W3C

The PROV Namespace

W3C Document

Editor:
Provenance Working Group

Copyright © 2013 W3C® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio, Beihang), All Rights Reserved. W3C liability, trademark and document use rules apply.

1. Introduction

The namespace name http://www.w3.org/ns/prov# is intended for use with the PROV family of documents that support the interchange of provenance on the web. Please read the overview first. The terms within this namespace are defined in these specifications:

The index below provides links directly to the definition of the terms within the above specifications. English language definitions are provided. However, in some cases we omit the definition when the context of a document is needed for understanding. In all cases, the specifications above are the definitive source. For machine interpretable definitions, content negotiation is supported for multiple formats including:

The OWL ontology can also be accessed directly in RDF/XML and in Turtle formats using the URIs http://www.w3.org/ns/prov.owl and http://www.w3.org/ns/prov.ttl, respectively.

This document is intended to comply with W3C policy for XML namespace names.

We suggest the use of prov as a prefix for this namespace.

2. Index

A | B | C | D | E | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W

A

Accept

PROV-DC: Accept

actedOnBehalfOf

Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to an agent (by itself or by another agent) to carry out a specific activity as a delegate or representative, while the agent it acts on behalf of retains some responsibility for the outcome of the delegated work.

PROV-O: actedOnBehalfOf
PROV-XML: actedOnBehalfOf
PROV-DM: actedOnBehalfOf
PROV-N: delegationExpression

Activity

An activity is something that occurs over a period of time and acts upon or with entities; it may include consuming, processing, transforming, modifying, relocating, using, or generating entities.

PROV-O: Activity
PROV-XML: Activity
PROV-DM: Activity
PROV-N: activityExpression

activity

The prov:activity property in PROV-O references a prov:Activity which influenced a resource. This property applies to a prov:ActivityInfluence, which is given by a sub-property of prov:qualifiedInfluence from the influenced prov:Entity, prov:Activity or prov:Agent. In PROV-XML, prov:activity is used as an element name for the complex type, prov:Activity.

PROV-O: activity
PROV-XML: activity

ActivityInfluence

ActivityInfluence is the capacity of an activity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of another by means of generation, invalidation, communication, or other.

PROV-O: ActivityInfluence

Agent

An agent is something that bears some form of responsibility for an activity taking place, for the existence of an entity, or for another agent's activity.

PROV-O: Agent
PROV-XML: Agent
PROV-DM: Agent
PROV-N: agentExpression

agent

The prov:agent property, in PROV-O, references a prov:Agent which influenced a resource. This property applies to a prov:AgentInfluence, which is given by a subproperty of prov:qualifiedInfluence from the influenced prov:Entity, prov:Activity or prov:Agent. In PROV-XML, prov:agent is used as an element name for the complex type, prov:Agent
PROV-O: agent
PROV-XML: agent

AgentInfluence

AgentInfluence is the capacity of an agent to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of another by means of attribution, association, delegation, or other.

PROV-O: AgentInfluence

Alternate

Two alternate entities present aspects of the same thing. These aspects may be the same or different, and the alternate entities may or may not overlap in time.

PROV-XML: Alternate
PROV-DM: Alternate

alternate1

PROV-XML: alternate1

alternate2

PROV-XML: alternate2

alternateOf

Two alternate entities present aspects of the same thing. These aspects may be the same or different, and the alternate entities may or may not overlap in time.

PROV-O: alternateOf
PROV-XML: alternateOf
PROV-DM: alternateOf
PROV-N: alternateExpression

asInBundle

prov:asInBundle is used to specify which bundle the general entity of a prov:mentionOf property is described.

PROV-Links: asInBundle

Association

An activity association is an assignment of responsibility to an agent for an activity, indicating that the agent had a role in the activity. It further allows for a plan to be specified, which is the plan intended by the agent to achieve some goals in the context of this activity.

PROV-O: Association
PROV-XML: Association
PROV-DM: Association
PROV-N: associationExpression

atLocation

PROV-O: atLocation

atTime

PROV-O: atTime

Attribution

Attribution is the ascribing of an entity to an agent.

