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RDF Schemas
Classes, Resources, …


  • Think of well known in traditional ontologies:
    • use the term “mammal”
    • “every dolphin is a mammal”
    • “Flipper is a dolphin”
    • etc.
  • RDFS defines the terms of resources and classes:
    • everything in RDF is a “resource”
    • “classes” are also resources, but…
    • they are also a collection of possible resources (i.e., individuals)
    • (e.g., “mammal”, “dolphin”)
  • Relationships are defined among classes/resources:
    • “typing”: an individual belongs to a specific class
    • (e.g., “Flipper is a dolphin”)
    • “subclassing”: instance of one is also the instance of the other
    • (e.g., “every dolphin is a mammal”)

Ivan Herman, W3C 51 (134)