Lecture at the APG study day in Chelsea College of Arts on the 8th of November 2013.

1. Structuring knowledge
Athanasios (Thanasis) Velios
a.velios@arts.ac.uk

11. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham

12. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
No arguments

13. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
– I believe John Latham was blessed

14. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
– I believe John Latham was blessed
Arguments possible but pointless

15. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
– I believe John Latham was blessed
– John Latham was an influential artist

16. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
– I believe John Latham was blessed
– John Latham was an influential artist
Arguments possible and expected

17. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
– I believe John Latham was blessed
– John Latham was an influential artist

18. Language and knowledge
● Statements:
– I like the work of John Latham
– I believe John Latham was blessed
– John Latham was an influential artist
Academia is based
on statements about
what has happened
Academia is based
on statements about
what has happened

19. 1
Academic discourse
is based on
spoken language

20. Language and knowledge
● Common problems:
– words mistaken for concepts

21. Language and knowledge
● Common problems:
– words mistaken for concepts
● Latham's words

22. diagrammatic
progression
diagrammatic
progression

23. multidirectional
property of light
multidirectional
property of light

24. TTiimmee--BBaassee

25. cchhaannggee--ooff--ssttaattee

26. long-based
events
long-based
events

27. recurrent state
of a steady kind
recurrent state
of a steady kind

28. Language and knowledge
● Common problems:
– words mistaken for concepts
● Latham's words
● typical archival description

30. ccaallll sshheeeettss

31. shooting
schedules
shooting
schedules

32. continuity
reports
continuity
reports

33. Language and knowledge
● Common problems:
– words mistaken for concepts
● Latham's words
● typical archival description

34. Language and knowledge
● Common problems:
– words mistaken for concepts
● Latham's words
● typical archival description
– replicating grammar on a computer

37. Language and knowledge
● Common problems:
– words mistaken for concepts
● Latham's words
● typical archival description
● same concept in different languages
– replicating grammar on a computer
● computers struggle with grammar

46. Free-text
The binding has an unsupported sewing structure,
using four stations, with wooden boards attached
to the sewn bookblock by means of sewing thread
only; a textile spine lining extending onto the outer
face of the boards; endbands sewn to the
bookblock and the head and tail edges of the
boards; and metal bosses and triple interlaced
leather clasp-straps laced through the right board
with metal rings that fit over edge pins on the left
board.
Honey, A., and N. Pickwoad. 2010. ‘Learning from the Past: Using Original Techniques to Conserve a Twelfth-century
Illuminated Manuscript and Its Sixteenth-century Greek-style Binding at the Monastery of St Catherine, Sinai’. In Conservation
and the Eastern Mediterranean: Contributions to the Istanbul Congress 20-24 September 2010, ed. C. Rozeik, R. Ashok, and D.
Saunders, 56–61. Istanbul, Turkey: International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.

48. HHoossppiittaalliittyy??

49. InIndduussttrryy??

50. Social tags
Word matching
Social tags
Word matching

51. 1
Academic discourse
is based on
spoken language
Reducing conceptual
problems to philology

52. Methodology and knowledge
● Common problems:
– belief adoption

53. Szirmai, J. A. 1999. The archaeology of medieval bookbinding. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.

54. Szirmai, J. A. 1999. The archaeology of medieval bookbinding. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.

55. Byzantine
● Raised endbands
● Smooth spine (unsupported)
● Edges cut with the boards
● Straps

56. raised
endbands
raised
endbands

57. smooth
spine
smooth
spine

58. textblock
Cut flush
textblock
Cut flush

59. ssttrraappss

60. Byzantine/Greek

63. Byzantine/Greek
● Raised endbands
● Smooth spine (unsupported)
● Edges cut with the boards
● Straps

65. Byzantine/Greek
● Raised endbands
● Smooth spine (unsupported)
● Edges cut with the boards
● Straps

67. Byzantine/Greek
● Raised endbands
● Smooth spine (unsupported)
● Edges cut with the boards
● Straps

69. Byzantine/Greek
● Raised endbands
● Smooth spine (unsupported)
● Edges cut with the boards
● Straps

70. Szirmai, J. A. 1999. The archaeology of medieval bookbinding. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.

71. Methodology and knowledge
● Common problems:
– belief adoption
● no data -> no evidence

74. Methodology and knowledge
● Common problems:
– belief adoption
● no data -> no evidence
– Software tools
● closed source -> no understanding of results

75. 2010

76. 2011

77. 2012

78. 2013

84. 2
Academic
methodologies
rely on trust

85. Knowledge online

86. All content online

87. Knowledge online
● Focus on evidence
– all evidence online
– too much evidence to check manually

88. Knowledge online
● Focus on evidence
– all evidence online
– too much evidence to check manually
● Look up Resource Description Framework

89. 2 statements

90. Tate trustees
meeting 15-07-1976

91. Tate trustees
meeting 15-07-1976
Tate collection
expanded with
works by John
Latham

92. Statements
Tate board meeting took place on 15th of July 1976
Tate board meeting had participants Tate trustees
Tate board meeting had subject Latham's work at Tate
Five sisters acquisition changed owner of Five sisters
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership from John Latham
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership to Tate trustees
.. .. .. . . .
. . .
. . .

93. Statements
Tate board meeting took place on 15th of July 1976
Tate board meeting had participants Tate trustees
Tate board meeting had subject Latham's work at Tate
Five sisters acquisition changed owner of Five sisters
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership from John Latham
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership to Tate trustees
.. .. .. . . .
. . .
. . .
RDF triple

94. Statements
Tate board meeting took place on 15th of July 1976
Tate board meeting had participants Tate trustees
Tate board meeting had subject Latham's work at Tate
Five sisters acquisition changed owner of Five sisters
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership from John Latham
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership to Tate trustees
.. .. .. . . .
. . .
. . .
Relations/parts
defined by
an Ontology
Relations/parts
defined by
an Ontology

95. Statements
Tate board meeting took place on 15th of July 1976
Tate board meeting had participants Tate trustees
Tate board meeting had subject Latham's work at Tate
Five sisters acquisition changed owner of Five sisters
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership from John Latham
Five sisters acquisition transferred ownership to Tate trustees
.. .. .. . . .
. . .
. . .
Specific concepts
Parts
defined by
an Ontology
Specific concepts
Parts
defined by
an Ontology
domain experts
domain experts

96. 3
Evidence is
knowledge -
Harvest global
evidence online

97. Conclusion
● Academic research is not necessarily
methodical
● Look at online technologies to find ways to
handle knowledge