UKOLN - Projects - IEMSR - Model for Dublin Core Application Profile (DCAP)

Introduction
Definitions
Dublin Core Application Profiles and Property Usages
Dublin Core Application Profiles and Bindings
Entities and their Attributes/Relationships
Vocabularies (IEMSR)
Examples

1. Introduction

A Dublin Core Application Profile (DCAP) is a declaration specifying, at a minimum, which properties are used within a particular metadata application. Optionally, an application profile may describe how those properties have been constrained or adapted for particular purposes.

2. Definitions

a resource is anything that has identity
- a resource is related to one or more classes by a type relationship, and is said to be an instance of those classes
a metadata vocabulary is a set of properties, classes and datatypes
a property is a type of relationship between two resources
- a property is a term of exactly one metadata vocabulary
- a property may be related to another property by a sub-property relationship: this states that all resources related by the first property are also related by the second property
a class is a group of resources
- a class is a term of exactly one metadata vocabulary
- a class may be related to another class by a sub-class relationship: this states that all instances of the first class are are also instances of the second class
- a member of a class is referred to as an instance of the class. e.g. If a class represents a controlled vocabulary, then the individual terms or values in that controlled vocabulary are instances of that class.
a datatype consists of a set of character strings (the lexical space), a set of values (the value space) and a mapping from the lexical space to the value space.
a schema document describes
- one metadata vocabulary and its constituent properties, classes and datatypes
- one or more sets of instances of classes that represent controlled vocabularies. The instances may be described in a separate schema document from the class that represents the controlled vocabulary

Entity-Relation model for Metadata Vocabulary

Figure 1: Metadata Vocabulary

3. Dublin Core Application Profiles and Property Usages

A DCAP is a set of property usages. Each property usage must reference an existing property from a metadata vocabulary. Since an application typically deals with the description of multiple related resources, and a single property may be used in the description of multiple resources, each property usage must specify the type of resource to which this usage of the property applies.

A property usage

must use one property from an existing metadata vocabulary;
must specify one subject type to which these constraints on the property apply;
may provide additional documentation on how the property is interpreted for the description of an instance of this resource type in the context of this application;
may provide an application-specific label for the property
may specify obligation for the use of the property (whether it is mandatory, optional, conditional)
may specify constraints on the occurrence of the property
may specify constraints on the permitted values of the property i.e. may specify "encoding schemes" for the property. Values may be specified to be either
- instances of specified classes; or
- instances of specified literal datatypes
a schema document describes one DCAP and its constituent property usages

Figure 2: Dublin Core Application Profile

4. Dublin Core Application Profiles and Bindings

A DCAP

may be associated with one or more binding schemas (e.g. a set of XML Schemas) that describe the structure of a metadata record conforming to this DCAP

5. Entities and their attributes/relationships

5.1 Agency

An Agency is an entity responsible for managing one or more Metadata Vocabularies or Application Profiles and their components.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
Identifier	A URI Reference which identifies the agency	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Name	The name of the agency	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Description	A description of the agency	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Home Page	A human-readable document that provides more information about the agency	Optional	Max=1	Document
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this agency	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

5.2 Schema Document

An Schema Document is a document containing a machine-readable description of a Metadata Vocabulary, a DC Application Profile and/or one or more sets of instances/individuals. A Schema Document may be created by the DCAP editor tool or it may be created by some other means.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
Identifier	A URI Reference which identifies the schema document	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Title	A title for the schema document	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Description	A description of the schema document	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Date modified	The date on which this schema document was last modified	Mandatory	Max=1	Literal, xsd:date
Publisher	An agency that publishes this schema document	Mandatory	Max=unbounded	*Agency*

