Multilingual Linked Open Data Patterns

Create new localized vocabularies

Description

This pattern advocates to create new localized properties and classes and relate them to existing ones using the owl:sameAs, owl:equivalentProperty or owl:equivalentClass properties.

Context

Linked data applications that need localized versions of existing vocabularies but prefer to keep the original vocabularies untouched.

Example

One can create a custom :colaborador property and then state that this property is equivalent to dc:contributor. 

dc:contributor 
    owl:equivalentProperty :colaborador .
:colaborador   
    rdfs:label "Colaborador"@es .

Discussion

This pattern gives freedom to vocabulary creators to tailor the vocabulary according to their exact needs.

However, it can be more difficult for both humans and software agents to recognize and consume these new properties and classes.

See also

This pattern is related to the Equivalence links pattern and to the Link base pattern which proposes to partition the core data from the links.