sosa:FeatureOfInterest
The sosa:FeatureOfInterest class represents the entity whose properties are being observed or measured. In SDL, this typically refers to a sample, plot, material, or environment that is the subject of scientific observations.
Definition
URI: http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/FeatureOfInterest
A sosa:FeatureOfInterest is an entity whose observable properties are of interest and are the target of an observation.
Usage in SDL
In SDL, sosa:FeatureOfInterest is used to:
- Link observations to the real-world or sample-based context being observed
- Identify samples, environments, or systems whose properties are studied
- Anchor measurements to features such as soil plots, water bodies, equipment, or specimens
All sosa:Observation instances should include a sosa:hasFeatureOfInterest property pointing to the relevant feature.
Properties
| Property | Description | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| dcterms:identifier | Unique ID or URI for the feature | Yes |
| dcterms:title | Human-readable label | Yes |
| dcterms:description | Textual description of the feature | Yes |
| geo:hasGeometry | Geospatial location or shape | Yes |
| prov:wasAttributedTo | Agent responsible for defining or curating the feature | Yes |
| prov:wasGeneratedBy | Event or activity that originated the feature | Yes |
Composition
Any entity can be a feature of interest if it is linked from an observation. This includes:
- sosa:Sample (e.g., a soil or water sample)
- sosa:Platform (e.g., a rig or station)
- Environmental features (e.g., locations, plots, ecosystems)
ex:sampleA a sosa:Sample , sosa:FeatureOfInterest ;
dcterms:title "Soil Sample A" .
ex:obsA a sosa:Observation ;
sosa:hasFeatureOfInterest ex:sampleA ;
sosa:observedProperty ex:ph ;
sosa:hasResult ex:result1 .
Example — Plot as Feature of Interest
ex:plot1 a sosa:FeatureOfInterest ;
dcterms:title "Field Plot 1" ;
geo:hasGeometry ex:geometry1 .
ex:obsB a sosa:Observation ;
sosa:hasFeatureOfInterest ex:plot1 ;
sosa:observedProperty ex:soilTemp ;
sosa:hasResult ex:tempValue .
Related Classes
- sosa:Observation — observations reference features via sosa:hasFeatureOfInterest
- sosa:Sample — typically also a sosa:FeatureOfInterest
- geo:Geometry — describes location of spatial features
- prov:Entity — used when tracking provenance of the feature
See Also
sosa:FeatureOfInterest provides the semantic anchor for scientific measurements — ensuring all observations are clearly linked to their contextual targets.