1. Harmonized models for the Digital World: CIDOC CRM and extensions
CIDOC CRM Family
Harmonized models for the Digital World: CIDOC CRM and extensions
Martin Dörr
Center for Cultural Informatics,
Institute of Computer Science
Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas
Nuremberg, Germany
May 19, 2015

2. Standards, Mapping and Data Transformation
Making Standards
The good with standards is there are so many!
When you have a standard,
You need to transform to the standard
You need to renew and adapt the standard
You need to transform to the renewed standards
Why not just transform data?
There are too many transformations, you need a standard

3. CIDOC,CRM and SIG
CIDOC is the International Committee for Documentation
of ICOM the International Council of Museums
CIDOC CRM is the Conceptual Reference Model of CIDOC
CIDOC CRM SIG is the CIDOC CRM Special Interest Group
founded Aug as Working Group of CIDOC;
open to non-ICOM members. Membership is by organisation and a representative,
to develop the CIDOC CRM as ISO standard for information integration of cultural-historical data across institutions,
to act as forum for dissemination and development of good practice of documentation for publication and global integration of cultural-historical data,
to act as forum to foster adequate technology compatible with CIDOC recommendations

4. The CRM Supports Science and Humanities
Phases of the scholarly/scientific process:
collecting and organizing evidence (observation and primary sources)
connecting facts via the things involved
interpreting facts – contextualizing and hypothesis building (dependency & impact)
presenting results - publication
Problem: Billions of facts, artefacts and documents possibly shed light on the past in unexpected contexts across all disciplines and sciences
The CIDOC CRM (ISO21127:2006,2014)
is made for integrating and connecting evidential data and derived facts
It contains the most basic relationships to describe of what happened in the past at a human scale, i.e., people and things meeting in space-time, parts and wholes, use, influence and reference.
more detailed kinds of discourse require extensions…

5. Metadata Are Not Enough!
Type: Text
Title: 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 America
Publisher: State Department
Subject: Postwar division of Europe and Japan
Metadata
Documents
“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…… “
About…

6. Finding Aids Do Not Integrate
Type: Image
Title: Allied Leaders at Yalta
Date:
Publisher: United Press International (UPI)
Source: The Bettmann Archive
Copyright: Corbis
References: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin
Photos, Persons
Metadata
About…

7. Explicit Events, Object Identity, Symmetry
E52 Time-Span
E53 Place
E39 Actor
February 1945
P82 at some time
within
P7 took place at
P11 participated in
E7 Activity
“Crimea Conference”
E38 Image
E39 Actor
P86 falls within
P67 is referred to by
E65 Creation Event *
E39 Actor
E31 Document
“Yalta Agreement”
P14 performed
P81 ongoing throughout
P94 has created
E52 Time-Span
the documents
the world !

8. Top-level classes useful for integration
E55 Types
refer to / refine
E28 Conceptual Objects
E41 Appellations
E39 Actors
refer to / identify
E18 Physical Thing
participate in
affect or / refer to
location
E2 Temporal Entities
E52 Time-Spans
E53 Places at
within

9. 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
E5 Event
Properties: P12 occurred in the presence of (was present at): E77 Persistent Item
P11 had participant (participated in): E39 Actor
E7 Activity
Properties: P14 carried out by (performed): E39 Actor
P20 had specific purpose (was purpose of): E5 Event
P21 had general purpose (was purpose of): E55 Type
P16 used specific object (was used for): E70 Thing
P125 used object of type (was type of object used in) E55 Type
IsA
IsA
IsA

10. CRM: “What happened (to…) ?”
Example:
(inferred from inscription…)

11. The CRM becomes an open “family of models”
Extending the CRM
The CRM standardizes only stable concepts for information sharing.
local extensions are encouraged for subjective concepts and local practices
using the CRM starts with 1 property and does not restrict data to CRM
We have now created a modular structure
Maintaining a core so that all extensions are (property) specializations
All more detailed facts can be reached by querying core concepts
For being interoperable, no more restriction of data to a “core vocabulary”!
What is “core” is not historical, not community domination, but the dynamic result of applying functional principles.
CRM is an open invitation to extend it by sharing, respecting and evolving common concepts:
The CRM becomes an open “family of models”

12. Outcome: CRM compatible Extensions
FRBRoo: modelling the new library practice of IFLA (approved)
a causal model of intellectual creation and derivation
how to identify intellectual content
the thing and the word: integrating museum and library perspectives
PRESSoo: modelling journals and serials (approved)
CRMInf: who said that? – from data to knowledge (under review)
integrating data with their scholarly justification
being validated with scholarly annotations

