Extending an abstract reference model for transdisciplinary work in cultural heritage

Abstract

Obtaining models of cultural heritage that guarantee information interoperability and, at the same time, maintain a high degree of fitness to the problem at hand is not a trivial quest. This paper proposes a two-step approach to attain this, where particular models for each problem at hand are derived from a common, standardised Cultural Heritage Abstract Reference Model (CHARM) by using specific rules that guarantee abstract interoperability while allowing for as much specificity as necessary. This is illustrated through a case study involving three different communities, each with a different conceptual model of cultural heritage, which still generate a seamless object model. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.