ics-forth november 20, 2002 1 the cidoc crm, a standard for the integration of cultural information...

1ICS-FORTH November 20, 2002

The CIDOC CRM, a Standard for the Integration of Cultural

Information

Martin Doerr, Stephen Stead

Foundation for Research and Technology - HellasInstitute of Computer Science

Vienna, Austria,November 20, 2002

Center for Cultural Informatics


The CIDOC CRMOutline

Problem statement – information diversity

Motivation example – the Yalta Conference

The goal and form of the CIDOC CRM

Presentation of contents

About using the CIDOC CRM

State of development

Conclusion


The CIDOC CRMCultural Diversity and Data

Standards

Aspects of cultural information:

Collection description (art, archeology, natural history….) Archives and literature (records, treaties, letters, artful works..) Administration, preservation, conservation of material heritage Science and scholarship – investigation, interpretation Presentation – exhibition making, teaching, publication

But how to make a data standard ?

Each aspect needs its methods, forms, communication means Data overlap, but do not fit in one schema Understanding lives from relationships, but how to express them?


The CIDOC CRM Historical Archives….

Type: TextTitle: Protocol of Proceedings of Crimea Conference Title.Subtitle: II. Declaration of Liberated Europe Date: February 11, 1945.Creator: The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The President of the United States of AmericaPublisher: State DepartmentSubject: Postwar division of Europe and Japan

“The following declaration has been approved:The Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States of America have consulted with each other in the common interests of the people of their countries and those of liberated Europe. They jointly declare their mutual agreement to concert… ….and to ensure that Germany will never again be able to disturb the peace of the world…… “

DocumentsMetadata

About…


The CIDOC CRM Images, non-verbose…

Type: ImageTitle: Allied Leaders at Yalta Date: 1945Publisher: United Press International (UPI)Source: The Bettmann ArchiveCopyright: CorbisReferences: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin Photos, Persons

Metadata

About…


The CIDOC CRM Places and Objects

TGN Id: 7012124Names: Yalta (C,V), Jalta (C,V) Types: inhabited place(C), city (C)Position: Lat: 44 30 N,Long: 034 10 EHierarchy: Europe (continent) <– Ukrayina (nation) <– Krym (autonomous republic)Note: …Site of conference between Allied powers in WW II in 1945; ….Source: TGN, Thesaurus of Geographic Names

Places, Objects

About…

Title: Yalta, Crimean PeninsulaPublisher: Kurgan-LisnetSource: Liaison Agency


The CIDOC CRM Capture Underlying Semantics…

Diversity requires many (meta)data standards Related Information does not match one format or query

We have recognized (already 1994 with Museum Benaki): Event-centric models can integrate many kinds of retrospective

(historical) information (and may be more).

CIDOC has engaged in interdisciplinary work

to create semantic content models, so-called: domain ontologies

Ontologies are formalized knowledge: clearly defined concepts and relationships about possible states of affairs of the domain


The CIDOC CRM Explicit Events, Object Identity,

Symmetry

P14 performed

P11 participated in

P94 has created

E31 Document“Yalta Agreement”

E7 Activity

“Crimea Conference”

E65 Creation Event

*

E38 Image

P86 falls within

P7 took place at

P67 is referred to

by

E52 Time-SpanFebruary 1945

P81 ongoing throughout

P82 at some time

within

E39 Actor

E39 Actor

E39 Actor

E53 Place7012124

E52 Time-Span

11-2-1945


The CIDOC CRM Outcomes

The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model

A collaboration with the International Council of Museums

An ontology of 81 classes and 130 properties for culture and more

With the capacity to explain dozens of (meta)data formats

Accepted by ISO TC46 in Sept. 2000, now

ISO/AWI 21127 proposed Committee Draft

Serving as:

intellectual guide to create schemata, formats, profiles

A language for analysis of existing sources for integration

“Identify elements with common meaning”

Transportation format for data integration / migration / Internet


The CIDOC CRM The Intellectual Role of the CRM

Legacy systems

Legacy systems

Databases

World Phenomena

?

