Translation of CIDOC Reference Model

CIDOC and BCC

The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model describes desired metadata elements. It describes museum activities such as acquisition and attribution in at least as much detail as the subject matter of works. Nevertheless it is useful to show that each of these metadata elements could be captured in a straightforward manner with Basic Concepts Classification (BCC) terminology. The outline and notation of the BCC is available under Basic Concepts Classification (Web version 2013)

I have thus taken the following table from CIDOC and describe within square brackets how each element in the CIDOC model might be rendered within BCC. Note that CIDOC elements are only addressed the first time that they appear in the table (that is, the non-italicized entries.)

I would note that there are advantages in search when the same controlled vocabulary is used to capture not just subject but all other attributes of a museum artefact.

Note that for properties, CIDOC defines a possible range and domain for each property. I have deleted the range and domain columns, since BCC practices free combination. Note that the exact same property is often listed multiple times (associated with a different domain and range). Translation is only provided for the first usage. Note also that most properties in CIDOC are actually relators within BCC.

The Source: Definition of the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model. Produced by the ICOM/CIDOC Documentation Standards Group, Continued by the CIDOC CRM Special Interest Group, Version 5.1.2, October 2013. Current Main Editors: Patrick Le Boeuf, Martin Doerr, Christian Emil Ore, Stephen Stead. Contributors: Trond Aalberg, Detlev Balzer, Chryssoula Bekiari, Lina Boudouri, Nick Crofts, Gordon Dunsire, Øyvind Eide, Tony Gill, Günther Goerz, Monika Hagedorn-Saupe, Gerald Hiebel, Jon Holmen, Juha Inkari, Dolores Iorizzo, Juha Kotipelto, Siegfried Krause, Karl Heinz Lampe, Carlos Lamsfus, Jutta Lindenthal, Mika Nyman, Pat Riva, Lene Rold, Richard Smiraglia, Regine Stein, Matthew Stiff, Maja Žumer. Copyright © 2003 ICOM/CIDOC CRM Special Interest Group. [This version is only slightly different from the last ‘official’ version from 2011 on the CIDOC website at http://www.cidoc-crm.org/definition_cidoc.html. The few changes are highlighted below.]

CIDOC CRM Class Hierarchy

CIDOC CRM Property Hierarchy: