How to write examples

In the 45th joint meeting of the CIDOC CRM SIG and SO/TC46/SC4/WG9; 38th FRBR – CIDOC CRM Harmonization meeting, and during the discussion on issue 332,  the sig pondered on the standard form that examples should conform to.

The idea everyone seemed most fond of was to instoduce a separate section (or maybe a subsection in the Examples section of definitions for classes and properties) that supplies the reader with enough context, so that the relevance of the examples is readily perceived and the examples are easily comprehensible.

DECISION: The issue is to be further pursued and all alternatives considered –f.i. what happens if the same context serves to best comprehend two or more different examples, used across sections in the CRM (base and compatible models)? Do we repeat them throughout? What is to be done then?

DECISION: The nature of the examples used is also to be discussed in the course of this issue; The examples should have the widest coverage of the domains of interest for the CRM.  Any scenario explored should involve art conservation, history, cultural heritage, etc.

HW: SS & GB are assigned with providing a template for examples –such that they do not only instantiate classes and properties, but they also come with enough context for readers to perceive them as relevant. Also they are to propose what alternatives there are when one and the same context serves as the background for multiple examples across the CRM.

Final comment: MD suggested that the example with the Lament Cloth be updated. It’s an old example, so it’s probably in TELOS.

Heraklion, October 2019