Data structures &Presentation models

Conceptualization

abstracts fromapproximates

explains,motivates

organize

refer to

Data in various forms


The CIDOC CRM is a formal ontology (defined in TELOS)

But CRM instances can be encoded in many forms: RDBMS, ooDBMS, XML, RDF(S).

Uses Multiple isa – to achieve uniqueness of properties in the schema.

Uses multiple instantiation - to be able to combine not always valid combinations (e.g. destruction – activity).

Uses Multiple isA for properties to capture different abstraction of relationships.

Methodological aspects:

Entities are introduced only if anchor of property ( if structurally relevant).

Frequent joins (shot-cuts) of complex data paths for data found in different degrees of detail are modeled explicitly.

The CIDOC CRM Encoding of the CIDOC CRM


Transfer of Epitaphios GE34604 (entity E10 Transfer of Custody, E8 Acquisition Event )

P28 custody surrendered by Metropolitan Church of the Greek Community of Ankara (entity E39 Actor )

P23 transferred title from Metropolitan Church of the Greek Community of Ankara

P29 custody received by Museum Benaki

P22 transferred title to Exchangable Fund of Refugees (entity P40 Legal Body )

P2 has type national foundation (entity E55 Type )

P14 carried out by Exchangable Fund of Refugees

P4 has time-span

GE34604_transfer_time (entity E52 Time-Span )

P82 at some time within

1923 - 1928 (entity E59 Time Primitive )

P7 took place at Greece (entity E53 Place )

nation

republic P86 falls within

Europe (entity E53 Place ) continent

Possible Encoding of Dataas CIDOC CRM instance (XML-style)

TGN data

P30 custody changed by, P24 changed ownership by

Epitaphios GE34604 (entity E22 Man-Made Object )

(entity E39 Actor )

(entity E39 Actor )

(entity E39 Actor )

P2 has type(entity E55 Type )

(entity E55 Type )

P2 has type(entity E55 Type )

ICS-FORTH November 20, 2002

History of object-oriented Databases

Successor of relational model (RDBMS)

To handle very complex data evolve gracefully provide high performance

Following o-o languages

First defined `89(The Object - Oriented Database System Manifesto)

Now in various forms and implementations


The Relational Model

Relation (table) : set of tuples (a1, a2, ..,an) fixed number of columns primitive typing of columns named relation, named columns

Relational databases : aggregation of tables data units/ records are identified by contents ! All fill-in forms follow this paradigm! Are how we imagine computers to work…


Relevance of the O-O Paradigm

More complex to comprehend, but closer to human conceptualization Uses concept hierarchies Distinguishes individuals and roles (attributes, properties) Models the equivalence to real world explicitly. Separation of identity and description

Allows for creating “knowledge bases” and information integration systems So-called semantic models, formal ontologies: Global models integrating semantics of data structures and

terminologies.


Extending the Relational Model:

Specialization (refinement analysis)

Relational form:

O-O Schema usage (Instances):

Museum Artefact

type

museum number

material

TA 153

silver

Byzantinecollection

Holy Bread Basket

Museum Artefact

museum number

material

collection

Ecclesiastical item

belongs to church

Holy Bread Basket

container

lid

O-O Schema declaration (Classes):

Holy Bread Basket

museum number

material

TA 153

silver

Byzantinecollection

belongs to church

container

lid

St. George of Andranopole

TA 153’container

TA 153’lid


More Advanced Features:Multiple Inheritance (multiple

higher terms)

belongs to church

Ecclesiastical item

Holy Bread Basket

container

lid

Museum Artefact

museum number

material

collection

Single Inheritance form:

Museum Artefact

museum number

material

collection

Multiple Inheritance form:

Canister

container

lid belongs to church

Ecclesiastical item Canister

container

lid

Holy Bread Basket

Repetition of properties ! Unique identity of properties !