5.3 Metadata Vocabulary

A Metadata Vocabulary is a set of metadata terms (properties, classes, and instances of those classes) managed as a coherent unit by an agency.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
URI Reference	A URI Reference which identifies the metadata vocabulary	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Title	The name or title of the metadata vocabulary	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Version	An indicator of the version of the metadata vocabulary	Mandatory	Max=1	Literal, xsd:string
Date modified	The date on which this metadata vocabulary was last modified	Mandatory	Max=1	Literal, xsd:date
Status	An indicator of the status of the metadata vocabulary	Optional	Max=1	*Vocabulary-Profile Status*
Description	A summary of the scope and purpose of the metadata vocabulary	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Specification	A human-readable document that provides more information about the metadata vocabulary	Optional	Max=unbounded	Document
Preferred XML Namespace Name	The preferred XML Namespace Name to be used when using terms from this vocabulary in an RDF/XML document	Optional	Max=1	Literal, xsd:string
Preferred XML Namespace Prefix	The preferred Namespace Prefix to be used when using terms from this vocabulary in an RDF/XML document	Optional	Max=1	Literal, xsd:string
Administrator	An agency that manages this metadata vocabulary	Mandatory	Max=unbounded	*Agency*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this metadata vocabulary	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

5.4 Property

A Property is a type of relation between two resources.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
URI Reference	A URI Reference which identifies the property	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Label	A human-readable label assigned to the property	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Status	An indicator of the status of the property	Optional	Max=1	*Term Status*
Definition	A statement of the concept and essential nature of the property	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Comment/Usage Note	Additional information about the property or its use	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Subproperty Of/Refines	A property of which this property is a subproperty	Optional	Max=unbounded	*Property*
Is Term In	The metadata vocabulary of which this property is a member term	Mandatory	Max=1	*Metadata Vocabulary*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this property	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

Should this also include rdfs:domain and rdfs:range? Or owl:equivalentProperty?

5.5 Class

A Class is a set of resources.

A resource is related to one or more classes by a type relationship, and is said to be an instance of those classes. If a class represents a controlled vocabulary, then the individual terms or values in that controlled vocabulary are instances of that class.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
URI Reference	A URI Reference which identifies the class	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Label	A human-readable label assigned to the class	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Status	An indicator of the status of the class	Optional	Max=1	*Term Status*
Description	A statement of the concept and essential nature of the class	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Comment/Usage Note	Additional information about the class or its use	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Subclass Of	A class of which this class is a subclass	Optional	Max=unbounded	*Class*
Is Term In	The metadata vocabulary of which this class is a member term	Mandatory	Max=1	*Metadata Vocabulary*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this class	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

Should this include owl:equivalentClass?

5.6 Instance/Individual

A resource is related to one or more classes by a type relationship and is said to be an instance of those classes. The instances the IEMSR is concerned with are the values which make up a controlled vocabulary: the controlled vocabulary is represented by a class and the individual terms or values are instances of that class.

N.B. an instance may also be a class, as is the case with the values of the DCMI Type Vocabulary.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
URI Reference	A URI Reference which identifies the instance	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Label	A human-readable label assigned to the instance	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Status	An indicator of the status of the instance	Optional	Max=1	*Term Status*
Description	A statement of the concept representec by the instance	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Type	The metadata vocabulary of which this instance is a member term	Mandatory	Max=1	*Metadata Vocabulary*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this instance	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

5.7 Datatype

Allow XML Schema datatypes only?

5.8 DC Application Profile

A Dublin Core Application Profile (DCAP) is a declaration specifying, at a minimum, which properties are used within a metadata application. Optionally, an application profile may describe how those properties have been constrained or adapted for particular purposes. A DCAP is a set of property usages managed as a coherent unit by an agency.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
URI Reference	A URI Reference which identifies the DC application profile	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Title	The name or title of the DC application profile	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Version	An indicator of the version of the DC application profile	Optional	Max=1	Literal, xsd:string
Status	An indicator of the status of the DC application profile	Optional	Max=1	*Vocabulary-Profile Status*
Description	A summary of the scope and purpose of the DC application profile	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Specification	A document that provides more information about the DC application profile	Optional	Max=unbounded	Document
Administrator	An agency that manages the DC application profile	Mandatory	Max=unbounded	*Agency*
Expressed By	A binding schema used to structure metadata records conforming to this DC application profile	Optional	Max=unbounded	*Binding Schema*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this DC application profile	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

