The properties dcat:mediaType and dct:format have the same range. They seem to provide exactly the same information, which makes one of them irrelevant.
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The properties dcat:mediaType and dct:format have the same range. They seem to provide exactly the same information, which makes one of them irrelevant.
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Proposed resolution: Change the obligation of dct:format to recommended with cardinality 0..1 for Distribution. This is in line with DCAT-AP.
As there were no objections, we will include this in the draft version of the revised profile. Of course, further comments are welcome.
The removal of the dcat:mediaType property causes some comfusion in the implementation.
Although the range is the same, the useage notes in DCAT explain the difference between the two:
https://www.w3.org/TR/vocab-dcat/#Property:distribution_media_type
Now that in the ADMS-AP the dcat:mediaType has been removed, it is unclear if it is still recommended/allowed to use IANA media types as the range of the dct:format.
Looking at the ADMS-AP 2.01 documentation:
The ADMS-AP 2.01 document is a bit contraditional (it looks like the documantation if not fully updated) on the subject of this porperty:
In point 7.2.2 Usage notes of the dct:format property, the following comment is present:
Under 8.1 Controlled Vocabularies I still find a reference to dcat:mediaType, and it's link to the MDR file type taxonomy although dcat:mediaType is no longer in use.
Furthermore, the controlled vocabulary has been removed from the specification: this might make federation harder.
As the range of dct:format is dct:MediaTypeOrExtent, using the file type taxonomy is not without defining all the terms as a class members of dct:MediaTypeOrExtent.
WHat would be the approriate way of dealing with these properties? Would it be advisable to either:
- Use the controlled vocabulary anyway?
- Use the -less ineroperable- straight dct:MediaTypeOrExtent objest?