AdaLod is a project that intends to focus on the study of the domain represented by the historical figure of Ada Lovelace and explore the resources related to it through the creation of an organized environment that can describe them and produce new semantic data.
Dec. 10, 1815 - Nov. 27, 1852
Regarded by many to be the world's first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace, a British noblewoman and mathematician, was known for her valuable contributions to Charles Babbage's analytical machine and especially for developing an algorithm that could generate Bernoulli numbers. Through the latter, Ada anticipated how computational machinery would be able to process all sorts of information.
Daughter of the poet George Byron and mathematician Anne Isabella Milbanke, she was initiated early on toward an education in mathematics, proving to be highly talented. Among her teachers was Mary Somerville, a distinguished mathematician who encouraged her to pursue her studies.
In 1833 Ada met Charles Babbage and was so intrigued by his work that she began a correspondence and study of the methods of calculating his differential and analytical machines.
Babbage himself asked her to translate Luigi Menabrea's article into English and add some personal notes. Thanks to his enlightening comments, Ada observed how the machine could represent a programmable tool and a process non-numerical information.
Notes have been identified in alphabetical order and in "note G", Lovelace described an algorithm for the analytical machine that allowed it to compute an element of Bernoulli's series of numbers without need to calculate its antecedents. This allowed her to develop the first program for a calculator, now generally recognized as the first computer program in history.
“If you can't give me poetry, can't you give me "poetical science"?” ― Ada Lovelace
This section presents ten different types of items related to the topic of the idea and described on the web by relevant cultural institutions or data collection entities. The items were chosen so as to obtain meaningful connections in terms of people, places, dates, and concepts, with the chosen topic.
Ada Lovelace portrait
Painting made in 1840 by Alfred Edward Chalon. Ada was looking front, in evening dress with mantilla, holding fan.
Picture of Ada Lovelace
Daguerreotype taken in 1843 by Antoine Claudet in his study. At the same period Ada wrote the famous article on Babbage's analytical machine.
Ada Lovelace calculation letter
Letter written by Ada to Charles Babbage in 1843. The author proposes an example of a calculation that "can be worked out by the engine without first having been worked out by the head and hands of man". This is the first time the principle of the computer program is put in writing.
Ada Day's Logo
This Logo was designed in 2015 by Stuart Brett for the University of Edinburgh's Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration day of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
A book written by Sydney Padua publicated in 2015, which tells a hilarious series of adventures featuring Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage. It presents an alternate reality in which the two build the Difference Engine and use it for countless purposes.
Conceiving Ada
A 1997 movie produced by Lynn Hershman Leeson. Ada represents the protagonist's obsession and will be contacted by her by way of "undying information waves" to be inspired and to obtain information about her studies.
Spyfall: part two
It is the two-part premiere of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who where Ada features as a character.
Ada potrayal
Engraving print depicting Ada made by Joseph Brown in 1893.
This conceptual map represents real data extracted from the chosen topic. The purpose is to organize knowledge around the figure of Ada Lovelace, creating connections that can explain and describe the relationship between the referenced entity and the items.
Click on the image to open it
ER model
In this section, the conceptual map is translated into an E/R model that considers the entities, relationships, and attributes, in this case related to the chosen theme. This graphical representation describes and represents the abstract items with their attributes, chosen to describe the scenario, and the connections between them.
Click on the image to open it
Metadata analysis
The table below shows the metadata standards used by the institutions to describe the selected items. Some of them explicitly declared the standard(s) used for the data they manipulated, while for those not declared, the common standards most related to the element provided were chosen.
2. Wikimedia Commons does not clearly specify the standard used, so I decided to refer to the one indicated, considering it suitable for the type of item.
4. Wikimedia Commons does not clearly specify the standard used, however the item in question comes from the Houghton Library (Harvard University), so I decided to refer to the standard used by the Harvard Library, of which the Houghton is a part. https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/display/LibraryStaffDoc/LibraryCloud+Metadata.
