They have been the life work of many people and continue to be critical contributions to cultural heritage information management and documentation.
[1] They contain terms, names, and other information about people, places, things, and concepts relating to art, architecture, and material culture.
[5] The data is compiled and edited in an editorial system that was custom-built by Getty technical staff to meet the unique requirements of compiling data from many contributors, building complex and changing polyhierarchies, merging, moving, and publishing in various formats.
They are now published in automated formats only, in both a searchable online Web interface and in data files available for licensing.
[6] Since 1998, Getty Information Technology Services and Web Services have worked closely with the Getty Vocabulary Program to conceive, develop, deploy, and continuously enhance the technologies necessary to support the growth and usage of the vocabulary databases.