[dxwg] Please provide an explanation of why dcat:Catalog is a subclass of dcat:Dataset (#1634)

FransKnibbe has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/dxwg:

== Please provide an explanation of why dcat:Catalog is a subclass of dcat:Dataset ==
In DCAT 3, dcat:Catalog is modeled as a subclass of dcat:Dataset. [A note in the documentation](https://www.w3.org/TR/vocab-dcat-3/#Class:Catalog) mentions this, but I would like to be able to understand why this make sense, apart from being a mechanism to use dcat:Dataset properties for dcat:Catalogs.

In my mind, a dcat:Dataset represents a set of metadata describing a dataset (for example, a series of temperature measurements). A dcat:Catalog is a collection of sets of metadata (catalogued resources), for example instances of dcat:Dataset.  So a dcat:Catalog could be a collection of dcat:Datasets.

I find it hard to wrap my head around the concept of a collection of dcat:Datasets also being a dcat:Dataset. It seems comparable to saying that if there is a class Person, and a class Family is a collection of Persons, Family is a subclass of Person. Or even more general: if X is a collection of Y, how can X also be Y?

I can imagine the subclass relationship between dcat:Catalog and dcat:Dataset being hard to understand for others too. Is it possible to add an explanation to the documentation and the vocabulary?

Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/dxwg/issues/1634 using your GitHub account


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Received on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 10:32:08 UTC