# The W3C Data Catalog Vocabulary, Version 2: Rationale, Design Principles, and Uptake

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.08883 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.08883/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 15 Mar 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Exploring LLM Capabilities in Extracting DCAT-Compatible Metadata for Data Cataloging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.05282/) (2025)
- [The Impact of Modern AI in Metadata Management](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.16605/) (2025)
- [Leveraging Ontologies to Document Bias in Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.00509/) (2024)
- [Do Data Agents Need Semantic Metadata? A Comparative Study in Agentic Data Retrieval](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.28787/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

DCAT is an RDF vocabulary designed to facilitate interoperability between data catalogs published on the Web. Since its first release in 2014 as a W3C Recommendation, DCAT has seen a wide adoption across communities and domains, particularly in conjunction with implementing the FAIR data principles (for findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable data). These implementation experiences, besides demonstrating the fitness of DCAT to meet its intended purpose, helped identify existing issues and gaps. Moreover, over the last few years, additional requirements emerged in data catalogs, given the increasing practice of documenting not only datasets but also data services and APIs. This paper illustrates the new version of DCAT, explaining the rationale behind its main revisions and extensions, based on the collected use cases and requirements, and outlines the issues yet to be addressed in future versions of DCAT.