5. IMDB does not clearly specify the standard used, so I decided to refer to the one indicated, considering it suitable for the type of item.
Metadata alignment
The latter table proceeds with the alignment of metadata elements and properties useful for addressing information about people, places, dates, and subjects/concepts. Different properties are compared across standards and DC terms are used to select categories related to different information, which in turn are structured into: who?(people) where?(places) when?(dates) what?(subjects/concepts).
Element
DcTerms
ISAD
ICCD-F
EAD
MODS
MARC
Schema
ISBD
Creator Designer Writer Author Engraver
dcterms:creator
Name of creator(s)
Author
<origination>
<namePrincipal>
Personal Name
schema:creator
isbd:P1007 - "has statement of responsibility""
Reproduced by
dcterms:contributor
<name>
Name of producer
schema:contributor
isbd:P1017 - "has name of producer"
Property of
dcterms:provenance
Archival history
<custodhist>
<role>
Name (custodian or owner)
schema:landlord
Published by
dcterms:publisher
Producing agency
<publisher>
Name of Publisher
schema:publisher
isbd:P1017 - "has name of publisher, producer, distributor"
Element
DcTerms
ISAD
ICCD-F
EAD
MODS
MARC
Schema
ISBD
Held in Located in Taken in
dcterms:coverage
Existence and location of
<originalsloc>
<locationPhysical>
Holding institution
schema:locationCreated
Realized in Takes place in
dcterms:location
Provenance
Location
<originalsloc>
<placeOfOrigin>
Place of production/ Execution
schema:workLocation/ schema:event
isbd:P1145 - "has parallel place of publication, production, distribution"
Element
DcTerms
ISAD
ICCD-F
EAD
MODS
MARC
Schema
ISBD
Has date
dcterms:date
Date(s)
Specific conology Generic cronology
<maintenanceevent>
<dateCreated>
Date of a work/ Date involved
schema:date
Realized in
dcterms:created
Date(s)
Specific conology Generic cronology
<unitdate>
<dateCreated>
Date involved
schema:dateCreated
isbd:P1021 - "has date of printing or manufacture"
Published in
dcterms:available
<dateValid>
Date of distribution
schema:datePublished
isbd:P1018 - "has date of publication, production, distribution"
Element
DcTerms
ISAD
ICCD-F
EAD
MODS
MARC
Schema
ISBD
Has material
dcterms:medium
Medium
Subject-technique
<phystech>
<physicalExtent >
Physical medium
schema:material
isbd:P1056 - "has composition of material"
Has type Has genre Has mode
dcterms:type
Form
Object definition
<archdesc>
<genre>
Type of record
schema:Thing
isbd:P1001 - "has content form"
Has language
dcterms:language
Language/scripts of material
<langmaterial>
<languageOfResource>
Language of a work
schema:language
isbd:P1073 - "has note on nature, scope, form, purpose or language"
Realized for
dctype:event
Scope and content
<scopecontent>
<roleRelationship>
Scope and content
schema:event
isbd:P1073 - "has note on nature, scope, form, purpose or language"
Part of Work type Is copy of
dcterms:isPartOf
Scope and content
<scopecontent>
<partType>
Related parts
schema:isPartOf
isbd:P1137 - "has common title of title proper"
Has duration
dcterms:format
Extent and medium of the unit of description
Archival unit
<physdesc>
<physicalForm>
Running time
schema:Duration
isbd:P1024 - "has dimensions"
Has format
dcterms:hasFormat
Extent and medium of the unit of description
Archival unit
<physdesc>
<physicalForm>
Form of material
schema:fileFormat
isbd:P1003 - "has media type"
Title
dcterms:title
Title
Proper title
<unittitle>
<title>
Title of a work
schema:title
isbd:P1012 - "has title"
Note: The x indicates the lack of a property related to the specific information.
Theoretical model
The following theoretical model represented in natural language, describes all the items selected and shown earlier in the concept map, along with related information that could be added. In particular, aspects concerning some interested people (who), places (where), dates (when) and subjects/concepts (what) are enriched.
