Darwin-SW: Darwin Core-based terms for expressing biodiversity data as RDF

Issue title: Semantics for biodiversity

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Baskauf, Steven J.^{a; *} | Webb, Campbell O.^b

Affiliations: [a] Department of Biological Sciences, PMB 351634, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37146, USA | [b] Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 1300 Centre St., Boston 02131, USA. E-mail: cw@camwebb.info

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: steve.baskauf@vanderbilt.edu.

Abstract: Darwin-SW (DSW) is an RDF vocabulary designed to complement the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Darwin Core Standard. DSW is based on a model derived from a community discussion about the relationships among the main Darwin Core classes. DSW creates a new class to accommodate an important aspect of its model that is not currently part of Darwin Core: a class of Tokens, which are forms of evidence. DSW uses Web Ontology Language (OWL) to make assertions about the classes in its model and to define object properties that are used to link instances of those classes. A goal in the creation of DSW was to facilitate consistent markup of biodiversity data so that RDF graphs created by different providers could be easily merged. Accordingly, DSW provides a mechanism for testing whether its terms are being used in a manner consistent with its model. Two transitive object properties enable the creation of simple SPARQL queries that can be used to discover new information about linked resources whose metadata are generated by different providers. The Organism class enables semantic linking of biodiversity resources to vocabularies outside of TDWG that deal with observations and ecological phenomena.

Keywords: Linked Data, Semantic Web, metadata, model, informatics

DOI: 10.3233/SW-150203

Journal: Semantic Web, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 629-643, 2016