This CIDOC CRM integration introduces high-level classes and properties commonly required in humanities and social sciences research. The general epistemological foundations of this ontology are presented in the following publications:

• Beretta Francesco, "Conceptualising Information Production in the Context of the SDHSS Ontology Ecosystem", Methodos : savoirs et textes 24, 16.12.2024. Accessible online: https://doi.org/10.4000/12xqn
• Francesco Beretta, "Semantic Data for Humanities and Social Sciences (SDHSS): an Ecosystem of CIDOC CRM Extensions for Research Data Production and Reuse", in: Professorale Karrieremuster, Leipzig, Open-Access-Hochschulverlag, 2024, pp. 73‑102. Accessible online: https://doi.org/10.33968/9783966270502-05.

Relevant documentation for conceptualizing this class:

• "Collective Intentionality" – Schweikard, David P. and Hans Bernhard Schmid, "Collective Intentionality", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2013/entries/collective-intentionality/>.(Retireved 7 November 2020)
• Social representation (Wikipedia, English version, retrieved 7 November 2020)

This way of modelling social representations is inspired by the notion of 'description' in the Descriptions and situations ontology (WonderWeb Project, Deliverable 18). Descriptions are sets of propositions and related concepts that rediscribe states of affairs in the world according to a specific point of view. They can be expressed in oral or written form, in different languages or wording but insofar as they have the same intentional content they have the same identity. Examples of descriptions are social rules and fonctions, plans, laws, projects, scripts, techniques, etc. They are not given in 'nature', in the sense of physics or biology, but originate from social life and in the communication that is the basis of it.

In historical research, social representations (as 'descriptions') should be modelled as representing the collective intentionality of the societies being studied, note the ones of the researchers. It is therefore important to apply in modelling the principle of 'critical distance' in order to avoid anachronism.