What is OpenRiC?
OpenRiC is an open, free contract for publishing and exchanging RiC data over HTTP - like IIIF for images, but for archival description. A spec, a reference API, and browser clients.
OpenRiC is an open specification for how archival descriptions map to RiC-CM / RiC-O, how that data is served over HTTP for reading and writing, and how graph interfaces render it - consistently across any conformant server.
It is not a product. It is a contract anyone can implement - the way IIIF is a contract for images. Any system that implements it can be read, written to, harvested and graph-walked the same way.
What’s in OpenRiC
| Surface | What it is | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | Four documents, JSON Schemas, SHACL shapes, profiles, a conformance probe | openric.org |
| Reference API | A Laravel service implementing the contract over real archival data - 8-entity CRUD, SPARQL, OAI-PMH | ric.theahg.co.za |
| Clients | Pure-browser apps: viewer, capture, the modelling wizard | openric.org / subdomains |
| Model navigator | The RiC-CM model, browsable | ric.theahg.co.za/reference/ric-cm |
See how they connect in the system map.
Why it matters
- Vendor independence - systems are comparable on a defined, testable surface, not marketing claims.
- Portability - read, write, validate, harvest and graph-walk over the same HTTP contract; no proprietary-only path.
- Longevity - the spec is CC-BY 4.0, the implementations AGPL-3.0; the data outlives any one vendor.
Licensing
Specification: CC-BY 4.0. Reference implementation, viewer, capture: GNU AGPL 3.0.
Next
- A 5-minute tour
- For institutions - the adoption case
- For developers - build a conformant server
Something missing or unclear? Tell us in Discussions or email johan@theahg.co.za.