CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model Special Interest Group

CCRM_To_ISO (meeting in California)

Invitation and agenda for the upcoming joined meeting of the CIDOC Special Interest Group (SIG) and ISO/TC46/SC4/WG9 in Monterey, California, from 19th to 22nd of February 2002.

The main goal of the meeting is the definition of the requirements from Natural History Museums,  discussion and definition of measures to improve the comprehension of the model and its application, in particular Amendments to  scope notes.  You are encouraged to submit more issues for this meeting. This meeting is a chance for all newcomers and members to acquire an understanding of the complete model, because the scope notes of all properties will be discussed!

Interested participants please contact Tony Gill.

Very briefly for newcomers

Newcomers are always welcome!

One of the main principles of the project is openness. All institutions or persons in the cultural domain are invited to attend the working meetings of the project. This intention of co-operation is expressed by offering a half day workshop at the beginning of the meeting to bring all participants on the same level of knowledge. This workshop combines an introduction to semantic information modelling and content mapping methods in relation to the CIDOC-Conceptual Reference Model (CCRM). This meeting is a chance for all newcomers and members to acquire an understanding of the complete model, because the scope notes of all properties will be discussed!

What means CCRM_to_ISO()?

This is simply the process to bring the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model in accordance with the ISO regulations.

What is the CCRM?

The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model is a scientific ontology for the cultural domain with specific extensions for museum administrational pecularities. Within the CIDOC CRM the basic entities and relationships between the things of interest are described in a formal manner. This allows to use the CIDOC CRM as a language to describe common semantics of different data formats used in museums, archives and libraries, and to create effective information integration and data migration systems.

Why is CCRM_To_ISO() so important?

The CIDOC-CRM once established as an ISO Standard is in itself a foundation class for a lot of functionality. The CIDOC-CRM supports information exchange, data interchange, data transformation. By this functionality museums and archives could build an extended methodological and scientific paradigm with respect to their new roles in the information society. A whole world of new or better applications are conceivable, like virtual museum information centres, interlinked archive and museum information, content management applications or solutions for the upcoming digital preservation problems.

Why is the upcoming meeting in California so important?

This meeting will undertake the last capturing of community specific requirements - those of the Natural History Museums. In the sequence, it will focus on measures to support comprehension. This implies decisions on the proposals for improved scope notes, scope notes for properties, and planning of useful companion material that will facilitate your daily work with the model. It is therefore of crucial importance for the success of the CIDOC CRM in daily practice, and, consequently, to make the dream of global information exchange become a reality:

1. Natural History museums requirements. Natural History documentation seems to be particularly rich in the discussion of classification, change of classification of objects, change of classification of species, and the relation between prototypical ojects and classes. But there may be other areas we miss so far. The CIDOC CRM is at least missing a relationship between a prototype and a type. This discussion should close all existing gaps in the CIDOC CRM wrt to Natural History documentation.
2. Editorial Issues: 
   Decision on acceptance or need for rewriting of the property scope notes published before the meeting.
   Decision on scope note issues: 1,2,10,12,37, 71, progress report on issue 3, 16,63,.54,67
3. Validating Applications:
   Discussion on prototypical scenarios of use,  what should be the validating applications, which kinds of supporting documents are needed. Decision on an action plan. See issues nr. 19,22,39,57.
4. Necessary amendments to the CIDOC CRM based on the mappings and prior proposals and issues of logics. Decision on  issues nr. 3,6,12,38,45,47,48,49,53,68 progress report on issues 3,7,14,21,23,36,44,66.
5. Extended documentation:
   Dealing with presentation, good practice, FAQ and interpretation issues. Progress report on issues nr.22,23,35.

Please do not hesitate to submit your issues before this meeting. In order to have an effective discussion an decisions, we prefer new issues raised during this meeting to be discussed in the next meeting.

How to find the meeting Place:

Asilomar Conference Center is 4 km from Monterey center and about 1 km from Pacific Grove at the cost. It is 20 minutes by car from Monterey Peninsula airport, which has flight connection to San Francisco about every hour. Monterey and its surroundings is a place of particular interest and natural beauty. Monterey was the first capital of California and has many historical buildings, museums and the famous aquarium. 

Timetable

Meeting moderation: Martin Doerr