Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Information
Object
Interpreted using
*
Interpreted using
Data
Object
Representation
Information
1
Physical
Object
Digital
Object
1
*
1..
Bit
Fig. 6.2
OAIS information model
The UML diagram in Fig.
6.2
illustrates this concept. The Information Object is
composed of a Data Object that is either physical or digital, and the Representation
Information that allows for the full interpretation of the data into meaningful
information. This model is valid for all the types of information in an OAIS.
This UML diagram means that
•
an Information Object
is made up of a Data Object and Representation
Information
•
A Data Object can be either a Physical Object or a Digital Object. An example
of the former is a piece of paper or a rock sample.
•
A Digital Object is made up of one or more Bits.
•
A Data Object is interpreted using Representation Information
•
Representation Information is itself interpreted using further Representation
Information
This figure shows that Representation Information may contain references to other
Representation Information. When this is coupled with the fact that Representation
Information is an Information Object that may have its own Digital Object and other
Representation Information associated with understanding each Digital Object, as
shown in a compact form by the interpreted using association, the resulting set of
objects can be referred to as a Representation Network.
Representation Information Object shows more details and in particular breaks
out the semantic and structural information as well as recognising that there may be
Other representation information such as software illustrated in Fig.
6.3
.
