From the webpage:
The CAB Thesaurus is the essential search tool for all users of the CAB ABSTRACTS™ and Global Health databases and related products. The CAB Thesaurus is not only an invaluable aid for database users but it has many potential uses by individuals and organizations indexing their own information resources for both internal use and on the Internet.
Its strengths include:
- Controlled vocabulary that has been in constant use since 1983
- Regularly updated (current version released July 2014)
- Broad coverage of pure and applied life sciences, technology and social sciences
- Approximately 264,500 terms, including 144,900 preferred terms and 119,600 non-preferred terms
- Specific terminology for all subjects covered
- Includes about 206,400 plant, animal and microorganism names
- Broad, narrow and related terms to help users find relevant terminology
- Cross-references from non-preferred synonyms to preferred terms
- Multi-lingual, with Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish equivalents for most English terms, plus lesser content in Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Swedish
- American and British spelling variants
- Relevant CAS registry numbers for chemicals
- Commission notation for enzymes
Impressive work and one that you should consult before venturing out to make a “standard” vocabulary for some area. It may already exist.
As a traditional thesaurus, CAB lists equivalent terms in other languages. That is to say it omits any properties of its primary or “matching” terms to enable the reader to judge for themselves if the terms represent the same subject.
When you become accustomed to thinking of what criteria was used to say two or more words represent the same subject, the lack of that information becomes glaring.
I first saw this at New edition of CAB Thesaurus published by Anton Doroszenko.