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SectionB.7
SectionB.7

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!!B.7.3 MIDAS and FISH Terminology
This section describes the purpose of the central standard for historic environment recording (MIDAS Heritage) and the use of controlled terminology in the application of the standard. Further information about these are available online via the [Forum on Information Standards in Heritage (FISH) website|http://fishforum.weebly.com/|target='_blank'].
!!B.7.3 MIDAS Heritage and FISH Terminology
This section describes the purpose of the central standard for historic environment recording (MIDAS Heritage) and the use of standardised terminology in its application.
MIDAS Heritage is a British cultural heritage standard for recording information on buildings, monuments, archaeological sites, shipwrecks and submerged landscapes, parks and gardens, battlefields, artefacts and ecofacts. The data standard suggests the minimum level of information needed for recording heritage assets and covers the procedures involved in understanding, protecting and managing these assets. It also provides guidelines on how to support effective sharing of knowledge, data retrieval and long-term preservation of data.
The use of standardised terminology alongside MIDAS Heritage allows consistent indexing practice which facilitates accurate and fast information retrieval. The main terminology used by HERs was originally held together as a national heritage reference dataset known as ['INSCRIPTION'|Glossary#INSCRIPTION|target='_blank'] which comprised of a series of [wordlists|Glossary#Wordlist|target='_blank'] and [thesauri|Glossary#Thesaurus|target='_blank'] developed by various heritage bodies, both national and regional. These word lists and thesauri are now managed and maintained by the national heritage organisations and the [FISH Terminology Working Group|http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-terminology-working-groups.html|target='_blank'].
Further information about these are available online via the [Forum on Information Standards in Heritage (FISH) website|http://fishforum.weebly.com/|target='_blank'].
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[{Image src='fig5.jpg' alt='Figure 5: The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.'}]
''Figure 5: The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.''
[{Image src='fig5.jpg' alt='Figure 7: The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.'}]
''Figure 7: The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.''
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!MIDAS
Developed from data standardisation work in the 1980s and early 1990s [''MIDAS''|Bibliography#Lee 1998|target='_blank'] was first published in 1998 by the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England (RCHME). ''MIDAS'' is available as a free downloadable electronic document via links from the FISH website, or direct from the English Heritage website.
!MIDAS Heritage
Developed from data standardisation work in the 1980s and early 1990s, the first edition of the standard, [MIDAS – A Manual and Data Standard for Monument Inventories|Bibliography#Lee 1998|target='_blank'], was published by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) in 1998. The organisation merged with English Heritage (now Historic England) in 1999 and development work in 2004 extended MIDAS to cover GIS type data as well as watercraft and aircraft recording. An updated version, MIDAS Heritage, was published in 2007 in collaboration with other UK heritage organisations including the [RCAHMS|Glossary#RCAHMS|target='_blank'] and [RCAHMW|Glossary#RCAHMW|target='_blank']. The standard was developed for and on behalf of the FISH and is maintained and updated by them in collaboration with Historic England, RCAHMS, RCAHMW and other contributing heritage organisations. MIDAS Heritage is available as a free downloadable electronic from the [Historic England website|https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/midas-heritage/midas-heritage-2012-v1_1.pdf/|target='_blank'].
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Development work in 2004 has extended MIDAS to cover GIS type data and watercraft and aircraft recording. A second full edition [''MIDAS Heritage: The UK Historic Environment Information Standard''|Bibliography#FISH 2012|target='_blank'] is in production. This second edition will cover a wider range of information types, supporting standardised recording of these by the HER community. Further development work will be reported online via the FISH website.
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[{Image src='fig6.gif' alt='Figure 6: The logo of MIDAS, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records.'}]
''Figure 6: The logo of MIDAS, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records.''
[{Image src='MIDAS_Heritage_logo.png' alt='Figure 8: The logo of MIDAS Heritage, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records.'}]
''Figure 8: The logo of MIDAS Heritage, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records.''
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__''What is in MIDAS?''__
__''What is in MIDAS Heritage?''__
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MIDAS is a content standard in that it defines the individual facts or ‘units of information’ that should be included in a standardised record of, for example, a monument or archaeological event. It is also an open data standard, in that although information schemes are described the exact structure in which data is to be recorded is not defined, so that MIDAS can be applied to a range of information systems. To promote consistency and standardisation within the HER sector, MIDAS has been used as the basis for development of HER Level 1 Benchmark 3.2. Compliance at a basic level with MIDAS is therefore a professional requirement for all HERs. HER staff should, however, familiarise themselves with the full MIDAS standard, which includes a much wider range of information.
