diff --git a/notes/dpla_map_and_pcdm.md b/notes/dpla_map_and_pcdm.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..44cd2ec --- /dev/null +++ b/notes/dpla_map_and_pcdm.md @@ -0,0 +1,50 @@ + +## Relationship between DPLA MAP and PCDM + +This document notes the ways in which the DPLA Metadata Application Profile and PCDM can be used together. + +### Mapping from PCDM to DPLA MAP + +#### Collections + +One or more `pcdm:Collection`s map to a `dcmitype:Collection`. As `pcdm:Collection`s may be hierarchical, and DPLA's use of `dcmitype:Collection` is not hierarchical, information may be accumulated from multiple `pcdm:Collection`s into one. + +For example, given: + +``` +_:maps a pcdm:Collection ; + rdfs:label "Maps Collection" ; + dc:description " ... " ; + pcdm:hasMember _:africa . + +_:africa a pcdm:Collection ; + rdfs:label "Maps of Africa" ; + pcdm:hasMember _:map1, _:map2, ... _:mapn . +``` + +The resulting `dcmitype:Collection` may take the description from the top level Maps collection, the label from the Maps of Africa collection, and apply it to all of the Map objects. + +The resulting collection will be associated with a `dpla:SourceResource` constructed from a `pcdm:Object`. This is the inverse of the PCDM hierarchy, where Collections have members. + + +#### Objects + +PCDM Objects can be used to describe objects (both conceptual and physical), and parts of those objects. DPLA is mostly concerned with identifiable cultural heritage objects (`dpla:SourceResource`) and the digital views of that object (`dpla:WebResource`). + +When mapping from PCDM to DPLA, a `pcdm:Object` that is not `pcdm:hasMember` another `pcdm:Object` will be treated as a `dpla:SourceResource`. Other resources may also be treated in this way. These Objects may or may not be part of a `pcdm:Collection`. + +Such objects MUST have a stable web URL at which the object is rendered in a human readable way. This is the object of `edm:isShownAt`. Such objects SHOULD have a `dpla:WebResource` which is a `edm:preview` of the object, such as a thumbnail. + +As per Collections, the resulting DPLA resource may conflate information from an entire hierarchy of objects into a single resource. + +#### Files + +Some `pcdm:File`s are `dpla:WebResource`s, but not all. It would be true in at least the following situations: + +* The `pcdm:File` is a view of the `dpla:SourceResource` (`edm:isShownAt`) +* The `pcdm:File` is a preview / thumbnail of the `dpla:SourceResource` (`edm:preview`) + +### Further Notes + +* The reverse mapping is lossy and thus round-tripping is not possible. This is because DPLA MAP does not store the structure of the object or collection hierarchy, and thus information is lost in the above transformation. +* Any enrichments should therefore happen at the PCDM layer, and then re-exported to DPLA.