Dublin Core Metadata Initiative

DC Type Working Group Proposal for Qualifier Usage (Revised)

Date: 1999-11-18

Status: Working Group proposal

Note: The appearance of a qualifier in this list should not be taken as an endorsement of its use by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative at this time.

QUALIFIER PROPOSAL : TYPE : TYPE QUALIFIER

Since most implementors do not qualify RESOURCE TYPE with type qualifiers it is proposed that they not be used. Although one was proposed in the previous proposal (Note), it was not endorsed at the DC7 meeting. Consensus was that any textual notes about genre should go in DC.Description.

Any other type qualifiers will be considered application-specific qualifiers, such as those used by the Australian Government Information Service (Qualifiers: Category, aggregationLevel, documentType, serviceType)

QUALIFIER PROPOSAL : TYPE : DCT1

• working group defining the qualifier
  DC-Type
• which DC element is being qualified?
  Type
• proposed name of the qualifier
  DCT1
• definition of the qualifier
  A controlled vocabulary indicating the nature or genre of the resource.
• does the qualifier refine the semantics of the element (y/n)
  yes
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by the DCMI? (y/n)
  yes
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by another organization? (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the vocabulary (if available).
  no
• is the qualifier a formal encoding format (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the format (if available).
  no
• identify potential overlap/conflicts with other qualifiers if applicable (optional)
  There is a potential conflict between 'Physical', in the DCF1 value qualifier for Format, and the possible inclusion of 'physical object', in the proposed DCT1 value qualifier for Type.
• justification/explanation (optional but recommended)
  In the absense of an application-specific list, DCT1 is provided as a general list (as modified below). In cases where a specific list is used, best practice is to use a value from DCT1 in addition to any from the specific list. Many implementors tend to use their own lists of values for types, developed for their particular applications. The scheme qualifier is used to specify the specific list.
  DCF1 is a DCMI-maintained enumerated list containing the following possible values.
  • collection
  • dataset
  • event
  • image
  • interactive resource
  • model
  • party
  • physical object
  • place
  • service
  • software
  • sound
  • text

  These can be defined and used as follows:

  collection

  an aggregation of items. The term colection means that the resource is described as a group; its parts may be separately described and navigated.

  dataset

  structured information encoded in lists, tables, databases, etc., which will normally be in a format available for direct machine processing. For example - spreadsheets, databases, GIS data, midi data. Note that unstructured numbers and words will normally be considered to be type text.

  event

  a non-persistent, time-based occurence. Metadata for an event provides descriptive information that is the basis for discovery of the purpose, location, duration, responsible agents, and links to related events and resources. The resource of type event may not be retrievable if the described instantiation has expired or is yet to occur. Examples - exhibition, web-cast, conference, workshop, open-day, performance, battle, trial, wedding, tea-party, conflagration.

  image

  the content is primarily symbolic visual representation other than text. For example - images and photographs of physical objects, paintings, prints, drawings, other images and graphics, animations and moving pictures, film, diagrams, maps, musical notation. Note that image may include both electronic and physical representations.

  interactive resource

  a resource which requires interaction from the user to be understood, executed, or experienced. For example - forms on web pages, applets, multimedia learning objects, chat services, virtual reality.

  model

  an abstraction of the real thing, i.e. some generalisation and interpretation. Models could be considered a symbolic representation. Examples include performance models, cost models, mechanical models, etc.

  party

  a person, organization, cultural group, or institution.

  place

  a geographic area.

  physical object

  a non-human object or substance. This category includes objects that do not fit into any of the other categories on this list. In addition these objects must be approached physically to make use of them. For example - a computer, the great pyramid, a sculpture, wheat. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these things should use image, text or one of the other types.

  service

  a system that provides one or more functions of value to the end-user. Examples include: a photocopying service, a banking service, an authentication service, interlibrary loans, a Z39.50 or Web server.

  software

  a computer program in source or compiled form which may be available for installation non-transiently on another machine. For software which exists only to create an interactive environment, use interactive instead.

  sound

  a resource whose content is primarily audio or intended to be realized in audio. For example - music, speech, recorded sounds. This category includes musical notation, including score, which is unrealized in sound.

  text

  a resource whose content is primarily words for reading. For example - books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.

DC.Type (scheme=DCT1) = image
DC.Type (scheme=DCT1) = collection

QUALIFIER PROPOSAL : TYPE : SCHEME QUALIFIERS

Proposal is to use an enumerated list of values and to specify the list being used. Future work includes compiling a list of schemes maintained outside of DCMI.

Future work:

It is proposed that the Type Working Group investigate the following:

• consider whether any list of resource types exists for general use that might be used to further specify subtypes within the broad categories of values in DCT1
• If not, develop a "DCT2" that includes the broad categories of DCT1 with subtypes
• compile a document specifying existing lists of resource types for specific applications

References:

[1] DC Type Working Group Proposal for Qualifier Usage (Revised 18November 1999)
[2] List of Resource Types (DCT1) Proposed Revision November 1999
[3] DC Type Working Group Proposal for Qualifier Usage (September 1999)
[4] DC Type Working Group Review of Resource Type Qualifier Usage
[5] List of Resource Types (DCT1)

Submitted 18 November 1999
Rebecca Guenther