Problem of Global Searches:

Identity of property

Holy Bread Basket TA 153

belongs to

container

lid

donator

acceptor

Holy Bread Basket Offered Object

TA 153’container

TA 153’lid

Drakos

St. George Church

Artefact

Commemoration of Drakos

belongs to

date

place

subject

commemorating

Commemoration

1667 AD

Adrianopole

Drakos

Action

Holy Bread Basket TA 153

belongs to

container

lid

offer

Holy Bread Basket Offered Object

TA 153’container

TA 153’lid

Drakos’offer

Drakos’offer

belongs todate

subjectacceptor

Offer1667 AD

DrakosSt. George Church

Adrianopoleplace

notion of action hidden !

normalized form

notion of action explicit


Insufficient Identity in Flat Records:

Two Different Persons!

Table Person

First name : Martin

Last name : Dörr

Passport Nr.: F5630288D67

City : Karlsruhe

Country : Germany

Table Person

First name : Martin

Last name : Doerr

Passport Nr.: 3515020669

City : Heraklion

Country : Greece

?

? Who am I ?


Object-orientated Semantic Models:

Separating Identity From Description

E21 Person

663256D205

E72 Actor Appellation

Martin Dörris identified by


Martin Doerris identified by


F5630288D67is identified by


3515020669is identified by

E45 Address

Karlsruhe, Germanyhas contact point

E45 Address

Heraklion, Greecehas contact point

real worldequivalents

persistent identifiers fully qualified entities


Object-orientated Semantic Models: Multiple Instantiation

Researcher

is identified by is interested in

FarmerPatient

suffers from

cultivates

Research FieldKnowledge Representation

Illness Type Paradontosis

Crop Type Olives


Martin Doerr

Not three records,but one “dynamic record”,aggregate of applicable properties !

663256D205


Requirements for Cultural Repositories

An object-oriented model is:

Mandatory as adequate expression of the domain knowledge for the analysis of information systems

Mandatory as data format for integration (“Global Schema”), for data transport or for querying (virtual schema).

Useful to design data representation structures

Useful for motivating data entry forms

Not mandatory for data storage implementation

Standard (e.G. RDFS), state-of-the-art in repositories,but can be implemented on conventional platforms


Requirements for Cultural Repositories

(Apologies for the computer jargon)

Object-oriented core features we need: object identity

— value independent, perpetual, types and classes

— user defined, meaning bound, extensible class or type hierarchy

— multiple levels of abstraction— inheritance of properties

explicit representation of properties extensibility

— new subclasses, properties on existing body of data— keeping up-to-date with an open world


The CIDOC CRMWhat does and what it does not

Idea: Not being prescriptive creates much flexibility !

The CRM can be used as data format for transport / migration / presentation (but for not designed for data entry)

It does not propose what to describe

It allows to interprete what museums, archives actually describe

It tries to formalize concepts which help data integration and resource discovery (not all information)

Focused on data structure semantics, integration, information about the past


The CIDOC CRMTop-level Entities relevant for

Integration

participate in

E39 Actors

E55 Types

E28 Conceptual Objects

E18 Physical Stuff

E2 Temporal Entities

E41

Ap

pel

lati

ons

affect or / refer to

refer to / refine

refe

r to

/ i d

ent i f

ie

location

atwithinE53 Places

E52 Time-Spans


Identification of real world items by real world names.

Classification of real world items.

Part-decomposition and structural properties of Conceptual &

Physical Objects, Periods, Actors, Places and Times.

Participation of persistent items in temporal entities.

— creates a notion of history: “world-lines” meeting in space-time.

Location of periods in space-time and physical objects in space.

Influence of objects on activities and products and vice-versa.

Reference of information objects to any real-world item.

The CIDOC CRMA Classification of its Relationships


The CIDOC CRMExample: The Temporal Entity

Hierarchy


The CIDOC CRM Example: Temporal Entity

E2 Temporal EntityScope Note:

This is an abstract entity and has no examples. It groups together things such as events, states and other phenomena which

are limited in time. It is specialized into Period, which holds on some geographic area, and Condition State, which holds for, on, or over a certain object.

