Keywords
ontological modelling
literary festival
intangible cultural heritage
semantic interoperability
Bookstan
Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Categories
How to Cite
Abstract
Goal: This paper presents the development of an ontological model for the 8th edition of the international literary festival Bookstan (2023). The model was designed to enable digital mapping and archiving, to facilitate data accessibility, and to ensure semantic interoperability, thereby contributing to the preservation of the festival as intangible cultural heritage.
Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted, combining experimental and descriptive methods. The ontology was developed in Protégé, with data drawn from official festival documents and complementary sources. The modeling process followed the principles outlined by Noy and McGuinness, alongside the Schema.org standard, enriched with tailored object relations.
Results: The resulting model comprises 15 classes, 36 object properties, 5 data properties, and 237 instances. It provides a structured representation of events, participants, and venues. SPARQL queries demonstrated efficient data retrieval, while OntoGraf supported structural visualization. The model has been published openly on the GitHub platform.
Research limitations/implications: The scope of the model is limited to the 8th edition of the festival, without coverage of previous or subsequent editions.
Discussion: Employing the Schema.org standard enhanced semantic interoperability, while customized relations allowed for the nuanced mapping of complex interactions between participants and programmes. The model illustrates the potential for standardizing the digital archiving of similar cultural events.
Originality/value: This study constitutes the first attempt to apply ontological modeling to a cultural event in Bosnia and Herzegovina, framing it as intangible cultural heritage. Beyond supporting its preservation, the work opens new avenues for research and facilitates the promotion of the festival through semantic networks.
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