Modelling Metadata in a modular fashion

Our modelling approach

Addressing heterogenity and complexity of research topics, methods and tools in engineering in AIMS we focus on creation and re-use of flexible but specific and applicable metadata schemata. Combined with a maximum of interoperability we realize those traits by a building block design principle covering multiple aspects.

Flexibility through referencing

Metadata schemata are build from terms taken from controlled terminologies in fomr of application profiles. That way they can be tailored to the application without the usage of arbitrary or undefined terms. So metadata schemata using the same terms stay interoperabel.

Hierachical attributes

But a single application profile is not a separated entity but a connected to related profiles. More specific application profiles are defined in a hierarchical fashion inheriting properties from their more generic bases similar to classes in object-oriented programming. So all application profiles are always interoperable on the level of their last common “ancestor”.

Modularity

By separating application profiles in realms (eg. tool, method, object of research) and then combining them in a single metadata schema to describe a specfic application these building blocks allow for more precise metadata while fostering re-use.