Click on the image to open it
E/R: new graph
The updated E/R model graph shows the addition of the new entities and relationships designed to describe the new observations.
Click on the image to open it
Conceptual model
The last conceptual model is the graphical representation of the ontological approach chosen. It takes into account the classes and properties of existing schema models and ontologies to better describe the relationships between entities. The graphical framework Graffoo was used for its representation.
Reference ontologies are as follows:
The following tables show the reference triples for each item written in natural language and, in the case of predicates, in the form of properties. The attributes most closely related to the different entities were chosen. The full csv file can be downloaded.
Subject
Predicate
Object
Person
dbpedia-owl:birthplace
London
Person
dbpedia-owl:father
Lord Byron
Person
eac-cpf:isInvolvedin
Article XXIX
Subject
Predicate
Object
Ada Lovelace Portrait
dcterms:created
1840
Ada Lovelace Portrait
crm:P62_depicts
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace Portrait
fabio:HasCreator
Alfred Edward Chalon
Ada Lovelace Portrait
dbpedia-owl:material
Watercolor
Ada Lovelace Portrait
dbpedia-owl:location
Science Museum
Ada Lovelace Portrait
dbpedia-owl:technique
Painting
Ada Lovelace Portrait
crm:P7_took_place_at
England
Subject
Predicate
Object
Picture of Ada Lovelace
fabio:IsPotrayalOf
Ada Lovelace
Picture of Ada Lovelace
dbpedia-owl:technique
Daguerrotype
Picture of Ada Lovelace
crm:P14_carried_out_by
Antoine Claudet
Picture of Ada Lovelace
dcterms:created
2 January 1843
Picture of Ada Lovelace
crm:P7_took_place_at
Claudet's Studio
Picture of Ada Lovelace
dbpedia-owl:owner
Geoffrey Bond
Subject
Predicate
Object
Ada Lovelace Calculation letter
dbpedia-owl:writer
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace Calculation letter
crm:P2_has_type
Handwritten letter
Ada Lovelace Calculation letter
dbpedia-owl:location
British Library
Ada Lovelace Calculation letter
schema:recipient
Charles Babbage
Ada Lovelace Calculation letter
dcterms:date
10 July 1843
Ada Lovelace Calculation letter
dcterms:language
English
Subject
Predicate
Object
Ada Day's Logo
fabio:IsPotrayalOf
Ada Lovelace
Ada Day's Logo
crm:P17_was_motivated_by
Ada Lovelace Day
Ada Day's Logo
dbpedia-owl:producedby
Stuart Brett
Ada Day's Logo
dcterms:date
1 October 2015
Subject
Predicate
Object
Ada Lovelace Letter
dbpedia-owl:writer
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace Letter
dbpedia-owl:location
Houghton Library
Ada Lovelace Letter
crm:P89_falls_within
Harvard University
Ada Lovelace Letter
dcterms:language
English
Ada Lovelace Letter
dbpedia-owl:writer
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace Letter
schema:recipient
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ada Lovelace Letter
crm:P2_has_type
Handwritten letter
Ada Lovelace Letter
dcterms:date
7 July 1848
Subject
Predicate
Object
Article XXIX
fabio:isManifestationOf
Translation and addition of notes
Article XXIX
dcterms:ispartof
Sketch of the analytical engine invented by Charles Babbage
The first step in the production of RDF concerns naming: the URIs of some of the entities most closely related to Ada Lovelace and three items selected with reference to the topic (Ada potrayal, Ada Lovelace letter, Spyfall: Part-two), were identified.
In the next step, prefixes are defined for the chosen ontologies, to which are added those of other significant resources and authorities, and triples are written according to Turtle syntax.
AdaLod is a Linked Open Data project realized for the "Knowledge Organization and Cultural Heritage" course of the Master's Degree in Digital Humanities and Digital Knowledge of the University of Bologna.
This website was developed by Ludovica Russo.
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