MIDAS Heritage is a content standard in that it defines the individual facts or ‘units of information’ that should be included in a standardised record of, for example, a monument or archaeological event. It is also an open data standard, in that although information schemes are described the exact structure in which data is to be recorded is not defined, so that MIDAS Heritage can be applied to a range of information systems. It is set out as a series of closely integrated data standards, rather than one single standard and is designed to be used in conjunction with separate standards covering specific types of applications or projects, which will give the necessary data elements. Examples include [SPECTRUM|http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum/the-spectrum-standard|target='_blank'] (for artefacts), [UK Gemini Discovery Metadata Standard|http://www.agi.org.uk/join-us/agi-groups/standards-committee/uk-gemini|target='_blank'] (for GIS), and [CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model|http://cidoc-crm.org/|target='_blank'] (for concepts and relationships). MIDAS Heritage complies with the [UK e-Government Metadata Standard|http://www.esd.org.uk/standards/egms/|target='_blank'] (e-GMS), which is based on [Dublin Core|Glossary#Dublin Core|target='_blank'].
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__''Who should use MIDAS?''__
The MIDAS Heritage data standard has a three-level structure with six main themes, each containing several Information Groups, which in turn contain a number of Information Units.
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MIDAS is intended for a wider audience than just the HER community and is recommended reading for anyone involved in inventory projects. Worked examples in the manual cover, for example, its application to academic research databases and voluntary sector thematic surveys. The same requirement for standards exists for these other sectors if the maximum value is to be obtained from their efforts. This is of course particularly important if the intention exists to deposit the results of these surveys with the local HERs.
* __Level 1: Themes__ - Describe the main subject areas at the broadest level
* __Level 2: Information Groups__ - Outline the specific standard which should be included in any entry covering a particular subject
* __Level 3: Units of Information__ - Provide the basic 'facts' or items that make up an entry
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In addition to the data standard itself, MIDAS includes a manual to assist those managing and maintaining an inventory of the historic environment. HER staff should not only be familiar with MIDAS themselves but should also recommend its use to local societies working in their area.
The six main themes and the information groups within each are set out in the diagram below:
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[{Image src='fig7.gif' alt='Figure 7: The logo for the INSCRIPTION terminology standard web pages.'}]
''Figure 7: The logo for the INSCRIPTION terminology standard web pages.''
[{Image src='MIDAS_Themes.png' alt='Figure 9: An overview of the structure of the MIDAS Heritage themes and information groups.'}]
''Figure 9: An overview of the structure of MIDAS Heritage themes and information groups.''
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!INSCRIPTION
Effective searching of HERs relies on the quality of indexing. Good indexing ensures effective retrieval of records relevant to a search; poor indexing means that records will be overlooked.
__''Who should use MIDAS Heritage?''__
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Most HER information systems support indexing using standardised terminologies built into the actual software. These include simple lists, such as types of legal protection for a monument, more complex hierarchical lists such as the ALGAO list of Event Types or full indexing thesauri such as the English Heritage Thesaurus of Monument Types (see panels [4|http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/ifp/Wiki.jsp?page=SectionB.8#section-SectionB.8-Panel4ToolsForIndexingAndRetrieval1.Wordlists] and [5|http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/ifp/Wiki.jsp?page=SectionB.8#section-SectionB.8-Panel5ToolsForIndexingAndRetrieval2.Thesauri]).
MIDAS Heritage is intended for a wider audience than just the HER community and is recommended reading for anyone involved in inventory projects. Worked examples in the manual cover, for example, its application to academic research databases and voluntary sector thematic surveys. The same requirement for standards exists for these other sectors if the maximum value is to be obtained from their efforts. This is of course particularly important if the intention exists to deposit the results of these surveys with the local HERs.
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INSCRIPTION, provided by the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage is the definitive source for information about all the available national standards. It is a collection of wordlists and thesauri developed by various heritage bodies that are recommended for use in conjunction with ''MIDAS'' units of information.
In addition to the data standard itself, MIDAS includes a manual to assist those managing and maintaining an inventory of the historic environment. HER staff should not only be familiar with MIDAS themselves but should also recommend its use to local societies working in their area.
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''MIDAS'' and INSCRIPTION have been developed to work together. For each case where ''MIDAS'' recommends the use of a controlled terminology, a suitable indexing terminology has been developed by one or more of the partners in the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage, and details included in INSCRIPTION.
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Find out more about INSCRIPTION, and how the controlled terminologies recorded there can be used by visiting [http://fishforum.weebly.com/].
!FISH Terminology
Effective searching of HERs relies on the quality of indexing. Good indexing ensures effective retrieval of records relevant to a search; poor indexing means that records will be overlooked.
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%%image-caption
[{Image src='fig8.png' width='750px' alt='Figure 8: A sample screenshot from the INSCRIPTION web page.'}]
''Figure 8: A sample screenshot from the INSCRIPTION web page.''