5.9 Property Usage

A Property Usage is a description of how a previously declared property from a metadata vocabulary is deployed in the context of an application.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
URI Reference	A URI Reference which identifies the property usage	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Uses Property	A property which is used in this DC Application Profile	Mandatory	Max=1	*Property*
Subject Type	A class which is the type of resource to which these constraints on the property apply	Mandatory	Max=1	*Class*
Label	A human-readable label assigned to the property, in the context of this DC application profile	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Status	An indicator of the status of the property usage.	Optional	Max=1	*Term Status*
Definition	A statement of the concept and essential nature of the property, as it is used in this DC Application Profile	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Comment/Usage Note	Additional information about the property or its use specific to this DC Application Profile	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Obligation	An indication of whether a statement using the property is required to occur when describing this subject type in a metadata record conforming to this DC Application Profile	Mandatory	Max=1	*Obligation*
Condition	A description of the condition or conditions according to which a statement using the property should be present when describing this subject type in a metadata record conforming to this DC Application Profile	Conditional (Mandatory if Obligation = Conditional)	Max=1	Literal, xsd:string
Occurrences	The maximum permitted number of occurrences of statements using the property to describe this subject type in a metadata record conforming to this DC Application Profile	Mandatory	Max=1	Literal, xsd:int or "unbounded"
Uses Encoding Scheme (Datatype)	A datatype of which the literal value of the property is an instance, when the property is used to describe this subject type in a metadata record conforming to this DC Application Profile	Optional	Max=unbounded	*Datatype*
Uses Encoding Scheme (Object Type)	A class of which the value of the property is an instance, when the property is used to describe this subject type in a metadata record conforming to this DC Application Profile	Optional	Max=unbounded	*Class*
Is Property Usage In	The DC Application Profile of which this property usage is a member	Mandatory	Max=1	*DC Application Profile*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this property usage	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

If a Property Usage is the subject of multiple Has Encoding Scheme relations, they value of the property must be an instance of any one of the classes i.e. a union operation is implied.

To specify that an occurrence of the property with a value of a particular type is required, and values of other types are optional, use multiple Property Usages: one specifying that occurrence is mandatory and a Has Encoding Scheme relation for the required class, and a second specifying that occurrence is optional with multiple Has Encoding Scheme relations for the optional classes.

5.10 Binding Schema

A Binding Schema is a document containing a machine-readable description of how to structure a metadata record conforming to a DC Application Profile.

Attribute Name	Definition	Obligation	Occurrence	Value
Identifier	A URI Reference which identifies the binding schema	Mandatory	Max=1	URI
Title	A title for the binding schema	Mandatory	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Description	A description of the binding schema	Optional	Max=1 Max=unbounded if allowing for multiple languages	Literal, xsd:string
Type	The type of the binding schema	Mandatory	Max=1	*Binding Schema Type*
Date modified	The date on which this binding schema was last modified	Mandatory	Max=1	Literal, xsd:date
Publisher	An agency that publishes this binding schema	Mandatory	Max=unbounded	*Agency*
Is Defined By	A schema document that describes this binding schema	Mandatory	Max=1	*Schema Document*

6. Vocabularies (IEMSR)

6.1 Vocabulary-Profile Status

private
draft
proposed recommendation
recommendation

6.2 Obligation

mandatory
optional
optional (recommended)
conditional

6.3 Term Status

private
unstable
testing
stable

6.4 Binding Schema Type

XML DTD
W3C XML Schema
RELAX NG
Schematron

7. Example

To be completed

JISC IE Metadata Schema Registry

Model for Dublin Core Application Profile (DCAP)