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Concepts

Introduction

The Concept API is a method of getting access to descriptions of concepts, including Types, Materials, Languages, MeasurementUnits and Currencies. The Concept model is relatively simple with the common properties and patterns, and very few additions. This API endpoint is for full records that describe concepts, rather than references to concepts within other records. For the embedded concept structure, please see the Type Structure page.

Property Definitions

Dereferencing an entity via the Concept endpoint would result in a JSON-LD document containing a single JSON object with the following properties.

Properties of Concepts

Property Name Datatype Requirement Description
@context string, array Required The value MUST be the URI of the Linked Art context as a string, "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json" or an array in which the URI is the last entry to allow for extensions
id string Required The value MUST be the HTTP(S) URI at which the concept's representation can be dereferenced
type string Required The class for the concept, which MUST be one of "Type", "Material", "Language", "Currency" or "MeasurementUnit"
_label string Recommended A human readable label for the concept, intended for developers
classified_as array Recommended An array of json objects, each of which is a classification of the concept and MUST follow the requirements for Type
identified_by array Recommended An array of json objects, each of which is a name of the concept and MUST follow the requirements for Name, or an identifier for the concept and MUST follow the requirements for Identifier
referred_to_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a human readable statement about the concept and MUST follow the requirements for Statement
equivalent array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to an external identity and description of the concept
representation array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Visual Work that represents the current concept, and MUST follow the requirements for a reference
member_of array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a Set that the current concept is a member of and MUST follow the requirements for a reference to a Set
subject_of array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Textual Work, the content of which focuses on the current concept, and MUST follow the requirements for a reference
attributed_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a Relationship Assignment that relates the current concept to another entity
broader array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to another concept which is broader than the current concept
created_by json object Optional A json object representing the creation of the concept, which follows the requirements for a Creation

Property Diagram

diagram

JSON Schema

See the schema documentation and the schema itself

Incoming Properties

Set instances are typically found as the object of the following properties, other than the self-referential properties above. This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to cover the likely cases where other endpoints refer to concepts.

Property Name Source Class Description
classified_as All Almost every entity can be classified as a Type
technique Activity Activities (of all sorts) can have a technique, which is modeled as a Type
influenced_by Activity Activities can also be influenced by a Type
about LinguisticObject, VisualItem Textual and Visual Works can have subjects, which are modeled as Types
assigned AttributeAssignment The classification of an object might be assigned as part of a documented Attribute Assignment
language LinguisticObject The language of linguistic content is modeled as a Language
currency MonetaryAmount The currency of a MonetaryAmount is modeled as a Currency
unit Dimension The unit of a Dimension is modeled as a MeasurementUnit
made_of Material The materials of a HumanMadeObject are modeled as Materials

Example

The JSON for a Concept entry for ... could be as below.

  • It has the Linked Art context document reference in @context
  • It self-documents its URI in id
  • It has a type of "Type"
  • It has a _label with the value "History of France" for people reading the JSON
  • It has an identified_by property, with a Name that gives is Primary Name of "History of France"
  • It has a member_of property, conveying that it is a member of a set, with the label "Useful History Concepts"
  • It has a broader property, conveying that the broader term is a Type with the label "History of Europe"
  • It has an equivalent property, conveying that it is generally equivalent to the LCSH heading sh85051256
  • It was created in a Creation, which ...
  • ... was influenced_by two other entities ...
    • ... a Type with the label "History"
    • ... and a Place with the label "France"
{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/concept/1",
  "type": "Type",
  "_label": "History of France",
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ],
      "content": "History of France"
    }
  ],
  "member_of": [
    {
      "type": "Set",
      "_label": "Useful History Concepts"
    }
  ],
  "broader": [
    {
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "History of Europe"
    }
  ],
  "equivalent": [
    {
      "id": "http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85051256",
      "type": "Type"
    }
  ],
  "created_by": {
    "type": "Creation",
    "_label": "Concept Creation",
    "influenced_by": [
      {
        "type": "Type",
        "_label": "History"
      },
      {
        "type": "Place",
        "_label": "France"
      }
    ]
  }
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(concept/1) class O1 type; O1-- type -->O1_0[Type] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''History of France''") class O1_4 literal; O2( _ ) class O2 name; O2-- type -->O2_0[Name] class O2_0 classstyle; O3(aat:300404670) class O3 type; O3-- type -->O3_0[Type] class O3_0 classstyle; O3-- _label -->O3_3("''Primary Name''") class O3_3 literal; O2-- classified_as -->O3 O2-- content -->O2_3("''History of France''") class O2_3 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O2 O4( _ ) class O4 infoobj; O4-- type -->O4_0[Set] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- _label -->O4_2("''Useful History Concepts''") class O4_2 literal; O1-- member_of -->O4 O5( _ ) class O5 type; O5-- type -->O5_0[Type] class O5_0 classstyle; O5-- _label -->O5_2("''History of Europe''") class O5_2 literal; O1-- broader -->O5 O6(http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85051256) class O6 type; O6-- type -->O6_0[Type] class O6_0 classstyle; O1-- equivalent -->O6 O7( _ ) class O7 event; O7-- type -->O7_0[Creation] class O7_0 classstyle; O7-- _label -->O7_2("''Concept Creation''") class O7_2 literal; O8( _ ) class O8 type; O8-- type -->O8_0[Type] class O8_0 classstyle; O8-- _label -->O8_2("''History''") class O8_2 literal; O7-- influenced_by -->O8 O9( _ ) class O9 place; O9-- type -->O9_0[Place] class O9_0 classstyle; O9-- _label -->O9_2("''France''") class O9_2 literal; O7-- influenced_by -->O9 O1-- created_by -->O7
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