1. The Vocabulary Mapping Framework matrix
Gordon Dunsire
Presented to the Workshop on Conceptual Modelling for Archives, Libraries and Museums
28-29 Jan 2010, National Gallery, Helsinki

2. Vocabulary Mapping Framework
Funded by UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)
Only first stage funded
Major expansion of the RDA/ONIX framework for resource categorization
To create a tool to support the automated mapping of vocabularies from metadata standards of use to the JISC community
Research, teaching, learning environments
Project conducted during second half of 2009

3. A starting point: RDA outreach
Resource Description and Access
RDA outreach to other communities
RDA/ONIX framework
RDA and publishing community
DCMI (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative) RDA Task Group
Members from Dublin Core, IEEE-Learning Object Metadata, RDA, and W3C communities
Expressing RDA element set and value vocabularies in Resource Description Framework (RDF)
See D-Lib Magazine January/February 2010

4. RDA alignment
RDA alignment with recent metadata models developed by IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)
Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR)
Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD)
Statement of International Cataloguing Principles
Stimulated IFLA project to develop RDF representation of FRBR (entity-relationship) model
RDF awaiting final approval

5. Other IFLA activity
Study group to consider RDF/XML representation of International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD)
Model underpinning many national cataloguing schema, including MARC21
Task group to consider general support for RDF/XML namespaces for IFLA “standards”
Consolidation of “FR” family of models, including Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data (FRSAD) when finalised (2010+)

6. Linked data (2009, mostly)
Increasing presence of “expert” metadata in the linked data pool
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
With relators to Rameau (French subject heading scheme) terms
Top-level Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) notations and captions (1000+)
In 9 languages
Top-level Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) notations and captions real soon now

7. Opportunities and possibilities
If metadata schema (MARC21, UNIMARC, RDA, ISBD) in RDF
Then easier to parse instance data (catalogue records) into RDF
If very large quantities of legacy instance data available in RDF
Then latent associations (relationships) can be identified using statistical inferencing
E.g. Mapping of DDC notations to LCSH (WebDewey)
If critical mass of rich (diverse) RDF triples
Then utility of Semantic Web increases

8. VMF requirements
VMF goal is to automatically compute the “best fit” mappings between any two pre-defined vocabularies
Scalable and extensible to accommodate new and changing vocabularies
Flexible to allow engagement by different communities in various stages of vocabulary development and mapping
Non-prescriptive to encourage uptake
And allow use beyond VMF (and RDF) environment

9. VMF vocabularies
FRAD, FRBR, MARC21, RDA (libraries)
ONIX (book/serials publishing)
DDEX (recorded music)
Dublin Core (web metadata)
LOM SCORM (education)
DOI (any content)
CIDOC CRM (museums and archives)
MPEG21 RDD (digital rights)
RDA ONIX Framework (libraries and publishing)
Focus on Resource and Party (Agent) categories and relators between them
Increasing use of relators instead of attributes

10. VMF data model
Based on Rightscom’s COA model, which grew from the <indecs> framework
Has much in common with FRBR and CIDOC CRM
Terms are mapped into an ontology (the VMF matrix) built up from “families” of concepts based on verbs
Concept families provide all possible points (“nodes”) in the VMF matrix for vocabulary terms to be mapped.
Nodes are generated automatically

11. Concept family
Accommodates terms for roles, bi-directional relator pairs, uni-directional relators (properties), classes and attributes
FRBR class “Choreography”
vmf:ChoreographedDance
RDA role “choreographer”
vmf:ChoreographedDance_DanceChoreographer
RDA/ONIX attribute “language”
vmf:LexicalWork
DDEX role “Author”
Vmf:LexicalWork_Writer

12. vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator
Mapping to the matrix
Every term in a vocabulary is given an equivalent term in a VMF concept family…
vmf:Adaptor
vmf:WordsAdaptor
vmf:Translator
vmf:SubtitlesTranslator
vmf:WordsCreator
vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator
vmf:Commentator
onix:Translated by
ddex:Translator
Ddex:SubtitlesTranslator
onix:Translated with
commentary by
From: Godfrey Rust (Rightscom) – How the VMF matrix works, Nov 2009

13. ddex:SubtitlesTranslator vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator
Mapping scheme to scheme
Queries can then be used to find the “best fit” mappings between two terms or complete vocabularies.
vmf:WordsCreator
vmf:Adaptor
vmf:WordsAdaptor
vmf:Commentator
onix:Translated by
vmf:Translator
ddex:Translator
vmf:SubtitlesTranslator
ddex:SubtitlesTranslator
vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator
onix:Translated with
commentary by
From: Godfrey Rust (Rightscom) – How the VMF matrix works, Nov 2009

14. Ddex:SubtitlesTranslator vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator
Mapping scheme to scheme
Queries can then be used to find the “best fit” mappings between two terms or complete vocabularies.
vmf:WordsCreator
vmf:Adaptor
vmf:WordsAdaptor
vmf:Commentator
onix:Translated by
vmf:Translator
ddex:Translator
vmf:SubtitlesTranslator
Ddex:SubtitlesTranslator
vmf:TranslatorAndCommentator
onix:Translated with
commentary by
From: Godfrey Rust (Rightscom) – How the VMF matrix works, Nov 2009

15. VMF matrix Available (some constraints) from: Contains approximately:
Contains approximately:
10 schemes
53 vocabularies mapped in whole or part
500+ concept families
8000+ unique terms
30,000+ RDF triples
RDF triples in TTL format
With or without sample vocabulary mappings
Some documentation also available

16. Some applications Metadata cross-walks
Between different vocabularies
E.g. Publisher metadata (ONIX) and library metadata (RDA)
Mapping of local, bespoke metadata schemes
From local scheme to global framework
Local metadata often specialised, specific, and unique

17. Identification VMF namespace URI for every mapped vocabulary term
Linked to published (scheme) URI for term
Scheme URI to be used as external referent
VMF is a black box
If term not mapped within VMF
Add to VMF
Forces review of internal VMF mappings
If no scheme URI, use VMF URI as referent?
Map to term already mapped within VMF
owl:equivalentClass; owl:equivalentProperty

18. Thank you g.dunsire@strath.ac.uk VMF website