6.3. Data Context Section of the DRM Abstract Model (3YWB)
Figure 6-3 Data Context Section of the DRM Abstract Model (3YWD)
The following are definitions for each of the concepts and relationships shown above. (3YWE)
- Taxonomy (3YWF)
- A collection of controlled vocabulary terms organized into a hierarchical structure. Taxonomies provide a means for categorizing or classifying information within a reasonably well-defined associative structure, in which each term in a Taxonomy is in one or more parent/child (broader/narrower) relationships to other terms in the Taxonomy. A common example of a Taxonomy is the hierarchical structure used to classify living things within the biological sciences from Carols Linnaeus, as shown in Figure 6 3: (3YWG)
Figure 6-3 Carols Linnaeus Taxonomy (3YWH)
- Relationships: (3YWI)
- Topic (3YWO)
- A category within a Taxonomy. A Topic is the central concept for applying context to data. For example, an agency may have a Taxonomy that represents their organizational structure. In such a Taxonomy, each role in the organizational structure (e.g. CIO) represents a Topic. Topic is often synonymous with “node”. (3YWP)
- Relationships: (3YWQ)
- Relationships: (3YX4)
- A Relationship relates a Topic (3YX5)
- Example: A “Person” Entity may be represented in one Data Asset in a “Customer” context because it is part of a CUSTOMER_INFO table. However, the same Entity may be represented in a “Suspect” context on law enforcement Web site. The metadata that is associated with the “Person” Entity would be different in each context – for example, the “Suspect” context would likely include physical characteristic metadata (height, hair color, etc.), while the “Customer” context would not. (3YX6)
- A Relationship relates a Topic (3YX5)
- Data Asset (3YX7)
- A managed container for data. In many cases, this will be a relational database; however, a Data Asset may also be a Web site, a document repository, directory or data service. (3YX8)
- Relationships: (3YX9)
- A Data Asset provides management context for a Digital Data Resource (3YXA)
- Example: A document that is stored and managed within a data asset (such as a document repository) has management context provided for it through the metadata that is associated with that document within the document repository. Such metadata may include the Dublin Core attributes that are described in the Data Description chapter. (3YXB)
- A Data Asset provides management context for a Digital Data Resource (3YXA)
- Other FEA Reference Model (3YXG)
- This concept represents the four other FEA reference models – the Business Reference Model (BRM), the Service Component Reference Model (SRM), the Technical Reference Model (TRM), and the Performance Reference Model (PRM). Its purpose is to provide a linkage to these other reference models, which are themselves Taxonomies. These are depicted as a special kind of Taxonomy due to their importance in overall classification of information. (3YXH)
The table below provides attributes that are associated with each concept in the Data Context section of the DRM abstract model. (3YXK)
add table (3YXL)
[30] Because a Taxonomy is represented as a Structured Data Resource, and a Data Asset provides management context for a Digital Data Resource, it follows that a Taxonomy may be stored and managed within a Data Asset. (3YXM)
[31] It should be noted that the term “relationship” is used in two ways here. The concept named “Relationship” participates in relationships with other concepts in the abstract model, and also defines the relationship between topics when it is applied to a specific scenario. (3YXN)