4.2.1.3 Representation Information

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The Representation Information accompanying a digital object, or sequence of bits, is used to provide additional meaning. It typically maps the bits into commonly recognized data types such as character, integer, and real and into groups of these data types. It associates these with higher-level meanings: this includes the description of the, possibly complex, ways objects are interrelated (for example, Representation Information could indicate that three numbers represent temperature, latitude and longitude; and they are expressed in degrees Celsius and angular degrees; and they are interrelated in that the temperature is measured at the specified longitude/latitude).

The Representation Information accompanying a physical object like a moon rock may give additional meaning, as a result of some analysis, to the physically observable attributes of the rock. This information may have been developed over time and the results, if provided, would be part of the Information Object.

The remainder of this subsection focuses on the Representation Information object when the Data Object is specialized as a Digital Object.