Project Context / Objective:
The German Historical Institute in Rome initiated this project to integrate multiple archival research datasets concerning the early modern slave trade into a unified, sustainable semantic research environment. The goal was to enable historically accurate, provenance-aware data representation while ensuring long-term interoperability, extensibility, and FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
Three heterogeneous data sources — a MySQL database), an Omeka S instance, and a spreadsheet dataset — needed to be consolidated into a common semantic framework capable of supporting ongoing scholarly research and future dataset integration.
The broader objective was to establish a long-term digital infrastructure aligned with international semantic heritage standards and connected to the wider Linked Open Data ecosystem.
Takin.Solutions’ Role / Contributions:
Takin.Solutions acted as semantic modelling consultant and infrastructure strategist, delivering conceptual modelling, formal documentation, and migration mapping to support the implementation of a sustainable semantic data platform.
Key Activities:
- Analysed and modelled entities and relationships across three heterogeneous archival datasets.
- Designed a historically accurate semantic data model aligned with CIDOC CRM and its extensions.
- Produced full technical documentation of the data models as an implementation blueprint.
- Delivered conceptual mapping documents linking legacy database fields to the new semantic structures.
- Advised on semantic platform strategy, recommending implementation via Arches to ensure long-term sustainability and extensibility.
Deliverables / Outputs:
- Fully documented, standards-aligned semantic data models.
- Conceptual field-to-model mapping documentation for all three legacy data sources.
- Implementation-ready modelling documentation suitable for deployment in a semantic data management system.
- Strategic recommendation for platform implementation and long-term infrastructure planning.
Outcome / Impact:
The project established a robust semantic foundation for integrating diverse archival datasets relating to the early modern slave trade. By formalizing data structures in alignment with CIDOC CRM and best-practice semantic standards, Takin.Solutions enabled the partner institution to move from fragmented data silos toward a unified, extensible research infrastructure.
The resulting models and documentation provide a sustainable blueprint for semantic implementation, data migration, and future dataset integration, ensuring the long-term scholarly reuse, interoperability, and methodological rigor of historical research data.