Annotation Vocabulary
type: Ontology
abstract: The Annotation Vocabulary provides commonly used annotation properties for documentation to facilitate understanding. Note that this ontology defines a property hierarchy for a number of external annotations, including SKOS and Dublin Core annotations, to show how they relate to one another, although the semantics of OWL ignore this. Doing so emphasizes how the annotations are intended to be used and assists with integration in cases where different ontologies use different annotations and/or approaches.
license: Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Adaptive Analytics, Inc. Copyright (c) 2022-2025 EDM Council, Inc. Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Federated Knowledge LLC Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Object Management Group, Inc. Copyright (c) 2024-2025 Ontogenesis Solutions, LLC Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Thematix Partners LLC Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. See https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT.
references: terms
references: core#
title: Commons Annotation Vocabulary
version IRI: AnnotationVocabulary
change note: https://www.omg.org/spec/Commons/20220501/AnnotationVocabulary.rdf version of this ontology was modified to normalize the use of rdfs:isDefinedBy for SKOS and Dublin Core annotations (COMMONS-1).
change note: https://www.omg.org/spec/Commons/20221101/AnnotationVocabulary.rdf version of this ontology was modified to further normalize the property hierarchy for SKOS and Dublin Core annotations (COMMONS-1.2-14).
change note: https://www.omg.org/spec/Commons/20241101/AnnotationVocabulary.rdf version of this ontology was modified to revert to the precise annotations used in SKOS and Dublin Core rather than avoid circular definitions and comply with ISO 704, which is required by ISO and thus for all OMG ontologies (COMMONS-1.3-12), and to add a note to the synonym annotation to warn users that because it is a subproperty of rdfs:label, just as skos:altLabel, skos:hiddenLabel, and skos:prefLabel are, that some additional work will be required to return the primary label of anything that has synonyms (COMMONS13-13).
note: Note that any of the annotation properties provided in Dublin Core can be used in addition to those declared herein. However, Dublin Core terms that are not explicitly defined herein must be declared explicitly as annotation properties in the ontologies that use them.
note: The annotation properties defined below are derived from similar annotation vocabularies used in (1) the Object Management Group (OMG) specification metadata - see http://www.omg.org/techprocess/ab/SpecificationMetadata/, (2) annotations used in the Financial Industry Business Ontology (FIBO) - see https://spec.edmcouncil.org/fibo/ontology/FND/Utilities/AnnotationVocabulary/, and (3) other ontology efforts such as the NIST-sponsored Industrial Ontology Foundation (IOF).
copyright: Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Adaptive Analytics, Inc.
copyright: Copyright (c) 2022-2025 EDM Council, Inc.
copyright: Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Federated Knowledge LLC
copyright: Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Object Management Group, Inc.
copyright: Copyright (c) 2022-2025 Thematix Partners LLC
copyright: Copyright (c) 2024-2025 Ontogenesis Solutions, LLC

abstract
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: description
definition: summary of the resource
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource.

contributor
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: an entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
note: The guidelines for using names of persons or organizations as creators apply to contributors.

creator
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: contributor
definition: an entity responsible for making the resource
note: Recommended practice is to identify the creator with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the creator may be provided.

description
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: an account of the resource
note: Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource.

issued
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: date of formal issuance of the resource
note: Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource.

license
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: a legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource
note: Recommended practice is to identify the license document with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value that identifies the license may be provided.
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource.

modified
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: date on which the resource was changed
note: Recommended practice is to describe the date, date/time, or period of time as recommended for the property Date, of which this is a subproperty.
usage note: This annotation is typically used to indicate the most recent date on which an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource was changed.

publisher
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: an entity responsible for making the resource available
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource.

references
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: a related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource
note: This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. This property is an inverse property of Is Referenced By.

rights
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: information about rights held in and over the resource
note: Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights. Recommended practice is to refer to a rights statement with a URI. If this is not possible or feasible, a literal value (name, label, or short text) may be provided.
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource.

source
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: a related resource from which the described resource is derived
note: This property is intended to be used with non-literal values. The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a URI or a string conforming to a formal identification system.
explanatory note: The intent is to provide a user with a reference as to how the thing being annotated was derived or arrived at. The source can be a URL to a standard, common dictionary (e.g., Collins, Merriam-Webster, Oxford), a formal reference such as an ISO standard, or similar reference. Or it can be a short description of a source from which the entity being annotated was derived.

title
type: AnnotationProperty
definition: a name given to the resource
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, document, ontology, or other similar resource.

