Electronic Communication on Diverse Data - The Role of the oo CIDOC Reference Model -

1. Electronic Communication on Diverse Data- The Role of the oo CIDOC Reference Model - Martin Doerr (ICS-FORTH, Crete, Greece) Nicholas Crofts (DSI, Geneva, Switzerland) 18th General Conference of the INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS Melbourne, Australia

2. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataOverview • Communication and diversity • Mediation - what can be done • What is the CIDOC Reference model • What can we do now • Conclusions

3. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataCommunication and Diversity • What we want to serve: • curiosity,. education, research, statistics • What are the typical questions: • tell me something/everything about kinds or items • best example of • contexts, causality • getting out of • multiple documents, archives, collections • multilingual, heterogeneous, incomplete, complementary

4. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataCommunication and Diversity • Activities in the field: • Web pages, RAMA, GRASP, CIMI, AQUARELLE a.o. • Z39.50, metadata, • … promote uniform access protocols • … use local translation of queries. • Heterogeneous access becomes reality • BUT : • one-view access only • need to serve diversity and depth • missing semantic coherence • missing formal domain knowledge

5. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataMediation - what can be done • Appreciating diversity: • autonomy of initiative • variety of views, interests, depth and coverage • Makes it richer, makes it cheaper • Need new understanding of standardisation for retrieval: • agreement (or not) on identity and correlation • instead of prescription and restriction

6. Electronic Communication on Diverse Data Mediation - what can be done • Solution in two parts: • Enabling technology : Mediation servers (becoming available) • The intellectual “glue” Consistent domain ontologies (see Helsinki Conference) Terminological knowledge = multilingual thesauri • The CIDOC Reference Model is a domain ontology • a “maximal” approach : an extensible analysis of entities and attributes • an object oriented formal model, ~60 entities so far • contains an interpretation of the Information Categories

7. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataWhat is the CIDOC Reference Model • The CIDOC Reference Model serves: • generation of schemata, formats, profiles • precise formal semantic analysis of existing sources • translation of queries (state of the art) • translation of data (merging,combining,processing gaps) • It addresses: • database and retrieval engine implementers • DTD, metadata & access profile creators • thesaurus editors • It is not a new data format !

8. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataThe Role of the CRM What Access profiles: Who When Where Metadata CIDOC Reference Model SGML DTD's SGML DTD's Legacy systems Legacy systems Legacy systems SGML DTD's ? gene rates AccessEngines incorporate generates interprets generates

9. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataCRM Principles: Symmetry Local Source 1 CRM Local Source 2 Physical Object Physical Object Physical Object of of transferred title of Schema Acquisition Acquisition Deaccession from to transferred title from to Source Actor Recipient TA527b, TA527b, previous:I-372-Z1 previous:I-372-Z1 I-372-Z1 of of transferred title of Data New World Museum Lovely Museum acquisition 17-8-98 acquisition 17-8-98 deaccession 17-8-98 from from to to transferred title Lovely Museum Lovely Museum New World Museum New World Museum

10. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataCRM Principles: Extensible Granularity Richer Schema CRM Poorer Schema Physical Object Physical Object Physical Object concerns assessed by short cut (assessed by) Condition Assessment Condition Assessment has conditions has conditions has identified has identified (condition of) (identified by) Condition State Condition State Condition State

11. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataCRM Principles: Specialisation Generic Schema Specific Schema Data Database Thesaurus has type Physical Object Physical Object Type inherited due to IsA : BT ! merged by IsA : Exchange Media has type BT Coins Type Coins BT has type dimes dimes IR539

12. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataCRM Principles: Specialisation

13. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataPart of a CRM data example

14. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataWhat to do now? • Widen Engagement • Attract cooperations to work with and on the CRM • Experimentation and Consolidation: • Harmonize metadata, Z39.50 access profiles with CRM • link information categories with a DTD and CRM • Harmonize thesauri with CRM • Standardisation and Implementation • promote a consolidated form as standard • encourage creation of mediators for cultural databases

15. Electronic Communication on Diverse DataConclusions • Standardisation for retrieval needs interpretation, rather than prescription • Formal Domain Ontologies can allow for a new quality of global electronic communication on diverse data • The CIDOC Reference Model comes in time with the availability of new retrieval engines • We advocate a strong engagement of the community to promote and extend the CRM