A ConceptNameServer should provide information about simple aliases for concepts and at a later stage also their relations between each other - especially list the unambiguos synonyms. This should probably be acompanied by a simple XML-RPC service to look up unambiguous synonyms.

This service should be based on one simple file which is always accessible by all services. It defines the allowed globally unique concepts (fully qualified) and optionally an alias for them.

A service is free to use several CNS as long as they dont contradict. But is envisioned that each global community has a single CNS.

Use cases

The ConceptNameServer should offer services at least for the following cases:

Browse ontology - Find classes and the properties defined for each class

• This use case is of particular relevance for a provider configuration tool. The responses from this service should allow the configuration tool to prompt the user with properties which are available for mapping to the local data resource (including joins via object properties to other ontology objects).
• Client provides an ontology identifier (class or property) and can retrieve associated definitions.

Get mappings (output models) for class/property - Find known (XML Schema) mappings including a given ontology class or property

• This use case allows a configuration tool to determine appropriate output models to offer for a given data resource (based on its mapping to the ontology). The tool can then offer the user a menu of output models which the resource could automatically be configured to provide.
• Client provides an ontology identifier (class or property) and receives a document listing available schema (and other?) representations with the mappings between their XPaths and ontology properties. Configuration tool adds selected output models to TAPIR configuration.

Get mappings for schema - Find classes and properties mapped to a particular (XML Schema) namespace

• This use case allows a consumer of data (potentially from sources not affiliated with this ConceptNameServer) to interpret data from an external schema as a set of ontology objects. This allows a ConceptNameServer-aware client to consume data provided by applications that are not ConceptNameServer-aware and to interpret these data in terms of the ConceptNameServer ontology.
• Client provides an (XML Schema) namespace string and receives a document with mappings between schema XPaths and ontology properties.

Extend ontology - Add classes and properties to the ontology

• User adds new classes to the ontology or defines properties for an existing class - need to consider authorisation and review processes.

Register output model - Map (XML Schema or other?) output model to ontology

• User defines mappings between output model XPaths and ontology properties - need to consider authorisation and review processes.

alias.txt

download latest alias.txt

<!-- 
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<!--  GLOBAL UNIQUE ALIASES FOR CONCEPTS
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<!-- 
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<!--  It is recommended to form aliases by using the following syntax:
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<!--  CONCEPT_ABBREVIATION@NAMESPACE_ABBREVIATION
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<!-- 
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[concept_source]

label          =  ABCD v1.20
namespace      =  http://www.tdwg.org/schema/abcd/1.20
alias          =  abcd120
location       =  http://www.bgbm.org/TDWG/CODATA/Schema/ABCD-1.20.xsd

[models]
canonical      =  http://res.tdwg.org/tapir/models/ABCD-1.20.xml

[aliases]

SourceInstCode            ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/OriginalSource/SourceInstitutionCode
SourceName                ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/OriginalSource/SourceName
DateSupplied              ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/OriginalSource/SourceLastUpdatedDate
DateUpdated               ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/DateSupplied
SupplierName              ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Supplier/Person/PersonName
TermsOfUse                ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Rights/TermsOfUse
LegalOwnerOrganisation    ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Rights/LegalOwner/Organisation/OrganisationName
LegalOwnerPerson          ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Rights/LegalOwner/Person/PersonName
Disclaimer                ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Statements/Disclaimer
Logo                      ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Statements/LogoURL
DatasetDescription        ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/DatasetDerivations/DatasetDerivation/Description
UnitID                    ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/UnitID
RecordBasis               ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/RecordBasis
HigherTaxon               ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/TaxonIdentified/HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon
ScientificName            ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/TaxonIdentified/NameAuthorYearString
AuthorString              ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/TaxonIdentified/AuthorString
BotGenus                  ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/TaxonIdentified/ScientificNameAtomized/Botanical/Genus
Identifier                ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/Identifier/IdentifierPersonName/PersonName
IdentDate                 ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/IdentificationDate/ISODateTimeBegin
TypeStatus                ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/UnitStateDomain/SpecimenUnit/NomenclaturalTypeDesignations/NomenclaturalTypeDesignation/TypeStatus
ImageURI                  ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/UnitDigitalImages/UnitDigitalImage/ImageURI
GatheringDate             ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringDateTime/ISODateTimeBegin
Collector                 ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringAgents/GatheringAgent/Person/PersonName
Project                   ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/Project/ProjectTitle
Locality                  ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringSite/LocalityText
Country                   ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringSite/Country/CountryName
Longitude                 ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringSite/SiteCoordinateSets/SiteCoordinates/CoordinatesLatLong/LongitudeDecimal
Latitude                  ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringSite/SiteCoordinateSets/SiteCoordinates/CoordinatesLatLong/LatitudeDecimal
Altitude                  ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/GatheringSite/Altitude/MeasurementAtomized/MeasurementLowerValue
Description               ConceptNameServerDataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/UnitDescription