2017-08-09 | WCJS #810

Linked Open Data in Jewish Studies

Sharing Data

The Case of Jewish Funerary Inscriptions Databases

Data: https://github.com/KollatzThomas/2017_Jerusalem_WCJS
Slides: https://kollatzthomas.github.io/2017_Jerusalem_WCJS

Thomas Kollatz | @kol_t | KollatzThomas | CC-BY 4.0
Mainz – Academy of Science and Literature | Digital Academy
Essen – Steinheim-Institute for German-Jewish History

01

databases & structured access

Epigraphic databases

	IIP – Inscriptions of Israel \| Palestine	epidat – Database of Jewish Epigraphy
online
inscriptions	3.423	33.065
time	500 BCE - 640 CE	mid 11^th - 20^th century CE
space	Israel \| Palestine	Germany \| Netherlands \| Czechia \| Lithunia
content	different types of inscriptions	funerary inscriptions

IIP – access options

http://library.brown.edu/cds/projects/iip/search/

Search

via text
via indices

http://library.brown.edu/cds/projects/iip/search/

text-based search

text | translation
description | place | id
figures

http://library.brown.edu/cds/projects/iip/search/

index-based search

places
dates
type of Inscription
form of Inscription | physical Type
language
religion

epidat – access options

http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat

Browse

chronological
- by year
- by period
topographical
- by place
- by region
- by map
visual – by images

http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat

Access

via full-text search
via indices
- artists and stonemasons
- memorials
- symbols
  - ornaments
  - house-symbols
- persons
- languages
- words and abbrevations
- quotations

http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat

Analyze /w embedded webservices

for visualization
- DARIAH-DE Geo-Browser
for annotation
- DARIAH-DE Annotation Service

02

data & controlled vocabularies

shared format

☞ one format for (two) epigraphic databases

EpiDoc: Epigraphic documents in TEI XML

IIP	epidat
The texts are extensively marked-up as part of their addition to the database. We are using the Epidoc schema and Guidelines to mark up our inscriptions. Epidoc is a customization of the Text Encoding Initiative schema that was developed specifically for marking up inscribed objects. Rather than treating the text as the primary object (with the goal of moving it relatively easily to publication), our mark-up treats the inscribed object as primary.	epidat records are provided in different data-formats as html as EpiDoc: Epigraphic Documents in TEI XML as plain text
Inscriptions may be accessed via an API	epidat records are machine-readable and can be harvested, How to harvest epidat records

IIP

epidat

The texts are extensively marked-up as part of their addition to the database. We are using the Epidoc schema and Guidelines to mark up our inscriptions. Epidoc is a customization of the Text Encoding Initiative schema that was developed specifically for marking up inscribed objects. Rather than treating the text as the primary object (with the goal of moving it relatively easily to publication), our mark-up treats the inscribed object as primary.

epidat records are provided in different data-formats
as html
as EpiDoc: Epigraphic Documents in TEI XML
as plain text

Inscriptions may be accessed via an API

epidat records are machine-readable and can be harvested, How to harvest epidat records

definitions

What is XML

XML: Extensible Markup Language

semantic in stead of typography
device-independent and system-independent storing and processing of texts in electronic form
interchange and communication format

Generalizing … we define markup, or (synonymously) encoding, as any means of making explicit an interpretation of a text.

A Gentle Introduction to XML

What is TEI XML

TEI: Text Encoding Initiative

[The TEI] is a consortium which collectively develops and maintains a standard for the representation of texts in digital form. Its chief deliverable is a set of Guidelines which specify encoding methods for machine-readable texts

http://www.tei-c.org

TEI delivers Guidelines

example

Something is [rotten] in the state of Denmark

<p>
 Something is 
   <damage agent="inkstain"
           extent="6" 
           unit="chars">
       <supplied cert="high" 
                 confidence="100" 
                 reason="damage" 
                 evidence="external"
                 resp="editio_princeps">
           rotten
       </supplied>
   </damage> in the state of 
   <placeName ref="http://vocab.getty.edu/tgn/1000066">
       Denmark
   </placeName>
</p>

☞ Use of TEI XML is Close Reading ☜

what is EpiDoc

EpiDoc TEI XML: Epigraphic Documents in TEI XML

EpiDoc is an international, collaborative effort that provides guidelines and tools for encoding scholarly and educational editions of ancient documents. It uses a subset of the Text Encoding Initiative's standard for the representation of texts in digital form and was developed initially for the publication of digital editions of ancient inscriptions [...]It addresses not only the transcription and editorial treatment of texts themselves, but also the history and materiality of the objects on which the texts appear.

https://sourceforge.net/p/epidoc/wiki/Home/
http://www.stoa.org/epidoc/gl/latest/

exampel

XML-paths works both for

IIP,
epidat,
as well as many other EpiDoc encoded research data

<!-- path to edition -->
/TEI//body//div [@type='edition']

<!-- path to settlement -->
/TEI/teiHeader/fileDesc/sourceDesc/msDesc/history//settlement

