Semantics for the exploration of historical Business archives: Challenges and perspectives in the R.I.C.E.R.C.A. project

The paper focuses on a Italian project funded by the European Commission with the objective of improving the capacity of archiving, cataloguing and accessing the cultural heritage represented by business historical archives. The approach identified is to enhance the level of description (semantics) of the data to develop strategies for digital cultural product consuming and marketing for a diverse audience and with different targets. The paper provides an overview of the project objectives and illustrates the issues to be faced, that have been identified in the initial phase. Strategies to address the relevant issues are discussed, taking into account the standard recommended by the historical archive community.