— consists of related or similar phenomena, — Is limited in time, is the only link to time, but not time itself— spreads out over a place or object (physical or not).— the core of a model of physical history, open for unlimited specialisation.


The CIDOC CRM Example: Temporal Entity-

Subclasses

E4 Period binds together related phenomena introduces inclusion topologies - parts etc. Is confined in space and time the basic unit for temporal-spatial reasoning

E5 Event looks at the input and the outcome the basic unit for causal reasoning each event is a period if we study the process

E7 Activity brings the people in adds purpose


The CIDOC CRM Temporal Entity- Main Properties

E2 Temporal Entity Properties: P4 has time-span (is time-span of): E52 Time-Span

E4 Period Properties: P7 took place at (witnessed): E53 Place

P9 consists of (forms part of): E4 Period P10 falls within (contains): E4 Period

E5 Event Properties: P11 had participant (participated in): E39 Actor

P12 occurred in the presence of (was present at): E77 Persistent Item

E7 Activity Properties: P14 carried out by (performed): E39 Actor

P20 had specific purpose (was purpose of): E7 Activity

P21 had general purpose (was purpose of): E55 Type


The CIDOC CRM Termini postquem / antequem

Pope Leo I AttilaAttila

meetingLeo I

P14 carried out by (performed)


Birth ofLeo I

Birth ofAttila

Death ofLeo I

Death ofAttila

* P4 has time-span (is time-span of)

*

P4 has time-span

(is time-span of)

P100 was d

eath of

(died in

)

P100 was death of

(died in)

P98 brought into life

(was born) P98 brought into lif

e

(was b

orn)

*

P4 has time-span (is time- span of)

P82 at some time

within

P82 at some timewithin AD453AD461

AD452

before

beforebefore

before

Deduction: before

P11 had participant:

P93 took o.o.existence:

P92 brought i. existence:



The CIDOC CRM The Participation Properties

P12 occurred in the presence of (was present at)

P11 had participant (participated in)


P22 transferred title to (acquired title of)

P23 transferred title from (surrendered title of)

P28 custody surrendered by (surrendered custody)

P29 custody received by (received custody)

P95 has formed (was formed by)

P96 by mother (gave birth)

P98 brought into life (was born)

P99 dissolved (was dissolved by)

P100 was death of (died in)

E5 Event E77 Persistent Item

E5 Event E39 Actor

E7 Activity E39 Actor

E8 Acquisition Event E39 Actor

E8 Acquisition Event E39 Actor

E10 Transfer of Custody E39 Actor

E10 Transfer of Custody E39 Actor

E66 Formation Event E74 Group

E67 Birth E21 Person

E67 Birth E21 Person

E68 Dissolution E74 Group

E69 Death E21 Person


P3 has note

The CIDOC CRM Activities

E1 CRM Entity

CIDOC Notion

E59 Primitive Value

E55 Type

E7 Activity

E5 Event0,1

0,n

0,n P2 has type(is type of)

0,nE62 String

1,n 0,n E39 Actor P14 carried out by (performed)

P14.1 in the role of


1,n

0,n

1,1

0,n

1,1

0,n

P39 was measured by (measured)

P40 observed dimension (was observed by)

The CIDOC CRM Activities: Measurement Event

E54 Dimension

E16 Measurement Event

E18 Physical Stuff

E13 Attribute Assignment

P43 has dimension (is dimension of) P90 has value

P91 unit


1,n

0,n

1,n

0,n

1,n

1,1

0,n

0,n E7 Activity

E14 Condition Assessment

E18 Physical Stuff E3 Condition State P44 has condition (condition of)

P34 was assessed by (concerns) P35 has identified (identified by)

E39 Actor P14 carried out by (performed)

P14.1 in the role of

E2 Temporal Entity

The CIDOC CRM Activities: Condition Assessment


0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

E7 Activity

E8 Acquisition Event

E39 Actor E18 Physical Stuff P52 is current owner of (has current owner)

P51 is former or current owner of (has former or current owner)

P22 acquired title of (transferred title to)

P24 transferred title of (changed ownership by) P23 surrendered title of (transferred title from)

