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Resource Description Framework (RDF) Schema (RDFS)

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Encyclopedia of Database Systems

Synonyms

Conceptual schemas

Definition

An RDF schema (RDFS) is represented in the basic RDF model and provides (i) abstraction mechanisms, such (multiple) class or property subsumption and (multiple) classification of resources; (ii) domain and range class specifications to which properties can apply; (iii) documentation facilities for names defined in a schema.

RDF/S follow the W3C design principles of interoperability, evolution and decentralization. In particular, it is possible to interconnect in an extensible way resource descriptions (by superimposing different statements using the same resource URIs) or schema namespaces (by reusing or refining existing class and property definitions) regardless of their physical location on the Web.

Key Points

Over the last decade, RDF and its accompanying RDFS specifications has been the subject of an extensive collaborative design effort. (1 http://www.w3.org/RDF)RDF/S was originally developed as an application-neutral model to represent...

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Recommended Reading

  1. Beckett D. RDF/XML syntax specification (revised). W3C recommendation. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-syntax-grammar/, 2004.

  2. Brickley D. and Guha R.V. RDF Vocabulary Description Language 1.0: RDF Schema. W3C Recommendation. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-schema/, 2004.

  3. Hayes P. RDF Semantics. W3C Recommendation. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-mt/, 2004.

  4. Klyne G. and Carroll J. Resource Description Framework (RDF): Concepts and Abstract Syntax. W3C Recommendation. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-concepts/, 2004.

  5. Manola F. and Miller E. RDF Primer W3C Recommendation. Available online at: http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-primer/, 2004.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

    Vassilis Christophides

Authors
  1. Vassilis Christophides
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 266 Ferst Drive, 30332-0765, Atlanta, GA, USA

    LING LIU (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Database Research Group David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    M. TAMER ÖZSU (Professor and Director, University Research Chair) (Professor and Director, University Research Chair)

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© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Christophides, V. (2009). Resource Description Framework (RDF) Schema (RDFS). In: LIU, L., ÖZSU, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_1319

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