Linked Open Data and Manuscript Descriptions

Abstract

This chapter explores the intersection of Linked Open Data (LOD) and manuscript descriptions, empha­sising the importance of data availability under the LOD principles for research in the humanities. It begins by outlining the principles of Linked Data, including Tim Berners-Lee’s five-star LOD model and technologies such as RDF that underpin the Semantic Web. The discussion then shifts to the application of these technologies to medieval studies, highlighting how archives and librar­ies are making resources available online. The article delves into the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and its role in creating machine-readable manuscript descriptions, evaluating selected digital scholarly editions for their use of LOD. Finally, a case study on the GAMS repository at the University of Graz demonstrates current practices and proposes a possible approach to unifying manuscript ontology to enhance interoperability and scholarly utility in a real-world example. The study critically discusses the current status of LOD for medieval manuscript studies and underscores its potential to improve research accessibility and connectivity in the future.