Digital Humanities and Geographical Heritages: From Information Generation to Knowledge Organization

Abstract

The material evidence that tells the story of the Institute of Geography at the Sapienza University of Rome consists of heterogeneous material: maps, photographic plates, instruments, globes, models, volumes, letters, manuscripts. Being able to interpret and translate the information derived from such evidence is a complex operation, but one that is fundamental in order to produce new knowledge bases. For this purpose, information can be integrated in a structured way by resorting to the Ontology-Based Data Access (OBDA) paradigm, an integrated information management system that allows users to query a relational database in order to obtain useful information for research and studies, thus generating new knowledge. The OBDA paradigm, the organisation of taxonomic structures and conceptual representations have directed the choices in information selection, data storage and data organisation methods. The zero level of this process is represented by the catalogue, which constitutes the minimum unit of data structuring and is a fundamental tool for describing resources that, if not ordered, could not be utilised and capitalised upon. The higher level involves the insertion of the catalogue cards within a relational structure, i.e. a system that attributes meaning and significance to the work. The relational database constitutes the starting point for the subsequent construction of complex ontological structures.