/%
Most HER information systems support indexing using standardised terminologies built into the actual software. These include simple lists, such as types of legal protection for a monument, more complex hierarchical lists such at the [Thesaurus of Event Types|Glossary#Thesaurus of Event Types|target='_blank'] or full indexing thesauri such as the English Heritage [Thesaurus of Monument Types|Glossary#Thesaurus of Monument Types|target='_blank'] (see [Panel 4|SectionB.8#Panel4ToolsForIndexingAndRetrieval1.Wordlists] and [Panel 5|SectionB.8#Panel5ToolsForIndexingAndRetrieval2.Thesauri] in [Section B.8|SectionB.8] for examples of wordlists and heirarchical thesauri).
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The main terminologies ([wordlists|Glossary#Wordlist|target='_blank'] and [thesauri|Glossary#Thesaurus|target='_blank']) used by HERs were originally held together as a national heritage reference dataset known as ['INSCRIPTION'|Glossary#INSCRIPTION|target='_blank']. These are now managed and maintained by the national heritage organisations and the [FISH Terminology Working Group|http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-terminology-working-groups.html|target='_blank'].
These worlists and thesauri are recommended for use in conjunction with MIDAS Heritage units of information. For each case where MIDAS Heritage recommends the use of a controlled terminology, a suitable indexing terminology has been developed by one or more of the partners in the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage. Details about each of the available wordlists and thesauri, along with downloadable versions (in either PDF and CSV format) can be found on the [FISH website|http://fishforum.weebly.com/download-fish-terminology.html|target='_blank']. They are also available to browse online via the [Historic England website|http://thesaurus.historicengland.org.uk/frequentuser.htm|target='_blank'].
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Interoperability is the ability to reuse data created in one software application in another. It is essential if efficient sharing of data between HERs and their users is to become a reality. Interoperability relies on data standards that are understood and shared within the HER community such as ''MIDAS'' and INSCRIPTION, plus technical standards to support the creation of data files that different software packages will be able to process.
Interoperability is the ability to reuse data created in one software application in another. It is essential if efficient sharing of data between HERs and their users is to become a reality. Interoperability relies on data standards that are understood and shared within the HER community such as MIDAS Heritage and FISH Terminologies, plus technical standards to support the creation of data files that different software packages will be able to process.
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To provide HER managers and their IT advisors with the technical tools needed to make interoperability possible the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage have developed a ‘toolkit’ of protocols and formats aimed at HERs and their technical advisors. It is based upon ''MIDAS'' and incorporates the HER benchmark Level 1 standard. Online validation of data against INSCRIPTION controlled terminologies is supported.
To provide HER managers and their IT advisors with the technical tools needed to make interoperability possible the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage have developed a ‘toolkit’ of protocols and formats aimed at HERs and their technical advisors. It is based upon MIDAS Heritage and incorporates the HER benchmark Level 1 standard. Online validation of data against controlled terminologies is supported.
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Whereas ''MIDAS'' and INSCRIPTION are aimed at HER staff, the Toolkit is aimed at IT specialists and software developers. HER staff should familiarise themselves with the functions that the Toolkit supports, but are advised to contact their IT support staff for discussion of how the Toolkit might be implemented in their systems.
Whereas MIDAS Heritage and FISH Terminologies are aimed at HER staff, the Toolkit is aimed at IT specialists and software developers. HER staff should familiarise themselves with the functions that the Toolkit supports, but are advised to contact their IT support staff for discussion of how the Toolkit might be implemented in their systems.
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Further information on the FISH Interoperability Toolkit can be accessed online at [http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/fishtoolkit/].
The toolkit consists of four main components which check, map and verify content before exchange of textual and geographical information between systems.
* ''The XML Mapping Tool''
This tool allows the user to upload their own non-MIDAS XML schema (or sample file) use a visual mapping tool to map between this file and MIDAS XML and then carry out a transformation. The mapping itself is stored in an XSL file under a user specific login for later reuse in this system or it can be exported to allow the transformation to be carried out elsewhere. This tool currently requires an additional Login process.
* ''The Toolkit Data Validator''
This online application validates the content of MIDAS XML files. The presence or absence of data required by standards such as the English HER Level 1 Benchmark is checked. Reports are issued on compliance and a watermark is embedded in a new XML file for download.
* ''The Concordance Tool''
This online application parses two MIDAS XML files to find updated records. Reference and New XML files are checked for the updated or new records. Reporting consists of description and two automatically generated XML files. The first one consists of only the differences between the two files (i.e. new or updated records only) and the second one consists of Reference XML file plus new records and updated records.
* ''The Geospatial Tool''
This tool reads a valid XML file, finds coordinates in OSGB36 format and adds additional spatial elements for the same coordinates in WGS84 format. If the original coordinate format is WGS84 decimal degrees then additional elements in OSGB36 are added
Further information on the FISH Interoperability Toolkit can be accessed online at [http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/fishtoolkit/|http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/fishtoolkit/|target='_blank'] or [http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-toolkit.html|http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-toolkit.html|target='_blank'].
This page (revision-23) was last changed on 31-Mar-2015 17:23 by Alison Bennett Top