<!-- metadata -->
/TEI/teiHeader 
                    
<!-- data -->
/TEI/test

authority files & controlled vocabularies

IIP

places – Pleiades

epidat

places – Thesaurus of Geographic Names [TGN]
names – German National Library Identificators [GND]

work in progress – physical form | symbols | material

Arts and Architecture Thesaurus to improve access to information about art, architecture, and material culture [AAT]
Iconclass a multilingual classification system for cultural content
EAGLE vocabularies

By using controlled vocabularies project-specific findings are addressed by unique identifiers [digital shelf mark]

example

http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat?id=hha-2338

Grabmal

  sameAs 
                            
מצבה

  sameAs 

τάφος

  sameAs 

sepulchral monument

  sameAs                            

http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300005909

example

<!-- person -->
<profileDesc>
 <particDesc>
    <listPerson>
        <person xml:id="ffb-80-1" sex="1">
            <persName ref="http://d-nb.info/gnd/11879132X">
             Meir Rothschild ben Anschel Rothschild
            </persName>
            <death when="1812-09-19"/> 
        </person>
    </listPerson>
 </particDesc>
 <langUsage>
    <language ident="he" usage="100">Hebrew</language>
 </langUsage>
 </profileDesc>

http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat?id=ffb-80-teip5

Good preconditions for Linked Open Data

IIP and epidat provide research data

system-independent

in a documented standard format

with controlled vocabularies

via machine readable interfaces

under an open licence

03

linked open data

Explicit Semantics

                                                 
                 
Subject    <http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat?id=ffb-80-1> 
             
Predicate  sameAs 
                        
Object     <http://d-nb.info/gnd/11879132X> 

.

Linked [Open] Data need access to data, whereby relationship between those data should be made explicit

more: https://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/data

Linked Open Data – in practice

http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat?id=ffb-80-1
http://steinheim-institut.de/daten/beacon.txt

By providing the GND-Identification-number more information about the person in question is on the fly dynamically provided by harvesting other online databases, which also refer to the person with the unique identifier 11879132X

easy
effective
inspiring new | further research
vice versa: our data a available outside our limited domain

challenge

How to dis|un|cover the unexpected ?

Names, Persons, Symbols, ornaments, decoration, etc. found on Jewish headstones as well as biblical and rabbinic quotations or poetry as part of the epitaphs or the materials of the headstones or the type of script used are not strictly limited to the field of epigraphy or Jewish Studies.

Linked Open Data could help to disseminate more or less accidental spinoff-results

Linked Open Data are a way to make known all kind of facts uncovered in epigraphic research to neighbouring knowledge sectors (Jewish studies, Cultural Studies, History of Art, and Literature)

source: Rufus Pollock

Linked Open Data

Modelling – From EpiDoc TEI XML to CidocCRM

CIDOC CRM: The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) provides definitions and a formal structure for describing the implicit and explicit concepts and relationships used in cultural heritage documentation.
http://www.cidoc-crm.org

Linked Data – Tripels

From EpiDoc – TEI XML
via xTripels webservice
to semantic RDF statements (Triples)

demo: http://xtriples.spatialhumanities.de
code: https://github.com/spatialhumanities/xtriples
presentation: Torsten Schrade (Digitale Akademie Mainz): CIDOC-CRM Modellierung epigraphischer Fachdaten mit dem XTriples Webservice - Werkstattbericht aus dem DARIAH UseCase 6.1 (Steinheim-Institut & ADWLM)

F I N I S

Thank you

Literature

Databases

Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine http://cds.library.brown.edu/projects/Inscriptions/
epidat – epigraphical database of Jewish Inscriptions http://steinheim-institut.de/cgi-bin/epidat

Download

Flyer
Presentation
License: CC-BY 4.0, Thomas Kollatz

2017-08-09 | WCJS #810

Linked Open Data in Jewish Studies

Sharing Data

The Case of Jewish Funerary Inscriptions Databases

Data: https://github.com/KollatzThomas/2017_Jerusalem_WCJS Slides: https://kollatzthomas.github.io/2017_Jerusalem_WCJS

Thomas Kollatz | @kol_t | KollatzThomas | CC-BY 4.0 Mainz – Academy of Science and Literature | Digital Academy Essen – Steinheim-Institute for German-Jewish History

Table of Contents

01

databases & structured access

Epigraphic databases

IIP – access options

Search

text-based search

index-based search

epidat – access options

Browse

Access

Analyze /w embedded webservices

02

data & controlled vocabularies

shared format

☞ one format for (two) epigraphic databases

EpiDoc: Epigraphic documents in TEI XML

definitions

What is XML

What is TEI XML

TEI delivers Guidelines

example

what is EpiDoc

exampel

authority files & controlled vocabularies

IIP

epidat

example

example

Good preconditions for Linked Open Data

03

linked open data

Explicit Semantics

Linked Open Data – in practice

challenge

How to dis|un|cover the unexpected ?

Linked Open Data

Modelling – From EpiDoc TEI XML to CidocCRM

Linked Data – Tripels

F I N I S

Thank you

Literature

Databases

Download

Data: https://github.com/KollatzThomas/2017_Jerusalem_WCJS
Slides: https://kollatzthomas.github.io/2017_Jerusalem_WCJS

Thomas Kollatz | @kol_t | KollatzThomas | CC-BY 4.0
Mainz – Academy of Science and Literature | Digital Academy
Essen – Steinheim-Institute for German-Jewish History