The CIDOC CRM Activities: Acquisition Event

1,n


1,n

0,n

1,n

0,n

0,n 0,n

1,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n 0,n

0,n

0,n

1,n 0,n

E7 Activity

E9 Move

E19 Physical Object E53 Place

P25 moved by (moved)

P26 moved to (was destination of)

P55 has current location (currently holds)

P27 moved from (was origin of)

E55 Type P21 had general purpose (was purpose of)

P20 had specific purpose (was purpose of)

P54 has current permanent location (is ~ of)

P53 has former or current location (is ~ of)

The CIDOC CRM Activities: Move


0,n

1,n

0,n

0,n0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

0,n

1,n 0,n

1,n

E7 Activity

E11 Modification Event

E18 Physical Stuff

P31 has modified (was modified by)

E39 Actor P14 carried out by (performed) in the role of

E55 TypeP32 used general technique (was technique of)

E24 Physical Man-Made Stuff

E29 Design or Procedure

P33 used specific technique (was used by)

E57 Material

P45 consists of (is incorporated in)

P68 usually employs (is usually employed by)

The CIDOC CRM Activities: Modification/Production Event

P126 employed (was employed by)


The CIDOC CRM Entity: Modification Event

Properties: P1 is identified by (identifies): E41 Appellation P2 has type (is type of): E55 Type P11 had participant (participated in): E39 Actor P14 carried out by (performed): E39 Actor

(P14.1 in the role of : E55 Type) P31 has modified (was modified by): E24 Physical Man-Made Stuff P12 occurred in the presence of (was present at): E77 Persistent Item P16 used specific object (was used for): E70 Stuff (P16.1 mode of use: E62 String) P32 used general technique (was technique of): E55 Type P33 used specific technique (was used by): E29 Design or Procedure P17 was motivated by (motivated): E1 CRM Entity P19 was intended use of (was made for): E71 Man-Made Stuff (P19.1 mode of use: E62 String) P20 had specific purpose (was purpose of): E7 Activity P21 had general purpose (was purpose of): E55 Type P126 employed (was employed by): E57 Material

declared properties

inherited properties


declared properties


declared properties


time

before


P81 ongoing throughout

after

“in

ten

sity

”

The CIDOC CRM Time Uncertainty, Certainty and Duration

Duration (P83,P84)


E3 Condition State

E4 Period

E5 Event

E50 Date

E49 Time Appellation

E41 Appellation

E2 Temporal Entity

E52 Time Span

E1 CRM Entity

E53 Place P4 has time-span

(is time-span of)

P86 falls within(contains)

P10 falls within(contains)

P9 consists of(forms part of)

P78 is identified by(identifies)

The CIDOC CRM Time-Span

E77 Persistent Item

E61 Time Primitive

P81 ongoingthroughout

P82 at sometime within

P7 took place at(witnessed)


The CIDOC CRM Example: Place

E53 Place A place is an extent in space, determined diachronically wrt a larger,

persistent constellation of matter, often continents -

by coordinates, geophysical features, artefacts, communities, political systems, objects - but not identical to.

A “CRM Place” is not a landscape, not a seat - it is an abstraction from temporal changes - “the place where…”

A means to reason about the “where” in multiple reference systems.

Examples: figures from the bow of a ship, African dinosaur foot-prints in Portugal


The CIDOC CRM Place

E45 AddressE48 Place Name

E47 Spatial Coordinates

E46 Section Definition E18 Physical Stuff

E44 Place Appellation

E53 PlaceP88 consists of (forms part of)

P58 defines section of(has section definition)

P59 is located on or within

(has section)

P87 iden

tifies

(is id

entif

ied by) P53 has former or current location

(is former or current location of )

E9 Move

P26 moved to (was destination of)

P27 moved from (was origin of)

P25 moved (moved by)

E12 Production Event

P108 has produced (was produced by)

P7 took place at (witnessed)

