Knowledge Management Using Ontology on the Domain of Artworks Conservation

Conservation is an integral process of collections management aiming to preserve cultural heritage objects in the best possible condition. Object conservation procedures require detailed and accurate documentation in textual or visual records which provide valuable information for the future researcher, curator or conservator. Furthermore, conservation requires the awareness of cultural, historical and scientific information from sources both internal and external which in turn influence the ways in which conservators must approach their work. This integration of different information forms the body of knowledge, relevant to thoughtful decisions on treatment and care of cultural heritage objects. Taking into consideration the diversity of conservation information and associated information sources, the integration cannot be regarded as a trivial task. Therefore, knowledge organization, especially in a concepts level, is necessary. To this end this work presents a domain ontology known as the Conservation Reasoning (CORE) ontology aiming to address the specific requirements of the conservation sector.