The Art & Architecture Thesaurus as a LOD standard

28 Februari 2014

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus as a LOD standard

This presentation contains information from Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)® which is made available under the ODC Attribution License

drs. R.G.P. Weda Dutch AAT RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History)

Content Introduction

The RKD

RKD vocabularies

The Getty Vocabularies in LOD

Structure and content of the AAT

The AAT web service / SPARQL-endpoint

Discussion

RKD, Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague

RKD, Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague

RKD, Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague

Controlled Vocabularies RKD

RKDartists

Iconclass

AAT

AAT and Iconclass

AAT and Iconclass

AAT and Iconclass

AAT-Ned webservice

LOD cloud (2010)

AAT: Art & Architecture Thesaurus

ULAN: Union List of Artists Names

TGN: Thesaurus of Geographic Names

CONA: Cultural Object Name Authority

Getty vocabularies

They are all constructed as thesauri

CONA: Eiffel tower ID: 700000116 Record Type: Built Work Titles: Eiffel Tower (preferred,C,U,English-P,U,U) Tour Eiffel (C,U,French,U,U) Three-Hundred-Metre Tower (H,U,undetermined,U,U) Work Types: watchtower [300134522] (preferred) (AAT) Creator Display: architect Eiffel, Gustave (French architect and engineer, 1832-1923) [500000800] (ULAN) Locations: Paris [7008038] V (TGN) Display Materials: structural iron [300011010] (AAT) wrought iron (iron alloy) [300011012] (AAT) exposed frame construction [300310589] (AAT)

Definition of thesaurus • A semantic network of unique concepts

• Thesauri may be monolingual or multilingual

• Thesauri may have the following three relationships:

• Equivalence Relationships

• Hierarchical Relationships

• Associative Relationships

Why still the need for Controlled vocabs?

1. Synonyms • ‘salinity’ and ‘saltiness’

• ‘VHS’ and ‘Very High Frequency’

2. Homonyms Mercury (planet)

Mercury (metal)

Mercury (automobile)

Mercury (mythical being)

The purpose is fiveways 1. For translation 2. For consistency 3. For indication of relationships 4. For labeling and browsing 5. For information retrieval

Developed since 1980

36.000 concepts, and 255.000 terms

Generic concepts for describing objects and images

No names of persons and unique events

‘Cathedal’ yes, but not ‘Chartres cathedral’ (CONA)

Strict editorial control, validation by sources

Thesaurus construction follows ISO standard

Multi-linguality

international scope

Structure of the AAT

AAT is organized for general use

FAQ: why aren't terms organised like I expect them to be. Why aren’t communion cups and chalices narrower terms to church plate?

Communion cups

BT: drinking vessels BT: liturgical vessels

The AAT's organization stresses function and form over the context in which an object is used

The AAT links concepts to an alternate parent using polyhierarchical relationships

Thesaurus relations The Hierarchical Relationship broader- en narrower terms

Thesaurus relations The Equivalence Relationship

Thesaurus relations: Associative Relationship Example for "watercolors" paintings

Relationship Type: 2212 produced by Related Concept: watercolor brushes (<artists' brushes by function>, artists' brushes, ... Furnishings and Equipment)

Relationship Type: 2501 made of/require Related Concept: watercolor (water-base paint, <paint by composition or origin>, ... Materials)

Relationship Type: 2325 created by Related Concept: watercolorists (<painters by technique, implement, or material employed>, implement, ... People)

OBJECTS

MATERIALS

AGENTS

Associated concepts

STYLES and PERIODS

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

ACTIVITIES

copper alloy, bronze

knowledge, satire

Asian, Medieval

sketching, painting

Proofs (prints by function)

mirrors

armors

7 facets

green, acid-free

sculptors, musicians

Road leading to a ‘villa’ Facet: Objects Hierarchy: Single built works Guideterm: <residential structures> <rural houses>

Concept: country houses NT villa’s

Related term: dacha’s

URI Getty: http://vocab.getty.edu/resource/aat/300005517

Subject/object: cathedral 300007501

Creator: role: architect

Creator: name: Antonius Dijkmans

Style: Gothic Revival

Related concept: Roman Catholicism

Material: bricks, plaster, teakwood,

iron, stained glass

Architectural elements:

spires, pointed arches, pipe organs

Etc.

Jakarta Cathedral (1891- 1901)

The web service

• The base URI is http://vocab.getty.edu/

• SPARQL-endpoint

• Standard presentation is SKOS or SKOS-XL

• Mappings and ontology based on RDF/XML and Turtle

• Published versions of lookup lists e.g.,languages, roles, nationalities, place types, and bibliographic sources)

ODC-By licence This [title or report or article or dataset] contains information from Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)® which is made available under the ODC Attribution License

Discussion

Reem Weda Bureau AAT [email protected] [email protected]

Question: LOD is desirable and powerful, but mostly humans do the linking, so how to deal with linking errors.