Linking the Persian Subject Headings to Similar Datasets: Matching Rates and Obstacles

This paper examines the rate of linkage between Persian Subject Headings (PSH) and comparable datasets, including subject heading services and other topical datasets, and identifies the barriers to linking datasets. Using Linked Data methodologies, the study applies data cleaning and Resource Description Framework (RDF) conversion, employing both direct and indirect linking approaches. Under the direct method, PSH terms were matched against external topical datasets, achieving a linkage rate of 50%. The indirect method, which utilized the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) as an intermediary, achieved a lower success rate of 32.14%. Analysis of obstacles in the direct method showed that most of the unlinked subject headings contained geographical subdivisions, cataloger-generated subdivisions, or culturally specific concepts related to Iranian or Islamic customs. Under the indirect method, technical issues—such as software errors and punctuation inconsistencies—further hindered successful alignment. While the indirect method is generally easier to implement, its inability to link cultural and religious terms underscores the continued necessity of direct linking. Expanding coverage to include datasets specifically focused on cultural and religious concepts could further enrich the overall dataset.