dcat:Catalog

#DCAT#RDF Class#Catalog#Entity Detail

The dcat:Catalog class represents a curated collection of datasets or other resources. In SDL, it is used to organize and expose datasets, sensor systems, documents, or workflows in a semantically rich and discoverable manner.

Definition

URI: http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#Catalog

A dcat:Catalog is a curated collection of metadata about datasets or other resources. It is often used to publish and maintain lists of available data within a domain, institution, or research program.

Usage in SDL

In SDL, dcat:Catalog is used to:

Group datasets under a common theme or organizational unit
Publish collections of ssn:System entities, e.g., instrument registries
Publish collections of sosa:Sample entities for sample registries
Serve as the root container for dataset discovery interfaces
Provide metadata about the catalog itself (creator, issued date, description, etc.)

Catalogs are typically exposed via the catalog-service and managed using an LDP BasicContainer.

Property	Description
dcat:dataset	Links a catalog to its constituent dcat:Dataset entities
dcat:resource	Links the catalog to generic dcat:Resource members
dcterms:title	A human-readable title for the catalog
dcterms:description	Textual description of the catalog's contents
dcterms:publisher	The entity responsible for maintaining the catalog
dcterms:issued	The date the catalog was first published
dcterms:modified	The last modified date
foaf:homepage	A link to the catalog homepage

Composition

A dcat:Catalog may also be treated as:

prov:Entity — to track the provenance of catalog publication
dcat:Resource — when applying shared metadata patterns (e.g. licensing, rights)

Container Pattern

Catalogs are managed using LDP BasicContainers, allowing each catalog to be treated as a resource with directly contained datasets or resources:

ex:myCatalog a dcat:Catalog , ldp:BasicContainer ;
  dcterms:title "SDL Catalog of Gas Flux Experiments" ;
  dcat:dataset ex:dataset1 , ex:dataset2 .

Examples

Dataset Catalog

ex:catalog1 a dcat:Catalog ;
  dcterms:title "Soil Respiration Experiments" ;
  dcterms:description "Datasets describing CH4 and CO2 flux from soil incubation studies." ;
  dcterms:issued "2024-04-12"^^xsd:date ;
  dcat:dataset ex:dataset-co2 , ex:dataset-ch4 .

System Catalog using dcat:Resource

ex:sensorCatalog a dcat:Catalog ;
  dcterms:title "Catalog of Gas Sensor Platforms" ;
  dcat:resource ex:licor8250a , ex:licor8250b .

ex:licor8250a a ssn:System , sosa:Sensor , dcat:Resource ;
  dcterms:title "LI-8250 System A" ;
  ssn:hasSubSystem ex:li8250 , ex:li8250_headspace .

Sample Catalog using dcat:Resource

ex:sampleCatalog a dcat:Catalog ;
  dcterms:title "Soil Gas Samples" ;
  dcat:resource ex:sample1 , ex:sample2 .

ex:sample1 a sosa:Sample , dcat:Resource ;
  dcterms:title "Sample 1 from Incubation A" ;
  sosa:isSampleOf ex:core1 .

This example shows how sosa:Sample entities are cataloged as dcat:Resource members to support sample tracking.

INTERSECT Scientific Data Layer (SDL)