Heritage Sample Schema¶

This page provides an early technical overview of the schema used by the Heritage Samples Registry for assigning IGSNs and managing core metadata.

Draft status

The schema described here is a working draft and will evolve as the Registry develops and the consortium expands.

1. Purpose¶

The Heritage Sample Schema is designed to:

ensure every registered sample can receive a valid IGSN–DOI,
capture the minimal, internationally consistent metadata required for cross-institution discovery,
preserve alignment with domain-specific local systems
(e.g., paintings, archaeological objects, geological collections).

2. JSON Schema (excerpt)¶

JSON SchemaExample record

{
  "$id": "https://heritagesamples.org/schema/heritage-sample-v0.1.json",
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "title": "Heritage Sample",
  "description": "Minimal profile for registering IGSN-compliant heritage samples.",
  "type": "object",
  "required": ["sampleId", "creator", "sampleType", "sampleOrigin"],
  "properties": {
    "sampleId": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Local institutional sample identifier or code."
    },
    "creator": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Institution or lab responsible for sample creation or extraction."
    },
    "sampleType": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "High-level sample type (e.g., paint cross-section, textile fibre)."
    },
    "sampleOrigin": {
      "type": "object",
      "required": ["label"],
      "properties": {
        "label": {
          "type": "string",
          "description": "Human-readable label for the original object."
        },
        "pid": {
          "type": "string",
          "format": "uri",
          "description": "Persistent identifier for the source object (if available)."
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "sampleId": "IRPA-PS-2025-012",
  "creator": "KIK-IRPA",
  "sampleType": "paint cross-section",
  "sampleOrigin": {
    "label": "Portrait of an Unknown Lady",
    "pid": "https://example.org/object/1234"
  }
}

3. How this schema fits into the Registry¶