E19 Physical ObjectE24 Ph. M.-Made Stuff


The CIDOC CRM Stuff


The CIDOC CRM Physical Stuff


The CIDOC CRM Conceptual Object


The CIDOC CRM Changing Stuff

E18 Physical Stuff

E11 Modification Event

P111 added (was added by) E79 Part Addition

E80 Part Removal

P110 added to

(was augmented by)

E24 Ph. M.-Made Stuff

P113 removed (was added by) P111removed from (was diminished by)

E77 Persistent Item E81 Transformation

E64 End of ExistenceE63 Beginning of Existence

P124 transformed (was transformed by)

P123 resulted in(was result of)

P92 brought into existence(was brought into existence by)

P93 took out of existence(was taken o.o.e. by)

P31 has modified(was modified by)


The CIDOC CRM Actor


The CIDOC CRM Appellation


E13 Attribute Assignment

Place NamingE74 Group

E39 Actor

E53 Place

E52 Time-Span Community

E44 Place Appellation

P89 falls within


assig

ns n

ame

E4 Period

to community

iden

tifi

ed b

y

carriesout

P4 has time-sp

an

to placeP7 took place atP4 has time-span

The CIDOC CRM Extension Example: Getty’s TGN


Nineveh namingPeople of Iraq

TGN7017998

1st mill. BC City of Nineveh

KuyunjikP89 falls withinP87 is identified by

(identifies)

assi

gns

nam

e

to community

iden

tifi

ed b

y

carryout

P4 has time-span

to place

P7 took place atP4 has time-span

Example from the TGN

20th century

Nineveh


Nineveh naming

assi

gns

nam

e

TGN1001441


The CIDOC CRM Taxonomic discourse

E28 Conceptual Object

E7 Activity

E17 Type Assignment E55 Type

P136 was based on

(supported type creation)

P42 assigned (was assigned by)

E1 CRM Entity

E83 Type Creation

E65 Creation Event

P137 is exemplifiedby (exemplifies)

P41 classi

fied

(was c

lassifie

d by)

P94 has created (was created by)

P135 created type (was created by)

P136.1 in the taxonomic role P137.1 in the

taxonomic role


The CIDOC CRM Visual Contents and Subject

E24 Physical Man-Made Stuff

E55 Type

E1 CRM Entity P62 depicts

(is depicted by)

P62.1 mode of depiction

P65 shows visual item (is shown by)

E36 Visual Item

P138 visualizes (has visualization)

E73 Information Object

E38 Visual Image

P67 refers to (is referred to by)

E23 Information Carrier

P128 is carried of (is materialized by)

P138.1 mode of depiction


The CIDOC CRM -Application Mapping DC to the CIDOC CRM

Type: textTitle: Mapping of the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set to the CIDOC CRMCreator: Martin DoerrPublisher: ICS-FORTHIdentifier: FORTH-ICS / TR 274 July 2000Language: English

Example: Partial DC Record about a Technical Report


was created byis i

dentified by

E41 Appellation

Name: Mapping of the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set to the CIDOC CRM…..

E33 Linguistic Object

Object: FORTH-ICS /

TR-274 July 2000


Name: Martin Doerr

E65 Creation Event

Event: 0001

carriedout by

is identified by


Name: ICS-FORTH

E7 Activity

Event: 0002

carried out by

E55 Type

Type: Publication

has type

was used for

E75 Conceptual Object Appellation

Name: FORTH-ICS / TR-274 July 2000

E55 Type

Type:FORTH Identifier

has type

is identified by

E56 Language

Lang.: English

has language

The CIDOC CRM -Application Mapping DC to the CIDOC CRM (RDF style)

E39 Actor

Actor:0001

E39 Actor

Actor:0002

is identified by

(background knowledge not in the DC record)


Type.DCT1: imageType: paintingTitle: Garden of ParadiseCreator: Master of the Paradise GardenPublisher: Staedelsches Kunstinstitut

Example: Partial DC Record about a painting



is ide

ntifie

d by

E41 Appellation

Name: Garden of Paradise…..

E23 Information Carrier

Object: PA 310-1A??


