Short Intro

CRM Issues Discussuion Process

The following discussion list is slightly modified from that of Dublin Core. I have added a column "Identifier". All mails to the discussion list should be sent to"crm-sig", with subject = Re:<"Identifier">, nothing else. E.g: "subject: Re:BIRTHPLACE" (or click on the respective identifier). This will cause a natural order in the mail list archive. We shall try to maintain the summaries of background, proposal and outcome on this page up-to-date. The latest stage of discussion and individual contributions will all be kept on the mailing list archive. The purpose of this discussion list is not only to reach agreement, but also to acquire an understanding of problems associated with comprehension and application of the CRM and its associated documentation. The input gathered here will be a base to improve all parts of the documentation of the CRM.

Our process for reaching agreement is:

  • Issues are added to the list.
  • People comment on the issues and sometimes it turns out that the wording of an issue is unclear and needs fixing before there is a common understanding of what the issue means.
  • The issues are assigned to working groups that will make decisions about them.
  • Proposals are put forward. The issue either leads to a proposal for a change in the CRM, or the conclusion is, that the issue is already covered by the CRM as is. The issue may also be regarded as out of scope of the CRM. In that case, a possible extension to the CRM may be proposed anyhow
  • People comment on the proposals and sometimes it turns out that the wording of a proposal is unclear and needs fixing before there is a common understanding of what the proposal means.
  • We discuss the pros and cons of the various proposals relating to a given issue. If we succeed on the mailing list then that's fine, if not, it becomes a meeting subject.
  • Disagreements are resolved through other means.

Working Groups
Each of the four CIDOC CRM working groups oversees a different activity:

Working Group 1: editorial changes
Working Group 2: application guidlines
Working Group 3: changes in the CIDOC CRM model
Working Group 4: additional documentation and didactic material

Text status: 
To be reviewed