PROV-O: Attribution
PROV-XML: Attribution
PROV-DM: Attribution
PROV-N: attributionExpression

B

Bundle

A bundle is a named set of provenance descriptions, and is itself an entity, so allowing provenance of provenance to be expressed.

PROV-O: Bundle
PROV-XML: Bundle
PROV-DM: Bundle
PROV-N: bundle

BundleConstructor

PROV-XML: BundleConstructor

bundleContent

PROV-XML: bundleContent

C

Collection / collection

A collection is an entity that provides a structure to some constituents that must themselves be entities. These constituents are said to be member of the collections.

PROV-O: Collection
PROV-XML: Collection / collection
PROV-DM: Collection
PROV-N: Collection

Communication

Communication is the exchange of some unspecified entity by two activities, one activity using some entity generated by the other.

PROV-O: Communication
PROV-XML: Communication
PROV-DM: Communication
PROV-N: communicationExpression

Contribute

PROV-DC: Contribute

Contributor

PROV-DC: Contributor

Create

PROV-DC: Create

Creator

PROV-DC: Creator

D

delegate

PROV-XML: delegate

Delegation

Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to an agent (by itself or by another agent) to carry out a specific activity as a delegate or representative, while the agent it acts on behalf of retains some responsibility for the outcome of the delegated work.

PROV-O: Delegation
PROV-XML: Delegation
PROV-DM: Delegation
PROV-N: delegationExpression

Derivation

A derivation is a transformation of an entity into another, an update of an entity resulting in a new one, or the construction of a new entity based on a pre-existing entity.

PROV-O: Derivation
PROV-XML: Derivation
PROV-DM: Derivation
PROV-N: derivationExpression

derivedByInsertionFrom

The dictionary was derived from the other by insertion.

PROV-Dictionary: derivedByInsertionFrom

derivedByRemovalFrom

The dictionary was derived from the other by removal.

PROV-Dictionary: derivedByRemovalFrom

describesService

describesService relates a generic provenance query service resource (type prov:ServiceDescription) to a specific query service description (e.g. a prov:DirectQueryService or a sd:Service).

PROV-AQ: describesService

Dictionary

A dictionary is an entity that provides a structure to some constituents, which are themselves entities. These constituents are said to be members of the dictionary.

PROV-Dictionary: Dictionary

dictionary

The property used by a prov:Insertion and prov:Removal to cite the prov:Dictionary that was prov:derivedByInsertionFrom or prov:derivedByRemovalFrom another dictionary.

PROV-Dictionary: dictionary

DictionaryMembership

The members of a dictionary are specified by listing key-entity pairs inside a prov:DictionaryMembership element.

PROV-Dictionary: DictionaryMembership

DirectQueryService

Type for a direct HTTP query service description. Mainly for use in RDF provenance query service descriptions, to distinguish direct HTTP query service descriptions from other query service descriptions.

PROV-AQ: DirectQueryService

Document / document

PROV-XML: Document / document
PROV-N: documentExpression

E

EmptyCollection / emptyCollection

An empty collection is a collection without members.

PROV-O: EmptyCollection
PROV-XML: EmptyCollection / emptyCollection
PROV-DM: EmptyCollection
PROV-N: EmptyCollection

EmptyDictionary / emptyDictionary

An empty dictionary is a dictionary that has no members.

PROV-Dictionary: EmptyDictionary / emptyDictionary

End

End is when an activity is deemed to have been ended by an entity, known as trigger. The activity no longer exists after its end. Any usage, generation, or invalidation involving an activity precedes the activity's end. An end may refer to a trigger entity that terminated the activity, or to an activity, known as ender that generated the trigger.

PROV-O: End
PROV-XML: End
PROV-DM: End
PROV-N: endExpression

endTime

PROV-XML: endTime

endedAtTime

PROV-O: endedAtTime

Entity

An entity is a physical, digital, conceptual, or other kind of thing with some fixed aspects; entities may be real or imaginary.

