Linked Data is a method of publishing structured data on the Internet so it can be interlinked and become more useful. It extends the traditional notion of data as a static and rigid structure and takes the concept one step further by integrating, sharing, and connecting related data across different sources worldwide. This concept is closely associated with the vision of the Semantic Web by Tim Berners-Lee, where data is interconnected in a globally linked system.
Linked Data uses standard web protocols such as HTTP and established data formats like RDF (Resource Description Framework) to create connections between data from different sources. These connections are established based on relationships in the data, making the data more useful and its context more understandable. The fundamental principle underpinning Linked Data is the idea that the more connections data has, the more valuable it becomes, because it can answer more complex or comprehensive queries.
Linked Data has many applications across varied fields ranging from scientific research, where it supports the integration of data from different research groups, to cultural heritage, where it aids in linking artworks, historical facts and figures etc. Creating Linked Data involves challenges relating to privacy, data quality, data federation, intellectual property rights and the scalability of managing vast amounts of interconnected data.
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