RiC-O Ontology Overview

Last updated: 2026-03-25 12:41:09

Records in Contexts - Ontology (RiC-O)

RiC-O is the OWL 2 ontology that implements the Records in Contexts Conceptual Model (RiC-CM). It provides a formal vocabulary for describing archival records, their creators, and the relationships between them as linked data.

Core Entities

Entity Description
RecordResource Base class for all archival record descriptions
RecordSet A group of records (fonds, series, collection)
Record A single archival record
RecordPart A component of a record
Instantiation A physical or digital manifestation
Agent A person, corporate body, or family
Activity An action performed by an agent
Place A geographic location
Date A temporal entity

Key Relations

  • rico:hasCreator - links a RecordResource to its creating Agent
  • rico:hasOrHadHolder - links to the holding institution
  • rico:describesOrDescribed - links a description to what it describes
  • rico:isAssociatedWith - general association between entities
  • rico:hasOrHadSubject - subject access points

AtoM/Heratio Implementation

AtoM/Heratio implements RiC-O through its Fuseki triplestore integration. Archival descriptions are automatically synced to RDF triples following the RiC-O ontology, enabling SPARQL queries and graph visualization.

Current Status

Feature Status
Graph Visualization (2D/3D) Available
SPARQL Queries Available (requires Fuseki)
Autocomplete Search Available
Record Overview Graph Available
Automatic Sync to Fuseki Available
EAD/ISAD to RiC-O Mapping Available
SHACL Validation Available
JSON-LD Export Available
Wikidata/VIAF Lookup Available
Semantic Search Planned - requires dedicated search service on port 5001
Full-text RiC Search Planned - will use vector embeddings over RiC triples

Comments (0)

Log in or register to leave a comment.
On this page