Post on 22-Jun-2015
The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model
Dr Matthew StiffInformation Standards and Partnerships Manager,
National Monument Record (English Heritage)
1 December 2004
With acknowledgement for content from Nick Crofts, Martin Doerr, Tony Gill and Stephen Stead
Outline
What is a model?
What is the CIDOC CRM?
CRM Structures
Examples: Activities, Time, Periods, Places, Stuff, Appellations,
Taxonomic Discourse
Visual Contents and Subject
Mapping to the CRM
Use of the CRM in English Heritage
Summary of Benefits
What is a model?
A model is a representation of some aspect of reality.
The purpose of creating a model is to help understand, describe, or predict
how things work in the real world by exploring a simplified representation of a particular entity or phenomenon
Models and Schema
A model illustrating the cantilever principle.
Models and Schema
An engineering drawing of the Forth Railway Bridge – effectively a schema using the cantilever model
Models and Schema
The Forth Railway Bridge – effectively an implementation of the Forth Railway Bridge design or schema
Models and Schema
Another implementation of the cantilever model….
Models and Schema
And another-
• Tower 42 (formerly the Nat West Tower) is reckoned to be the tallest cantilever building in the world.
• The point being that there is more than one way to implement a model, and they can be quite different….
What is the CIDOC CRM?
The CRM
is not a metadata standardit should become our language for semantic interoperability,
it is a Conceptual Reference Model for analyzing and designing cultural information systems
is limited to the underlying semantics of database schemata and document structures used in cultural heritage and museum documentation
does not define the terminology used to document these data structures
does not say what cultural institutions should document
aims to explain the logic of what they actually do document
What is the CRM
The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model
is a collaboration with the International Council of Museums
is an ontology of 81 classes and 130 properties for culture (and a great deal more)
has the capacity to explain dozens of (meta)data formats
has been accepted by ISO TC46 in Sept. 2000, now
ISO/AWI 21127 Committee Draft
Serves as:
an intellectual guide to create schemata, formats, profiles
a language for analysis of existing sources for integration
“Identify elements with common meaning”
a transportation format for data integration / migration / Internet
Top-level Entities relevant for Integration
participate in
E39 Actors
E55 Types
E28 Conceptual Objects
E18 Physical Stuff
E2 Temporal Entities
E41
Ap
pel
lati
on
s
affect or / refer to
refer to / refine
refe
r to
/ id
ent if
y
location
atwithinE53 PlacesE52 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.
A Classification of its Relationships
CRM Structures
Classes: The class hierarchy contain the conceptual building-blocks of the CRM. There is an isa relationship between sub-classes and super-classes:
Activity isa Event.
Properties: These provide the specific relationships between the classes. It acts like a verb, demanding both domain and range, and is bi-directional:
Physical Man-Made Stuff depicts CRM EntityCRM Entity is depicted by Physical Man-Made Stuff
Inheritence: Subclasses inherit the properties from their super-classes. Multiple inheritance means that a sub-class may have more than one super-class (in which case, it inherits the properties of all its parents.
Example: The Temporal Entity Hierarchy
E2 Temporal EntityScope Note:
This class comprises all phenomena, such as the instances of E4 Periods, E5 Events and states, which happen over a limited extent in time……..
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.