PROV-O: Entity
PROV-XML: Entity
PROV-DM: Entity
PROV-N: entityExpression

entity

In PROV-O, the prov:entity property references an prov:Entity which influenced a resource. This property applies to an prov:EntityInfluence, which is given by a subproperty of prov:qualifiedInfluence from the influenced prov:Entity, prov:Activity or prov:Agent. In PROV-XML, prov:entity is used as an element name for the complex type prov:Entity.

PROV-O: entity
PROV-XML: entity

EntityInfluence

EntityInfluence is the capacity of an entity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of another by means of usage, start, end, derivation, or other.

PROV-O: EntityInfluence

G

generated

Generation is the completion of production of a new entity by an activity. This entity did not exist before generation and becomes available for usage after this generation.

PROV-O: generated

generatedAtTime

PROV-O: generatedAtTime

generatedEntity

PROV-XML: generatedEntity

Generation

Generation is the completion of production of a new entity by an activity. This entity did not exist before generation and becomes available for usage after this generation.

PROV-O: Generation
PROV-XML: Generation
PROV-DM: Generation
PROV-N: generationExpression

generation

PROV-XML: generation

generalEntity

PROV-XML: generalEntity
PROV-DM: generalEntity
PROV-N: generalEntity

H

hadActivity

PROV-O: hadActivity

hadDictionaryMember

Describes the key-entity pair that was member of a prov:Dictionary. A dictionary can have multiple members.

PROV-Dictionary: hadDictionaryMember

hadGeneration

PROV-O: hadGeneration

hadMember

Membership is the belonging of an entity to a collection.

PROV-O: hadMember
PROV-XML: hadMember
PROV-DM: hadMember
PROV-N: membershipExpression

hadPlan

PROV-O: hadPlan

hadPrimarySource

PROV-O: hadPrimarySource
PROV-XML: hadPrimarySource
PROV-DM: PrimarySource
PROV-N: PrimarySource

hadRole

PROV-O: hadRole

hadUsage

PROV-O: hadUsage

has_anchor

Indicates a target-URI for an resource, used by an associated provenance record.

PROV-AQ: has_anchor

has_provenance

Indicates a provenance-URI for a resource; the resource identified by this property presents a provenance record about its subject or anchor resource.

PROV-AQ: has_provenance

has_query_service

Indicates a provenance query service that can access provenance related to its subject or anchor resource.

PROV-AQ: has_query_service

I

id

In PROV-XML, the xml-attribute used to identify an instances of a prov-"type" or prov-"relation".

PROV-XML: id

Influence

Influence is the capacity of an entity, activity, or agent to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of another by means of usage, start, end, generation, invalidation, communication, derivation, attribution, association, or delegation.

PROV-O: Influence
PROV-XML: Influence
PROV-DM: Influence
PROV-N: influenceExpression

influenced

PROV-O: influenced

influencee

PROV-XML: influencee
PROV-DM: influencee
PROV-N: influencee

influencer

PROV-O: influencer
PROV-XML: influencer
PROV-DM: influencer
PROV-N: influencer

informant

PROV-XML: informant

informed

PROV-XML: informed

insertedKeyEntityPair

An object property to refer to the prov:KeyEntityPair inserted into a prov:Dictionary.

PROV-Dictionary: insertedKeyEntityPair

Insertion

Insertion is a derivation that describes the transformation of a dictionary into another, by insertion of one or more key-entity pairs.

PROV-Dictionary: Insertion

InstantaneousEvent

The PROV data model is implicitly based on a notion of instantaneous events (or just events), that mark transitions in the world. Events include generation, usage, or invalidation of entities, as well as starting or ending of activities. This notion of event is not first-class in the data model, but it is useful for explaining its other concepts and its semantics.

PROV-O: InstantaneousEvent

internalElement

In PROV-XML, used for extension of the schema.

PROV-XML: internalElement

InternationalizedString

PROV-XML: InternationalizedString

invalidated

PROV-O: invalidated

invalidatedAtTime

PROV-O: invalidatedAtTime

Invalidation

Invalidation is the start of the destruction, cessation, or expiry of an existing entity by an activity. The entity is no longer available for use (or further invalidation) after invalidation. Any generation or usage of an entity precedes its invalidation.

