Organising information resources for genealogical reconstruction: a metadata and ontology framework

Abstract

Purpose Genealogy occupies a critical position at the intersection of information studies, sociology and history. Across societies, genealogical records are not only seen as family narratives but also as key evidentiary sources for understanding social events. In recent years, digitisation initiatives and commercial genealogy platforms have greatly expanded access to genealogical materials. Nevertheless, many genealogies remain incomplete or detached from their wider historical contexts. This problem is particularly acute when pre-existing genealogies have been lost or destroyed, requiring genealogical reconstruction from dispersed evidence. However, limited research has examined how to systematically organise heterogeneous, multi-source materials. This paper aims to fill this research gap by providing a systematic framework for practitioners seeking to manage and uncover genealogical information from related resources. Design/methodology/approach The framework for organising genealogy reconstruction resources was developed through a literature review of current metadata schemas and ontologies and the analysis of genealogy websites and databases. The framework's applicability is examined through a case study using imperial examination files, local chronicles, and personal biography files as reconstruction sources. Findings The case study shows that the proposed framework can support genealogical reconstruction by integrating and visualising evidence from heterogeneous sources. It links information about persons and relationships to relevant entities such as events, places, and sources, demonstrating the importance of cross-verification in uncovering the value of information in genealogical reconstruction. It enhances the utilisation of genealogy reconstruction resources by visualising relationships among people, events, places, time, and information sources. Originality/value This study integrates a descriptive metadata schema with a domain ontology to provide a systematic approach to organising heterogeneous resources for genealogical reconstruction. It helps gather scattered genealogical information from heterogeneous sources and establishes a data network with semantic correlations. The proposed framework supports traceable integration, visualisation, and cross-verification of genealogical evidence, thereby helping to explain complex factors underlying clan behaviour, such as migration and division.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Documentation, 2026 · DOI ↗