13. Outcome: CRM compatible Extensions
CRMsci: a Scientific Observation model (under review)
generalizes over INSPIRE, OBOE, SEEK, Darwin Core
generalizes concepts of units of matter and their “(physical) genesis”
introduces concept of observation and data evaluation
validated in archeology, biodiversity and geology
CRMarchaeo/CRMBA: an Excavation model (under review)
introduces concepts of stratigraphy and excavation
being validated by archaeological records

14. Outcome: CRM compatible Extensions
CRMgeo: a Spatiotemporal model (to be reviewed)
integrates CRM with OGC standards
a complete model of phenomena occupying spacetime (consistent with modern physics)
integrates geometry- and semantics-derived topological relations
core concepts being integrated into CRM
CRMdig: a model of Digitization processes (to be reviewed)
validated in European & US projects, to be adapted to CRMsci
….give us your extension for review and approval !

15. CIDOC CRM extension suite
Conceptual Reference Model (CRM)
CRM
Few concepts,
high recall
Event
Thing
happened at
Actor
was present at
FRBRoo
Special concepts,
high precision
CRMSci
CRMInf
CRMGeo
PRESSoo
CRMArcheo
CRMDig

16. “do you have a translation of…?”
FRBROO :
“who’s idea was that?”
“do you have a translation of…?”

17. The Externalization A Causal Interpretation of FRBR
Creation
E12
Production
E28
Conceptual
Object
F28 Expression
Creation
F3 Manifestation
Production Type
F32 Carrier
Production
Event
R4 carriers provided by (comprises carriers of)
R28 produced
(was produced by)
R19 created a realization of
(was realised through)
R17 created
(was created by)
E24
Physical
Man-Made
Thing
F1 Work
E84
Information
Carrier
F2 Expression
R18 created (was created by)
R7 is example of (has example)
R9 is realised in (realises)
F15 Complex
Work
F14 Individual
Work
F22 Self Contained
Expression
F23 Expression
Fragment
F4 Manifestation
Singleton
F5 Item
here it becomes real!

18. F22 Self-Contained Expression
Performing Arts : An “Added Value” Chain
F15 Complex Work
“Henry IV ” Idea
R10 has member
(is member of)
R10 has member
(is member of)
F16 Container Work
R10 has member
(is member of)
F15 Complex Work
“Henry IV part 1 ” Idea
F15 Complex Work
“Henry IV part 2 ” Idea
F21 Recording Work
“Henry IV part 1 ” Idea of
recording
F20 Performance Work
“Henry IV part 1 ” Idea of
mise-en-scene
R2 is derivative of (has derivative)
F15 Complex Work
“Henry IV part 1 ” Idea
Adaptation
R22 realised
(was realised through)
R19 created a realisation of
(was realised through)
F29 Recording Event
Recording Performance 25/12/07 action
R19 created a realisation of
(was realised through)
F28 Expression Creation
Adaptation of Henry IV part 1 action
F28 Expression Creation
Henry IV part 1 mise-en-scene action
R20 recorded
(was recorded though)
F31 Performance
Performance 25/12/07 action
R13 is realised in (realises)
R12 is realised in (realises)
R9 is realised in (realises)
R21 created
(was created by)
R17 created
(was created by)
R17 created
(was created by)
R25 performed (was performed in)
F25 Performance Plan
Henry IV part 1 “mise-en-scène” guidelines
F26 Recording
Henry IV part 1 Play 25/12/07 DVD
F22 Self-Contained Expression
Henry IV part 1 Adaptation Text
R14 incorporates (is incorporated in)
R14 incorporates (is incorporated in)

19. CRMinf :
“why is it true that?”

20. The Three Sources of Scientific Knowledge
has belief time
E13 Attribute Assignment
E52 Time-Span is
Belief Value
resulted in
or confirms
Belief
(True, False, Unknown)
Here is CRMInf:
that
Argumentation
Proposition
relates to is
about
E1 CRM Entity
Inference Making
Belief Adoption
E1 CRM Entity
Observation
Here is any
Information System
Data Evaluation
Simulation
Here is CRMSci !
CRMSci:
Knowledge from observation, data evaluation and (computer)simulation
(engineered from OBOE, SEEK, INSPIRE Darwin Core etc)
property
CRM Entity
CRMSci Entity
IsA
CRMInf Entity

21. Modelling my Beliefs in Evolutions A, B and C
E39 Actor
Stephen
I5 Inference Making
Evolution Decision
I2 Belief
Stephen’s Belief in Evolution A of Misc 4
P14 carried out by
J2 concluded that
J1 used as premise
J3 applies
J4 that
J5 holds to be
I2 Belief
BM Belief in Spatial Relations of Misc 4
I3 Inference Logic
Catalogue Text Rules
I4 Proposition Set
was written after
I6 Belief Value
True
J4 that
J5 holds to be
I4 Proposition Set
is left of main margin
I6 Belief Value
True
Hans Sloane collection inventory entry

22. “what have you seen there?” “how did you calculate that?”
CRMsci
“what have you seen there?”
“how did you calculate that?”