Example: The Temporal Entity Hierarchy
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
Example: The Temporal Entity Subclasses
Temporal Entity- Main PropertiesE2 Temporal Entity
Properties: P4 has time-span (is time-span of): E52 Time-Span
E4 Period Properties:
P7 took place at (witnessed): E53 PlaceP9 consists of (forms part of): E4 PeriodP10 falls within (contains): E4 Period
E5 Event Properties:
P11 had participant (participated in): E39 ActorP12 occurred in the presence of (was present at): E77 Persistent Ite
E7 Activity Properties:
P14 carried out by (performed): E39 ActorP20 had specific purpose (was purpose of): E7 ActivityP21 had general purpose (was purpose of): E55 Type
P3 has note
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)
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
Activities: Measurement Event
205ft
(62.4m)
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
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)
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 current permanent location of)
P53 has former or current location (is former or current location of)
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)
Activities: Modification/Production Event
P126 employed (was employed by)
Entity: Modification Event
Properties:
P1 is identified by (identifies): E41 AppellationP2 has type (is type of): E55 TypeP11 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 ItemP16 used specific object (was used for): E70 Stuff (P16.1 mode of use: E62 String)P32 used general technique (was technique of): E55 TypeP33 used specific technique (was used by): E29 Design or Procedure
P17 was motivated by (motivated): E1 CRM EntityP19 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 ActivityP21 had general purpose (was purpose of): E55 Type
P126 employed (was employed by): E57 Material
declared properties
inherited properties
inherited properties
declared properties
inherited properties
declared properties
time
before
P82 at some time within
P81 ongoing throughout
after
“in
ten
sity
”
Time Uncertainty, Certainty and Duration
Duration (P83,P84)
Allen Operators – an example
P120: E2 Temporal Entity. occurs before (occurs after): E2 Temporal Entity
E2 Temporal entity (A) is known to precede E2 Temporal Entity (B), and it is known that a gap in time exists between these two temporal entities. Where it is known that E2 Temporal entity (A) finishes at the same point in time as the beginning of E2 Temporal Entity (B), the Allen operator “Meets” should be used. No contextual link between the temporal entities is implied.
E2 Temporal Entity (A) E2 Temporal Entity (B)
Time
E4 Period – an examplePlace
Time
B
A
P10: E4 Period falls within (contains) E4 Period
The spatio-temporal extent of E4 Period (A) is entirely contained within the spatio-temporal extent of E4 Period (B). No contextual link between such instances of E4 Period is implied.
B
A
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)
E 52 Time-Span
E77 Persistent Item
E61 Time Primitive
P81 ongoingthroughout
P82 at sometime within
P7 took place at(witnessed)
E53 Place – an example
B
A
P121: E53 Place overlaps with E53 Place
Part of the area constituting E53 Place (A) overlaps with part of the area constituting E53 Place (B). The relationship is symmetric. No contextual relationship between such instances of E53 Place is implied.
E70 Stuff (Thing)
E18 Physical Stuff
E28 Conceptual Object
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)
Appellation
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 classifie
d
(was classifie
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
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
Mapping Dublin Core to the CIDOC CRM
Type: text
Title: Mapping of the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set to the CIDOC CRM
Creator: Martin Doerr
Publisher: ICS-FORTH
Identifier: FORTH-ICS / TR 274 July 2000
Language: English
Example: Partial DC Record about a Technical Report
was created byis
identified 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
E82 Actor Appellation
Name: Martin Doerr
E65 Creation Event
Event: 0001
carriedout by
is identified by
E82 Actor Appellation
Name: ICS-FORTH
E7 Activity
Event: 0002
carried out by
E55 Type
Type: Publicationhas 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
Mapping Dublin Core to the CIDOC CRM (RDF style)
E39 Actor
Actor:0001
E39 Actor
Actor:0002
is identified by
(background knowledge not in the DC record)
Use of the CRM within English Heritage
Ontological modelling – The Revelation Project (Centre for Archaeology)
Data mapping – Heritage Protection Review
XML schema design – FISH Toolkit & MIDAS XML
Database schema design – English Heritage “Common Data Layer”
Data integration – Heritage Gateway
Partnership work – SPECTRUM 3
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
Summary of Benefits of the CRM
Contact Details:
Dr Matthew StiffInformation Standards and Partnerships ManagerNational Monuments RecordKemble DriveSwindonSN2 2GZ
(t) +44 (0)7939 151510(m) +44 (0)7939 151510(e) matthew.stiff@english-heritage.org.uk(w) http://www.english-heritage.org.uk
CIDOC CRM Special Interest Group(w) http://cidoc.ics.forth.gr