Give relationships a precise meaning
A semantic model helps different collections describe what they know without flattening their differences.
The MODAVIS Ontology Network is a modular model for evidence-backed, time-aware knowledge about musical instruments and their representations. It is instrument-neutral, with a dedicated specialization for pipe organs.
Identity comes first
An instrument is distinct from a state of that instrument, a digital surrogate, a playable virtual instrument, a software product and a package. Explicit identities make it possible to connect these things without treating them as interchangeable.
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Objects and context | Instruments, components, configurations, agents, places and uncertain time. |
| Knowledge and history | Evidence, assertions, provenance and documented events. |
| Digital representations | Media, bitstreams, audio, tuning and virtual instruments. |
| Domain and interpretation | Organ specialization, heritage contexts and reviewed vocabulary. |
One organ, several identities
An organ can retain its identity through a documented alteration while its configuration changes. A photograph of that organ, a sampled virtual instrument and a downloadable package are related things with their own identities. Treating all of them as one object makes it difficult to say which date, measurement, right or claim belongs where.
| Identity | A statement that belongs here |
|---|---|
| Physical instrument | An attributed maker or a documented location history. |
| State or configuration | A particular arrangement of components within a historical scope. |
| Representation | A photograph, model or other surrogate and the subject it represents. |
| Playable virtual instrument | Control and sound behaviour supported by a particular implementation. |
| Release or package | Versioned content, files, dependencies and distribution information. |
A modular language
The network’s core and instrument modules establish general identities and configurations. Evidence, assertion and provenance connect statements to their grounds and editorial history. Events describe historical occurrences, while media, audio and virtual-instrument modules address digital representations. The organ module specialises the generic instrument model; vocabulary, context and heritage modules supply further qualified relationships.
This separation lets a collection use instrument-neutral concepts without adopting every organ-specific detail. It also keeps the ontology’s role clear: the model describes meaning and constraints, while a VAO carrier packages exact realizations under an exchange contract. The ontology does not need to import the VAO container to describe an instrument.
Start modelling with a question
Ask a concrete question before choosing classes and properties: “Which source supports this stop assignment for this configuration?” is more useful than “How do I describe the whole organ?” The question exposes the identities, time scope and evidence links that must survive exchange. Use the release’s interpretation guide and constraints to check those distinctions.
Sources & further reading
- MODAVIS Ontology Network 0.1.0
The published semantic model.
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