23. t S Scanning and 3D Model Creation as Meetings Museum It-Lab 3D model
coherence volume of rendering
coherence volume of mesh-creation
mesh-data
2nd Computer
scanner
scan-data
1st Computer
museum
object
operator
coherence volume of acquisition S
Museum
It-Lab

24. What means“Finding”: the Encounter Event
E7 Activity
S19 Encounter Event
Scope Note:
Activities of S4 Observation (substance) where an E39 Actor encounters an instance of E18 Physical Thing of a kind relevant for the mission of the observation or regarded as potentially relevant for some community (identity). This observation produces knowledge about the existence of the respective thing at a particular place in or on surrounding matter. This knowledge may be new to the group of people the actor belongs to. In that case we would talk about a discovery.
E16 Measurement
S4 Observation
S21 Measurement
S19 Encounter Event
O21 has found at
O19 has found object
E53 Place
E18 Physical Thing
E92 Spacetime Volume
S20 / E26 Physical Feature
O22 partly or
completely contains
O23 is defined by
E25 Man-Made Feature
E27 Site
S22 Segment of Matter
property
CRM Entity
IsA
CRMSci Entity

25. Biodiversity App: “Occurrence Discourse”
E52 Time-Span 11/10/2009
E53 Place
Haifa Bay
E21 Person
S. Faulwetter
P4 has timespan
P10 falls within
P14 carried out by
BC14 Ecosystem Environment
Haifa Bay Ecosystem No
P7 took place at
S19 Encounter Event urn:catalog:IOL:POLY:Sphaerosyllis -levantina-ALA-IL-7-Oct.2009
P2 has type
BT7 Ecosystem
Type
sandy - muddy sediments
O32 has found object
BC38 Biotic Element
Sphaero-levantina-003
P125 used object of type
BT11 Equipment
Type WA265/SS214
P127 has broader term
BT11 Equipment
Type Van Veen Grab

26. CRMArcheo / CRMBA:
“what was here before?”

27. AP13 has stratigraphic relation
CRMarcheo: Excavation is Observation
A1 Excavation Process Unit
A1 Excavation Process Unit
AP4 created surface
. S1 with stratigraphic method
AP4 created surface
. S2 with spit method
Here it is a visualization of what we mean by Stratigraphic Unit
A7Embedding
A3 Stratigraphic Interface
A2 Stratigraphic Deposit Unit
AP7 produced
AP7 produced
A4 Stratigraphic Genesis
AP13 has stratigraphic relation
“after”
A4 Stratigraphic Genesis

28. Example: Embedding “positioning” “a state, a refinement of position”
A1 Excavation Process Unit
E5 Event
P9 consists of
S16 State
“positioning”
S19 Encounter Event
AP17 is found by
“a state, a refinement of position”
AP15 has found object
A7 Embedding
AP18 is embedding of
AP20 is embedding at
AP19 is embedding in
E18 Physical Thing
E53Place
A2 Stratigraphic Volume Unit
“the Physical Object has a position at least
up to the point of discovery”
“reference space that is
relative to the Context Stuff”

29. A Competitor: The PROV-O Ontology
prov:wasDerivedFrom
prov:value
Literal
prov:alternateOf
prov:Entity
prov:wasAttributedTo
prov:specializationOf
prov:Agent
prov:actedOnBehalfOf
prov:wasInvalidatedBy
prov:wasStartedBy
prov:wasEndedBy
prov:wasAssociatedWith
prov:used
prov:wasGeneratedBy
prov:Person
prov:Organization
prov:startedAtTime
prov:Activity
dateTime
prov:SoftwareAgent
prov:endedAtTime
prov:wasInformedBy
property
Generalization

30. Conclusions The CIDOC CRM with its extensions allows to create
global networks of integrated knowledge
about human history, its evidence and scientific observation regardless discipline and in surprising detail,..
(CRMSci is currently the most powerful generic e-Science ontology)
….and you can add more detail.
But remember:
KR technology (RDF) is made for data with potentially global relations.
and
The CRM does not tell you what to document!
With 4 CRM properties only you can already describe a story!