Semantic Representation Information

The Representation Information that further describes the meaning of the Data Object, and its parts or elements, beyond that provided by the Structure Representation Information.

There are many ways to provide Semantic RepInfo including:

• a text document which provides a human interpretable definition of the elements, for example a specific version of the PREMIS data dictionary;

• a formal dictionary in an XML format, for example the definition of iCalendar and many other examples in http://xml.coverpages.org/index.html;

• a formal dictionary in another format;

• ontologies defining properties of and relationships between terms.

Such Semantic Representation Information may be used, for example, to define the units and means of columns in a spreadsheet, which are necessary for the data in that spreadsheet to be used in a way which makes sense i.e. one does not accidentally add apples to oranges.

Tools to create Semantic Representation Information

• text editors such as notepad.exe (MS Windows) or vi (GNU/Linux), ideally adopting some appropriate format;

• ontology tools such as Protege (see https://www.w3.org/wiki/Ontology_editors for others)