Relationships between samples

[dr-shorthair]

The SSN-Extensions draft proposes a class for collections of observations that share some property values.

I wonder if a collection of samples class would also be useful, where a batch of samples all relate to (for example) the same isSampleOf i.e. the acts of Sampling which resulted in the samples all have the same FeatureOfInterest.

There may be other facets on which a collection of samples might be based, such as use of the same sampling-procedure.

[KellyVance]

@dr-shorthair a collection of samples would be a useful addition that would provide flexibility for how the GSQ is currently relating datasets.

In a similar line, is there a way to represent a sample that is composed of an aggregate of other samples.
e.g. Sample A has properties 1a 2a 3a, Sample B has properties 1b 2b 3b. The samples are merged into Sample AB for further/different observations.
The relationship doesn't appear to quite fit the description of isSampleOf. Is a new relationship class warranted?

[dr-shorthair]

Is a new relationship class warranted?

Maybe. I can imagine many many different potential relationship types.
In DCAT we managed this with a specific dcat:Relationship class, which is annotated with dcat:hadRole whose value would be taken from a (controlled?) vocabulary - also see the extended explanation. This pattern would probably work, right?

DCAT is primarily concerned with datasets, though this structure is tied to the general dcat:Resource which is 'any catalogued thing'. So it could be re-used directly, but since SSN/SOSA doesn't use anything else from the DCAT namespace, it might be better to add it natively (and maybe declare some kind of equivalence).

This probably merits a new issue.

[dr-shorthair]

Generic SampleCollection proposal is in #51
Renaming this issue to reflect a distinct concern.

[dr-shorthair]

This rdf graph contains a proposal for annotating relationships between samples
https://github.com/w3c/sdw-sosa-ssn/blob/main/ssn/rdf/sample-relations.ttl

It uses the standard association-class pattern, with sampling:natureOfRelationship holding the relationship type.

The following relationships are provided as examples:

skos:example "Adjacent flight-line" ;
skos:example "Females" ;
skos:example "Juveniles" ;
skos:example "Males" ;
skos:example "Pixel within image or scene" ;
skos:example "Probe spot on polished specimen" ;
skos:example "Specimen taken from borehole" ;
skos:example "Split of core sample" ;
skos:example "Station along a traverse" ;
skos:example "Sub-sample with grain size smaller than specified seive mesh" ;

[dr-shorthair]

Superseded by #188