PROV-O: Invalidation
PROV-XML: Invalidation
PROV-DM: Invalidation
PROV-N: invalidationExpression

K

key

A key in a key-entity pair.

PROV-Dictionary: key

KeyEntityPair/keyEntityPair

A key-entity pair.

PROV-Dictionary: KeyEntityPair

L

label

PROV-XML: label
PROV-DM: label
PROV-N: label

location

A location can be an identifiable geographic place (ISO 19112), but it can also be a non-geographic place such as a directory, row, or column. As such, there are numerous ways in which location can be expressed, such as by a coordinate, address, landmark, and so forth.

PROV-O: Location
PROV-XML: location
PROV-DM: location
PROV-N: location

M

Membership

Membership is the belonging of an entity to a collection.

PROV-DM: Membership
PROV-XML: Membership

Mention

The mention of an entity in a bundle (containing a description of this entity) is another entity that is a specialization of the former and that presents at least the bundle as a further additional aspect.

PROV-Links: Mention

mentionOf

prov:mentionOf is used to specialize an entity as described in another bundle. It is to be used in conjunction with prov:asInBundle.

PROV-Links: mentionOf

Modify

PROV-DC: Modify

N

newDictionary

PROV-Dictionary: newDictionary

O

oldDictionary

PROV-Dictionary: oldDictionary

Organization

An organization is a social or legal institution such as a company, society, etc.

PROV-O: Organization
PROV-XML: Organization
PROV-DM: Organization
PROV-N: Organization

other

In PROV-XML, the prov:other XML element provides a place to include non-PROV XML elements inside a prov:document or prov:bundleContent.

PROV-XML: other

P

pairEntity

The entity of a prov:KeyEntityPair, which is an element of a prov:Dictionary.

PROV-Dictionary: pairEntity

pairKey

The key of a prov:KeyEntityPair, which is an element of a prov:Dictionary.

PROV-Dictionary: pairKey

Person

Person agents are people.

PROV-O: Person
PROV-XML: Person
PROV-DM: Person
PROV-N: Person

pingback

Relates a resource to a provenance pingback service that may receive additional provenance links about the resource.

PROV-AQ: pingback

Plan/plan

A plan is an entity that represents a set of actions or steps intended by one or more agents to achieve some goals.

PROV-O: Plan
PROV-XML: Plan/plan
PROV-DM: Plan
PROV-N: Plan

PrimarySource

A primary source for a topic refers to something produced by some agent with direct experience and knowledge about the topic, at the time of the topic's study, without benefit from hindsight. Because of the directness of primary sources, they 'speak for themselves' in ways that cannot be captured through the filter of secondary sources. As such, it is important for secondary sources to reference those primary sources from which they were derived, so that their reliability can be investigated. A primary source relation is a particular case of derivation of secondary materials from their primary sources. It is recognized that the determination of primary sources can be up to interpretation, and should be done according to conventions accepted within the application's domain.

PROV-O: PrimarySource
PROV-XML: PrimarySource
PROV-DM: PrimarySource
PROV-N: PrimarySource

provenanceUriTemplate

Indicates a URI template string for constructing provenance-URIs

PROV-AQ: provenanceUriTemplate

Publish

PROV-DC: Publish

Publisher

PROV-DC: Publisher

Q

qualifiedAssociation

PROV-O: qualifiedAssociation

qualifiedAttribution

PROV-O: qualifiedAttribution

qualifiedCommunication

PROV-O: qualifiedCommunication

qualifiedDelegation

PROV-O: qualifiedDelegation

qualifiedDerivation

PROV-O: qualifiedDerivation

qualifiedEnd

PROV-O: qualifiedEnd

qualifiedGeneration

PROV-O: qualifiedGeneration

qualifiedInfluence

PROV-O: qualifiedInfluence

qualifiedInsertion

prov:qualifiedInsertion shows the details of an insertion, in particular the inserted key-entity pairs.

