The Vocabulary Mapping Framework matrix

Gordon DunsirePresented to the Workshop on Conceptual Modelling

for Archives, Libraries and Museums

28-29 Jan 2010, National Gallery, Helsinki

Vocabulary Mapping Framework

Funded by UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)Only first stage funded

Major expansion of the RDA/ONIX framework for resource categorizationTo create a tool to support the automated

mapping of vocabularies from metadata standards of use to the JISC community

Research, teaching, learning environments

Project conducted during second half of 2009

A starting point: RDA outreach

Resource Description and AccessRDA outreach to other communities

RDA/ONIX frameworkRDA and publishing community

DCMI (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative) RDA Task Group

Members from Dublin Core, IEEE-Learning Object Metadata, RDA, and W3C communities

Expressing RDA element set and value vocabularies in Resource Description Framework (RDF)

See D-Lib Magazine January/February 2010

RDA alignment

RDA alignment with recent metadata models developed by IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)Functional Requirements for Bibliographic

Records (FRBR)Functional Requirements for Authority Data

(FRAD)Statement of International Cataloguing Principles

Stimulated IFLA project to develop RDF representation of FRBR (entity-relationship) modelRDF awaiting final approval

Other IFLA activity

Study group to consider RDF/XML representation of International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD)Model underpinning many national cataloguing

schema, including MARC21

Task group to consider general support for RDF/XML namespaces for IFLA “standards”

Consolidation of “FR” family of models, including Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data (FRSAD) when finalised (2010+)

Linked data (2009, mostly)

Increasing presence of “expert” metadata in the linked data pool

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)With relators to Rameau (French subject heading

scheme) terms

Top-level Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) notations and captions (1000+)In 9 languages

Top-level Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) notations and captions real soon now

Opportunities and possibilities

If metadata schema (MARC21, UNIMARC, RDA, ISBD) in RDFThen easier to parse instance data (catalogue

records) into RDF

If very large quantities of legacy instance data available in RDFThen latent associations (relationships) can be

identified using statistical inferencingE.g. Mapping of DDC notations to LCSH (WebDewey)

If critical mass of rich (diverse) RDF triplesThen utility of Semantic Web increases

VMF requirements

VMF goal is to automatically compute the “best fit” mappings between any two pre-defined vocabularies

Scalable and extensible to accommodate new and changing vocabularies

Flexible to allow engagement by different communities in various stages of vocabulary development and mapping

Non-prescriptive to encourage uptakeAnd allow use beyond VMF (and RDF)

environment

VMF vocabularies

FRAD, FRBR, MARC21, RDA (libraries) ONIX (book/serials publishing) DDEX (recorded music) Dublin Core (web metadata) LOM SCORM (education) DOI (any content) CIDOC CRM (museums and archives) MPEG21 RDD (digital rights) RDA ONIX Framework (libraries and publishing)

Focus on Resource and Party (Agent) categories and relators between themIncreasing use of relators instead of attributes

VMF data model

Based on Rightscom’s COA model, which grew from the <indecs> frameworkHas much in common with FRBR and CIDOC

CRM

Terms are mapped into an ontology (the VMF matrix) built up from “families” of concepts based on verbs

Concept families provide all possible points (“nodes”) in the VMF matrix for vocabulary terms to be mapped.Nodes are generated automatically

Concept family

Accommodates terms for roles, bi-directional relator pairs, uni-directional relators (properties), classes and attributes

FRBR class “Choreography”vmf:ChoreographedDance

RDA role “choreographer”vmf:ChoreographedDance_DanceChoreographer

RDA/ONIX attribute “language”vmf:LexicalWork

DDEX role “Author”Vmf:LexicalWork_Writer

vmf:Adaptor

vmf:WordsAdaptor

vmf:Translator

vmf:SubtitlesTranslator

vmf:WordsCreator

vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator

vmf:Commentator onix:Translated by

onix:Translated withcommentary by

ddex:Translator

Ddex:SubtitlesTranslator

Mapping to the matrix

Every term in a vocabulary is given an equivalent term in a VMF concept family…

Every term in a vocabulary is given an equivalent term in a VMF concept family…

From: Godfrey Rust (Rightscom) – How the VMF matrix works, Nov 2009

vmf:Adaptor

vmf:WordsAdaptor

vmf:Translator

vmf:SubtitlesTranslator

vmf:WordsCreator

vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator

vmf:Commentator onix:Translated by

onix:Translated withcommentary by

ddex:Translator

ddex:SubtitlesTranslator

Queries can then be used to find the “best fit” mappings between two terms or complete vocabularies.

Queries can then be used to find the “best fit” mappings between two terms or complete vocabularies.

Mapping scheme to scheme

From: Godfrey Rust (Rightscom) – How the VMF matrix works, Nov 2009

vmf:Adaptor

vmf:WordsAdaptor

vmf:Translator

vmf:SubtitlesTranslator

vmf:WordsCreator

vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator

vmf:Commentator onix:Translated by

onix:Translated withcommentary by

ddex:Translator

Ddex:SubtitlesTranslator

Mapping scheme to scheme

Queries can then be used to find the “best fit” mappings between two terms or complete vocabularies.

Queries can then be used to find the “best fit” mappings between two terms or complete vocabularies.

From: Godfrey Rust (Rightscom) – How the VMF matrix works, Nov 2009

VMF matrix

Available (some constraints) from:http://cdlr.strath.ac.uk/VMF/documents.htm

Contains approximately:10 schemes53 vocabularies mapped in whole or part500+ concept families8000+ unique terms30,000+ RDF triples

RDF triples in TTL formatWith or without sample vocabulary mappings

Some documentation also available

Some applications

Metadata cross-walksBetween different vocabularies

E.g. Publisher metadata (ONIX) and library metadata (RDA)

Mapping of local, bespoke metadata schemesFrom local scheme to global frameworkLocal metadata often specialised, specific, and

unique

Identification

VMF namespace URI for every mapped vocabulary termLinked to published (scheme) URI for termScheme URI to be used as external referent

VMF is a black box

If term not mapped within VMFAdd to VMF

Forces review of internal VMF mappingsIf no scheme URI, use VMF URI as referent?

Map to term already mapped within VMFowl:equivalentClass; owl:equivalentProperty

Thank you

g.dunsire@strath.ac.ukVMF website

http://cdlr.strath.ac.uk/VMF/