Dear all, Here is another humble modelling problem for which I don't feel that there is a commonly agreed and documented answer, although it is a common question. How do we connect an actual file with the semantic network? So here is the scenario.
I have a file: a word doc, a jpg image, a powerpoint. I want to represent it in CIDOC CRM and connect it the semantic network and do so in a way that would be interoperable with all other well formed instances of CIDOC CRM. How do I do that? Well part of the answer is clear. Part is unclear. Regarding the representation of the the fact that there is a digital object we have two choices. If we use pure CRMbase then we have E73 p2 has type E55 "Digital Object" If we use CRM extensions then we have D1 Digital Object Great. Now in the semantic network we can relate this in all sorts of standard ways to other entities (p67 refers to, p128 is about) etc. etc. We can use a creation event from CRM base or a digital machine event from CRMdig to document when the file was created, by whom etc. Super. I can use p1 is identified by E41 appellation to indicate the name of that digital object (which may differ from the file name) and give it a type with p2 has type. All standard and wonderful. I still have to put the file itself, that actual digital object which I want my user to be able to find and manipulate somehow in relation to the semantic network. How do people tend to do that? I have seen many variation but no common method. So what is the go-to solution and should it perhaps be documented on the CIDOC CRM site because it is a really common pattern? I have seen the file = E73... just put the file as the URN of the semantic node. But then this means your file is accessible via a URN which is often not the case and anyhow you probably want to distinguish your semantic node which 'stands for' the file from the actual file itself. I have seen and used E41 Appellation as a pattern. So the D1 or E73 p1 is identified by E41 Appellation p190 has symbolic content df:literal "file name value goes here". Here you have a problem that you then need also to store somehow a path by which to reach that on some file system. I guess another alternative would be to use p190 has symbolic content and then throw the file in there as a blob. I don't particularly like this solution, as I would hope to find strings at the end of p190 and not blobs. Would maybe a sub property of p190 'is encoded in file' be an option in order to use the blob solution? Anyhow maybe there are already better solutions than I lay out above, but I would be interested to hear. Also I think it would be great to identify the best practice and put in on the main site so that people follow this strategy consistently. Probably my examples hide multiple use cases requiring different patterns. Anyhow, what do you think? Best, George
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