isVersionOf

isVersionOf is a relational property used to express that one resource is a version, edition, revision, or variant of another resource. In metadata and knowledge graphs, the subject of the assertion is considered a versioned form of the object it points to. This relationship helps model provenance, lineage, and the evolution of digital artifacts such as documents, datasets, software releases, and multimedia works.

Domain and range commonly encompass resources that have multiple editions or iterations, such as CreativeWork, SoftwareApplication, Dataset, or similar content concepts. The range is typically the base or parent resource of which the subject is a version. The inverse relationship is often described as hasVersion or versionOf in different schemas, allowing traversal in either direction to discover related forms of the same work.

Usage examples include indicating that a revised paper, an updated dataset, or a new software release is a version of a prior item. For instance, a later edition of a report might be isVersionOf the earlier report, establishing a chronological connection between editions. This property supports activities such as comparison, citation, and quality assessment by making it easier to locate and relate related artifacts.

Notes and cautions: the exact semantics of isVersionOf can vary across metadata standards. Some schemas treat it as a strict version lineage, while others allow broader interpretation as variants or branches. When modeling, it is helpful to align with the chosen schema’s conventions for versioning and consider pairing isVersionOf with hasVersion or version identifiers to enable bidirectional navigation.