PROV-O: qualifiedInsertion

qualifiedInvalidation

PROV-O: qualifiedInvalidation

qualifiedPrimarySource

PROV-O: qualifiedPrimarySource

qualifiedQuotation

PROV-O: qualifiedQuotation

qualifiedRemoval

prov:qualifiedRemoval shows the details of a removal, in particular the removed keys.

PROV-Dictionary: qualifiedRemoval

qualifiedRevision

PROV-O: qualifiedRevision

qualifiedStart

PROV-O: qualifiedStart

qualifiedUsage

PROV-O: qualifiedUsage

Quotation

A quotation is the repeat of (some or all of) an entity, such as text or image, by someone who may or may not be its original author.

PROV-O: Quotation
PROV-XML: Quotation
PROV-DM: Quotation
PROV-N: Quotation

R

ref

In PROV-XML, a xml-attribute that denotes a reference-by-id to an instance of a prov-"type" or prov-"relation".

PROV-XML: ref

Removal

Removal is a derivation that describes the transformation of a dictionary into another, by removing one or more keys.

PROV-Dictionary: Removal

removedKey

The key removed in a Removal.

PROV-Dictionary: removedKey

Replace

PROV-DC: Replace

responsible

PROV-XML: responsible

Revision

A revision is a derivation for which the resulting entity is a revised version of some original.

PROV-O: Revision
PROV-XML: Revision
PROV-DM: Revision
PROV-N: Revision

RightsAssignment

PROV-DC: RightsAssignment

RightsHolder

PROV-DC: RightsHolder

role

A role is the function of an entity or agent with respect to an activity, in the context of a usage, generation, invalidation, association, start, and end.

PROV-O: Role
PROV-XML: role
PROV-DM: role
PROV-N: role

S

ServiceDescription

Type for a generic provenance query service. Mainly for use in RDF provenance query service descriptions, to facilitate discovery of provenance services in linked data environments.

PROV-AQ: ServiceDescription

SoftwareAgent

A software agent is running software.

PROV-O: SoftwareAgent
PROV-XML: SoftwareAgent
PROV-DM: SoftwareAgent
PROV-N: SoftwareAgent

Specialization

An entity that is a specialization of another shares all aspects of the latter, and additionally presents more specific aspects of the same thing as the latter. In particular, the lifetime of the entity being specialized contains that of any specialization.

PROV-DM: specializationOf
PROV-XML: specializationOf

specializationOf

An entity that is a specialization of another shares all aspects of the latter, and additionally presents more specific aspects of the same thing as the latter. In particular, the lifetime of the entity being specialized contains that of any specialization.

PROV-O: specializationOf
PROV-XML: specializationOf
PROV-DM: specializationOf
PROV-N: specializationExpression

specificEntity

PROV-XML: specificEntity
PROV-DM: specificEntity
PROV-N: specificEntity

Start

Start is when an activity is deemed to have been started by an entity, known as trigger. The activity did not exist before its start. Any usage, generation, or invalidation involving an activity follows the activity's start. A start may refer to a trigger entity that set off the activity, or to an activity, known as starter, that generated the trigger.

PROV-O: Start
PROV-XML: Start
PROV-DM: Start
PROV-N: startExpression

starter

PROV-XML: starter

startTime

PROV-XML: startTime

startedAtTime

PROV-O: startedAtTime

Submit

PROV-DC: Submit

T

time

In PROV-XML, represents time instants as defined in PROV-DM.

PROV-XML: time

trigger

PROV-XML: trigger

type

PROV-XML: type
PROV-DM: type
PROV-N: type

U

Usage

Usage is the beginning of utilizing an entity by an activity. Before usage, the activity had not begun to utilize this entity and could not have been affected by the entity.

PROV-O: Usage
PROV-XML: Usage
PROV-DM: Usage
PROV-N: usageExpression

usage

PROV-XML: usage

used

Usage is the beginning of utilizing an entity by an activity. Before usage, the activity had not begun to utilize this entity and could not have been affected by the entity.

