A new RKDartists schema.org modelling

09-07-2024

The RKD is proud to present an updated version of the RKDartists schema.org serialisation with its own SPARQL endpoints. For more information on how to use the RKD schema.org Knowledge Graph, please refer to this data story.

Are you an existing user of the SPARQL or ElasticSearch endpoints of the RKDartists set hosted at NDE? Please switch to the RKD's new endpoint. The NDE-hosted set will be removed soon, as the Termennetwerk is also connected to the RKD endpoint now. Existing users of the RKDartists schema.org Linked Open Data should be advised that the structure of the data has changed slightly to improve interoperability. This data story will outline the changes.

Do you use the Termennetwerk's GraphQL or Reconciliation api? Then, no changes are needed. These services are not affected by the switch.

Background

The RKD has recently published all its data as Linked Open Data in the RKD Knowledge Graph. This experience prompted the RKD to review the patterns used in its old RKDartists schema.org serialisation, currently hosted by the NDE. The RKD now presents an updated version of the dataset with new patterns that are entirely in line with the schema.org ontology. This new version strives to improve interoperability of the data and facilitate understanding of the dataset for those new to RKDartists.

RKDartists as Linked Open Data

RKDartists is a freely available online database that contains biographical data about artists, companies and institutes of various disciplines of visual arts, applied arts and architecture from both the Netherlands as abroad. It also contains information about collectors, art historians, researchers, art critics and other institutes active in the arts domain.

The RKD strives to publish the RKDartists data in a linked, open and usable way. To provide an accessible entry point to the data, we have chosen to model a subset of the available information with the schema.org vocabulary. This data is available in de RKD Schema.org Knowledge Graph. All persons and institutes included in RKDartists are accessible in the schema.org graph. The most important data elements such as 'preferred name', 'name variations', 'gender', 'nationality/school', 'places and dates of birth and death' have been entered; all essential biographical data to load or connect to your own data, are available in schema.org patterns.

The full extent of the RKDartists dataset is much larger. To respect the nuance of the data, it has been modeled in keeping with the Linked Art model. This data, as well as the data from other RKD datasets, is publicly available in the RKD Knowledge Graph. Further below is an instruction on how to combine the data from the two graphs via SPARQL, if so desired.

License

RKD made the RKDartists LOD available under the Open Data Common Attribution License (ODC-BY) version 1.0. The text below gives a summary of the conditions to use the service and data:

You are free:

• To share: to copy, distribute and use the database
• To create: to produce works from the database
• To adapt: to modify, transform and build upon the database

As long as you:

• Attribute: You must attribute any public use of the database, or works produced from the database, in the manner specified in the license. For any use or redistribution of the database, or works produced from it, you must make clear to others the license of the database and keep intact any notices on the original database.

Therefore, it is free to use the data as long as you 'Attribute'. The RKD recommends you do so by linking back (deep link) to the RKDartists records in the original RKDartists context. By linking back you make a connection to the complete context of the data including the sources for the data. We believe this type of 'Attribution' is the best way to justify the idea of LOD.

A Data Story to demonstrate the use of Linked Data for uncovering patterns in the data of RKD.

The data come from RKD's Knowledge Graph. This is work in progress.