The CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model as a Tool for Integrating Cultural Information.

This workshop will be a tutorial about the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM), a top-level ontology and proposed ISO standard for the semantic integration of cultural information. It will explain the scope and objectives of the model. It will detail on its construction principles and major concepts it defines.
In order to use the model for information integration, multiple data structures have to be mapped to the model, so that data contents can be transformed automatically into a CRM compatible form and be merged.
Alternatively, the mappings can be used to transform queries against the CRM into queries against local data structures. The mapping is the critical step, in which the expert knowledge is needed. The next steps can be executed by IT tools. The mapping also reveals compatibility with the CRM.
The tutorial will explain in practical examples and exercises how to map a data structure to the CIDOC CRM. Participants are invited to bring examples of their data structures to the workshop. As the CRM is in the Committee Draft stage, this exercise will help to verify the CRM approach and may still reveal some new requirement from the archeological community.