PROV-O: used
PROV-XML: used
PROV-DM: used
PROV-N: usageExpression

usedEntity

PROV-XML: usedEntity

V

value

A value is a constant such as a string, number, time, qualified name, IRI, and encoded binary data, whose interpretation is outside the scope of PROV.

PROV-O: value
PROV-XML: value
PROV-DM: value
PROV-N: value

W

wasAssociatedWith

An activity association is an assignment of responsibility to an agent for an activity, indicating that the agent had a role in the activity. It further allows for a plan to be specified, which is the plan intended by the agent to achieve some goals in the context of this activity.

PROV-O: wasAssociatedWith
PROV-XML: wasAssociatedWith
PROV-DM: wasAssociatedWith
PROV-N: associationExpression

wasAttributedTo

Attribution is the ascribing of an entity to an agent.

PROV-O: wasAttributedTo
PROV-XML: wasAttributedTo
PROV-DM: wasAttributedTo
PROV-N: attributionExpression

wasDerivedFrom

A derivation is a transformation of an entity into another, an update of an entity resulting in a new one, or the construction of a new entity based on a pre-existing entity.

PROV-O: wasDerivedFrom
PROV-XML: wasDerivedFrom
PROV-DM: wasDerivedFrom
PROV-N: derivationExpression

wasEndedBy

End is when an activity is deemed to have been ended by an entity, known as trigger. The activity no longer exists after its end. Any usage, generation, or invalidation involving an activity precedes the activity's end. An end may refer to a trigger entity that terminated the activity, or to an activity, known as ender that generated the trigger.

PROV-O: wasEndedBy
PROV-XML: wasEndedBy
PROV-DM: wasEndedBy
PROV-N: endExpression

wasGeneratedBy

Generation is the completion of production of a new entity by an activity. This entity did not exist before generation and becomes available for usage after this generation.

PROV-O: wasGeneratedBy
PROV-XML: wasGeneratedBy
PROV-DM: wasGeneratedBy
PROV-N: generationExpression

wasInfluencedBy

Influence is the capacity of an entity, activity, or agent to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of another by means of usage, start, end, generation, invalidation, communication, derivation, attribution, association, or delegation.

PROV-O: wasInfluencedBy
PROV-XML: wasInfluencedBy
PROV-DM: wasInfluencedBy
PROV-N: influenceExpression

wasInformedBy

Communication is the exchange of some unspecified entity by two activities, one activity using some entity generated by the other.

PROV-O: wasInformedBy
PROV-XML: wasInformedBy
PROV-DM: wasInformedBy
PROV-N: communicationExpression

wasInvalidatedBy

Invalidation is the start of the destruction, cessation, or expiry of an existing entity by an activity. The entity is no longer available for use (or further invalidation) after invalidation. Any generation or usage of an entity precedes its invalidation.

PROV-O: wasInvalidatedBy
PROV-XML: wasInvalidatedBy
PROV-DM: wasInvalidatedBy
PROV-N: invalidationExpression

wasQuotedFrom

A quotation is the repeat of (some or all of) an entity, such as text or image, by someone who may or may not be its original author.

PROV-O: wasQuotedFrom
PROV-XML: wasQuotedFrom
PROV-DM: Quotation
PROV-N: Quotation

wasRevisionOf

A revision is a derivation for which the resulting entity is a revised version of some original.

PROV-O: wasRevisionOf
PROV-XML: wasRevisionOf
PROV-DM: Revision
PROV-N: Revision

wasStartedBy

Start is when an activity is deemed to have been started by an entity, known as trigger. The activity did not exist before its start. Any usage, generation, or invalidation involving an activity follows the activity's start. A start may refer to a trigger entity that set off the activity, or to an activity, known as starter, that generated the trigger.

PROV-O: wasStartedBy
PROV-XML: wasStartedBy
PROV-DM: wasStartedBy
PROV-N: startExpression
Ivan Herman, W3C Team Contact for the Provenance Working Group <[email protected]>