, to better coordinate the implementation of IGSN in Australia, in particular how these agencies allocate IGSN identifiers. The project will register samples from pilot applications in each agency including the CSIRO National Collection of Mineral Spectra database, the Geoscience Australia sample collection, and the Digital Mineral Library of the John De Laeter Centre for Isotope Research at Curtin University. These local agency catalogues will then be aggregated into an Australian portal, which will ultimately be expanded for all geoscience specimens. The development of this portal will also involve developing a common core metadata schema for the description of Australian geoscience specimens, as well as formulating agreed governance models for registering Australian samples. These developments aim to enable a common approach across Australian academic, research organisations and government agencies for the unique identification of geoscience specimens and any analytical data and/or publications derived from them. The emerging pattern of governance and technical collaboration established in Australia may also serve as a blueprint for similar collaborations internationally.