Creating sustainable digital community heritage resources using linked data.

The CURIOS project investigates how digital archives can support interest in local heritage and, in doing so, can contribute to community regeneration and strengthened community cohesion. Software tools that utilise semantic web/ linked data technology are being developed to build a general, flexible and 'future proof' software platform to assist remote rural communities to collaboratively maintain and present information about their cultural heritage. Under this broad programme of research we are investigating how online cultural communities are transforming the ways in which local history is 'written' and remembered. Empirically, we focus on digital cultural heritage resources managed by community groups in remote and rural parts of the UK. Researching community-led initiatives enables us to explore how locally managed digital heritage resources can support sustainable rural areas

Knowledge-based Relational Search in Cultural Heritage Linked Data

Peer reviewe

Supporting decision-making in the building life-cycle using linked building data

The interoperability challenge is a long-standing challenge in the domain of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC). Diverse approaches have already been presented for addressing this challenge. This article will look into the possibility of addressing the interoperability challenge in the building life-cycle with a linked data approach. An outline is given of how linked data technologies tend to be deployed, thereby working towards a “more holistic” perspective on the building, or towards a large-scale web of “linked building data”. From this overview, and the associated use case scenarios, we conclude that the interoperability challenge cannot be “solved” using linked data technologies, but that it can be addressed. In other words, information exchange and management can be improved, but a pragmatic usage of technologies is still required in practice. Finally, we give an initial outline of some anticipated use cases in the building life-cycle in which the usage of linked data technologies may generate advantages over existing technologies and methods

Knowledge-based Relation Discovery in Cultural Heritage Knowledge Graphs

Peer reviewe

Using event spaces, setting and theme to assist the interpretation and development of museum stories

Stories are used to provide a context for museum objects, for example linking those objects to what they depict or the historical context in which they were created. Many explicit and implicit relationships exist between the people, places and things mentioned in a story and the museum objects with which they are associated. We describe an interface for authoring stories about museum objects in which textual stories can be associated with semantic annotations and media elements. A recommender component provides additional context as to how the story annotations are related directly or via other concepts not mentioned in the story. The approach involves generating a concept space for different types of story annotation such as artists and museum objects. The concept space is predominantly made up of a set of events, forming an event space. The concept spaces of all story annotations can be combined into a single view. Narrative notions of setting and theme are used to reason over the concept space, identifying key concepts and time-location pairs, and their relationship to the rest of the story. Story setting and theme can then be used by the reader or author to assist in interpretation or further evolution of the story

Sammon taontaa semanttisessa webissä (Forging Sampos on the Semantic Web)

Non peer reviewe

CURIOS: Connecting Community Heritage through Linked Data

The CURIOS project explores how digital archives for rural community heritage groups can be made more sustainable so that volunteer members can maintain a lasting digital presence. It is developing software tools to help remote rural communities to collaboratively maintain and present information about their cultural heritage. The objective is to investigate the use of semantic web/linked data technology to build a general, flexible and “future proof” software platform that could help such projects to develop digital archives and to be sustainable over time. As an interdisciplinary project we aim to synthesise a narrative that draws from both social science and computer science perspectives by critically reflecting upon the novel approach taken and the on-going results that are being produced

Linking to the past: an analysis of community digital heritage initiatives.

Purpose Community initiatives to collate and manage different kinds of cultural forms and resources are a popular way for local people to engage with the heritage of their area. These initiatives are often heavily dependent, however, upon short-term funding and long-term efforts of a few dedicated individuals. This paper aims to explore how community digital archives offer scope to widen participation in cultural activities and to investigate the sustainability of these initiatives. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was taken of Hebridean Connections, which is a community managed, online historical resource. This paper is primarily based on interview data with key stakeholders, all of whom are based in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Findings Participation in Hebridean Connections was reported in positive terms by respondents and many cited that it was a good way to reconnect with diasporic populations and that they believed that this would encourage tourism. It was also reported that the system of linked records added value to the collections as previously undiscovered connections could be made that would not be possible without the electronic resource. Originality/value Few studies have been undertaken examining community digital archives. The multidisciplinary nature of the study also brings together different perspectives on the area of enquiry