Entity Definitions

This page explains the main concepts used in the project.

It describes them in everyday language.

No technical knowledge is required.

Think of these as the “building blocks” of our documentation system.

Why we use defined concepts

To work together consistently, we must agree on the meaning of words.

For example:

What exactly is an object?
What counts as a source?
What is a place?
What is an organization?

Clear definitions avoid confusion and duplicate work.

The main concepts

HeritageObject

The thing we are studying.

It answers:

What is the subject of our research?

Examples:

the sanatorium
a building
a room
a document
a historically meaningful place
a component or part

If something is the focus of historical research, it is probably a HeritageObject.

Person

A historical individual.

It answers:

Who was involved?

Examples:

sisters
directors
architects
patients
workers

A Person is always a real human being from history.

Organization

A group or institution acting together.

It answers:

Which group or institution was responsible?

Examples:

congregations
companies
associations
managing bodies

Organizations act collectively.

Place

A location.

It answers:

Where did this exist or happen?

Examples:

a city
a building
a site
a region
a country

Places describe location only.

Places do not act or make decisions.

DigitalAsset

A digital source that documents something.

It answers:

Which document or image proves or shows this?

Examples:

a photograph
a scan of a letter
a newspaper article
a PDF
a transcription

DigitalAssets are our research sources.

File

The physical stored file.

Examples:

JPG image
PDF document
TIFF scan

Files only store data.

They get meaning only through DigitalAssets.

ResearchChapter

A section of the research story.

It answers:

Where does this belong in our narrative?

Examples:

Early years
Expansion period
Daily life
Architecture

Chapters help organize interpretation.

Keywords

Simple tags used for searching.

They help find things but do not define structure.

Summary

In short:

HeritageObjects → what we study
Persons → who
Organizations → which group
Places → where
DigitalAssets → sources
Files → storage only
Chapters → story structure