Name: Master of the Paradise Garden

E39 Actor

ULAN: 4162

E12 Production

Event: 0003

carried out by

is id

entif

ied b

y


Name: Staedelsches Kunstinstitut

E39 Actor

Actor: 0003

E65 Creation Eventcarried out

by

is id

entif

ied

by

E55 Type

Type: Publication Creation

has type

is documented in E31 Document

Docu: 0001

was created byhas type

was produced by


E55 Type

AAT: painting

E55 Type

DCT1: imageEvent: 0004

(AAT: background knowledge not in the DC record)


The CIDOC CRM -Application Repository Indexing

Actors Events Objects

Derivedknowledge

data (e.g. RDF)

Thesauriextent

CRM entities

On

tolo

gy

ex

pa

ns

ion

Sources and

metadata(XML/RDF)

Backgroundknowledge /Authorities

CIDOCCRM


The CIDOC CRMProposition about Restructuring

Data Data acquisition needs different structure from presentation:

Acquisition (can be motivated by the CRM):

— sequence and order, completeness, constraints to guide and control data entry.

— ergonomic, case-specific language, optimized to specialist needs

— often working on series of analogous items Integration / comprehension (target of the CRM):

— restore connectivity with related subjects,

— match and relate by underlying common concepts

— no preference direction or subject Presentation, story-telling (can be based on CRM)

— explore context, paths, analogies orthogonal to data acquisition

— present in order, allow for digestion

— support abstraction


As an explanatory and mediation model, the CRM:

does not enforce constraints

— optional properties, multivalued properties, multiple instantiation

contains redundant paths

— “short cuts” of secondary processes, complex indirections

contains abstractions at various levels

— of entities and

— of attributes/properties

The CIDOC CRM About the CRM


1. Will the CRM require me to change my documentation ?

Answer:

No. It makes no prescriptions.

You may, however, orient your document structures according to CRM constructs,

so that an automatic transfer into a CRM-compatible form is possible.

2. What is the benefit of standardisation?

Answer:

You can communicate the meaning of your data structures in a unique way to any

user of the CRM.

The CIDOC CRM Frequently asked questions


3. What does compatibility with the CRM mean?

Answer:

That the parts of my data structure with the same scope can be explained

by the CRM as:

Subset: data can be transformed into a CRM instance and back.

Superset: A CRM instance can be transformed... and back.

Overlap: equivalent parts can be transformed...

Extension: The CRM can be consistently extended by refinement or

generalization such that my data structure becomes a subset.

Still to be defined precisely. Major consensus issue.



4. What does the CRM cover?

Answer: Potentially the whole world as physical history in human perception!

In concrete terms: CIDOC Information Categories, DC, EAD,

SPECTRUM, FRBR, fits with OPENGIS, and many proprietary formats

(wrt contents falling into the intended scope of the CRM)

The mapping exercise has verified the stability of model, its

extensibility and the effectiveness of the methodology.

Experience of 6-10 years development by interdisciplinary groups,

several implementations.



Elegant and simple compared to comparable Entity-Relationship models

Coherently integrates information at varying degrees of detail

Readily extensible through O-O class typing and specializations

Richer semantic content; allows inferences to be made from underspecified data elements

Designed for mediation of cultural heritage information

The CIDOC CRM Benefits of the CRM (From Tony Gill)


Proposed to ISO as Committee Draft. The structure is stable since four years.

The SIG has elaborated minor extension to satisfy archeology, Natural History and relationships to Digital Libraries until July. All questions of definition have been decided until October 2002.

Elaboration of improved introduction, improvements on clarity of some scope notes, improved presentation until end of 2002.

Acceptance as standard expected by 2003.

The CIDOC CRM State of Development


The CRM is NOT a metadata standard,

it should become our language for semantic interoperability,

it is a Conceptual Reference Model for analyzing and designing

cultural information systems

The CRM is in the ISO standardization process:

Dissemination for wide understanding and consensus

Extended application tests

Elaboration of details and documentation

Consensus

The CIDOC CRM Conclusions