Issue 72: Scope note of Modification

ID: 
72
Starting Date: 
2001-10-15
Working Group: 
1
Status: 
Done
Closing Date: 
2002-07-03
Background: 

The scope note of E11 Modification refers only to intentional modifications. That seems to be too narrow.

E11 Modification Event

Belongs to: Period Type
Subclass of: Activity
Superclass of: Production

Current Scope Note:
This entity comprises all activities which intentionally alter physical objects, regardless of the degree of intervention: creation of some item from raw material, restorations, use of ancient objects in jewelry, etc.. Since many cases the distinction between modification and creation is not clear, and the actions implied are basically the same, modification is regarded as the more general (and less ambiguous) concept. This implies that some items may be consumed or destroyed in a modification process, and others emerge from it. Typically, objects involved in the process, such as tools, materials, etc., which are foreseen by the applied technique are modeled as attributes of the Design or Procedure, for reasons of efficient data representation. Nevertheless, unusual and remarkable items used for a specific instance of a process should be referred to here.

This entity is thought to be collective, e.g. the printing of a thousand books should be one event. Conservation actions can be modeled as a type of modification.

Current Proposal: 

New scope note:

This entity comprises all activities that alter or change physical man-made objects. Examples of modification events include the creation of an item from raw materials, the restoration or conservation of an object, or the re-use of an ancient object in the creation of a new object. This entity can be collective; the printing of a thousand books, for example, would normally be considered as a single event.

Since the distinction between modification and creation is not always clear, modification is regarded as the more generally applicable concept. This implies that some items may be consumed or destroyed in a modification event, and that others may be created as a result of it. Typically, objects routinely involved in the modification event, such as tools or materials, are modeled as attributes of the Design or Procedure for efficient data representation. However, unusual and remarkable items or materials used for a specific instance of a modification event should be associated with the modification event.

Outcome: 

New scope for E11 Modification Event:

This entity comprises all activities that alter or change physical man-made objects. Examples of modification events include the creation of an item from raw materials, the restoration or conservation of an object, or the re-use of an ancient object in the creation of a new object. This entity can be collective; the printing of a thousand books, for example, would normally be considered a single event.

Since the distinction between modification and creation is not always clear, modification is regarded as the more generally applicable concept. This implies that some items may be consumed or destroyed in a modification event, and that others may be created as a result of it. Typically, objects routinely involved in the modification event, such as tools or materials, are modelled as attributes of the Design or Procedure for efficient data representation. However, unusual and remarkable items or materials used for a specific instance of a modification event should be associated with the modification event. 

Proposal accepted, Copenhagen 3/7/2002.