'Small ontologies, loosely joined': linked open data for the First World War

Digital Humanities 2015Mia Ridge, Open University

@mia_out http://miaridge.com

'Somewhere in France'

Official records have more detail

‘Aug 8th Left OVERTON GULLY at 0130 and proceeded to RHODDENDRUM SPUR arrived there at 0800.  Proceeded under fire to cross ridge into safety.  Remained in gully until 1200 during which time several shrapnel shells struck and did damage.  11th and half the 3rd Squadrons then rushed over the crest line of the hill and reinforced firing line on CHUNUK BAIR and remainder of the 3rd and 4th Squadrons joining us at 1400.  Kept enemy back with greatest difficulty (from 1800 t0 2000 had only 85 men) Relieved by OTAGO infantry at 2015.  Fought all night.’

...linked by military jargon

Sample military structure

1. Battalion (usually 300-1300 soldiers)2. Regiment/Brigade (two or more battalions) 3. Division (three or four regiments/brigades) 4. Corps (two or more divisions) 5. Army (e.g. by Oct 1916 the BEF consisted of

the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Armies) 6. General Headquarters/British

Expeditionary Force (BEF)

My goalM

ilita

ry u

nitPlaces

EventsDiariesHistoriesHierarchy

Mili

tary

rec

ordsIDs

Dates Pers

onLettersDiariesPhotosNamesMemoirs

What did others near Rhododendron Spur on August 8th document?M

ilita

ry u

nitPlaces

EventsDiariesHistoriesHierarchy

Mili

tary

rec

ordsIDs

Dates Pers

onLettersDiariesPhotosNamesMemoirs

Centenary projects

Amateur digitisation

However.

The reality

http://lov.okfn.org/dataset/lov/terms?q=war

The reality

Datahub.io

Modelling WWI military units

Thousands of structured pages -thanks @merozcursed

Plan to...

Thanks to:• CENDARI project• Trinity College Dublin• Gavin Robinson

@merozcursed• Everyone who shared

data

Mia Ridge, Open University@mia_out