alternative label
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: label
definition: an alternative lexical label for a resource
example: Acronyms, abbreviations, spelling variants, and irregular plural/singular forms may be included among the alternative labels for a concept. Mis-spelled terms are normally included as hidden labels (see skos:hiddenLabel).
note: The range of skos:altLabel is the class of RDF plain literals.
note: skos:prefLabel, skos:altLabel and skos:hiddenLabel are pairwise disjoint properties.

change note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: a note about a modification to a concept

definition
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: description
sub property of: note
definition: a statement or formal explanation of the meaning of a concept
usage note: For the purposes of OMG and other industry standards, definitions must be ISO 704 compliant.

editorial note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: a note for an editor, translator or maintainer of the vocabulary

example
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: an example of the use of a concept

history note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: a note about the past state, use, or meaning of a concept

note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: comment
definition: a general note, for any purpose
scope note: This property may be used directly, or as a super-property for more specific note types.

preferred label
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: label
definition: the preferred lexical label for a resource, in a given language
note: A resource has no more than one value of skos:prefLabel per language tag, and no more than one value of skos:prefLabel without language tag.
note: The range of skos:prefLabel is the class of RDF plain literals.
note: skos:prefLabel, skos:altLabel and skos:hiddenLabel are pairwise disjoint properties.

scope note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: a note that helps to clarify the meaning and/or the use of a concept

abbreviation
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: synonym
definition: designation formed by omitting parts from the full form of a term that denotes the same concept
example: Chemical Symbols: H, O, Mg; Units of Measure: Km, Kg, G
note: Abbreviations can be created by removing individual words, or can be acronyms, initialisms, or clipped terms.
adapted from: ISO 1087 Terminology work and terminology science - Vocabulary, Second edition, 2019-09
adapted from: ISO 31-0 Quantities and units - General principles
explanatory note: The symbols for quantities are generally single letters of the Latin or Greek alphabet, sometimes with subscripts or other modifying signs. These letters, including those that are members of the Greek alphabet are not symbols for the purposes of this ontology, however, they are abbreviations. Expressions of chemical formulae may, however, include a combination of abbreviations and symbols, as needed to define a given quantity.
usage note: Note that any SPARQL or other query using entailment for the rdfs:label on any construct will return not only the rdfs:label but all labels that are specified using subproperties of rdfs:label, such as abbreviation.

acronym
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: abbreviation
definition: abbreviation that is made up of the initial letters of the components of the full form of a term or proper name or from syllables of the full form
example: Examples of acronyms are: laser, ISO, GATT, UNESCO, UNICEF
note: Acronyms are frequently pronounced syllabically. It may be useful to use this property for generation of acronym lists.
adapted from: ISO 1087 Terminology work and terminology science - Vocabulary, Second edition, 2019-09
usage note: Note that any SPARQL or other query using entailment for the rdfs:label on any construct will return not only the rdfs:label but all labels that are specified using subproperties of rdfs:label, such as acronym.

adapted from
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: source
definition: document or other source from which a given term (or its definition) was adapted (i.e., is compatible with but not quoted); the range for this annotation can be a string, URI, or citation
usage note: This annotation should be used to indicate that a reference was used, for example, as input to the development of a definition or term but would not be considered infringing on a copyright.

copyright
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: rights
definition: exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same
usage note: This annotation is typically used to describe an artifact such as a controlled vocabulary, ontology, or other similar resource.

direct source
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: source
definition: quoted reference for the subject resource; the range for this annotation can be a string, URI, or bibliographic citation

explanatory note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: note that provides additional explanatory material for a resource

logical definition
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: definition
definition: definition in the form of a formal expression, such as the mathematical or logic representation, for the resource

symbol
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: synonym
definition: abbreviation that is a design or mark, or other non-alpha-numeric character(s) conventionally used to represent something, such as a currency or mathematical sign or operator
usage note: Note that any SPARQL or other query using entailment for the rdfs:label on any construct will return not only the rdfs:label but all labels that are specified using subproperties of rdfs:label, such as symbol.

synonym
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: alternative label
definition: designation that can be substituted for the primary representation of something
adapted from: ISO 1087 Terminology work and terminology science - Vocabulary, Second edition, 2019-09
usage note: Note that any SPARQL or other query using entailment for the rdfs:label on any construct will return not only the rdfs:label but all labels that are specified using subproperties of rdfs:label, such as synonym.

usage note
type: AnnotationProperty
sub property of: note
definition: note that provides information about how a given resource is used or may be extended