DBpedia
online database project of structured data extracted from Wikipedia
DBpedia (from "DB" for "database") is a project aiming to extract structured content from the information created in the Wikipedia project. This structured information is made available on the World Wide Web using OpenLink Virtuoso. DBpedia allows users to semantically query relationships and properties of Wikipedia resources, including links to other related datasets.
The project was heralded as "one of the more famous pieces" of the decentralized linked data effort by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. As of June 2021, DBpedia contained over 850 million semantic triples.
Background
The project was started by people at the Free University of Berlin and Leipzig University in collaboration with OpenLink Software, and is now maintained by people at the University of Mannheim, Leipzig University, and the University of Pennsylvania. The first publicly available dataset was published in 2007. The data is made available under free licenses (CC BY-SA), allowing others to reuse the dataset; it does not use an open data license to waive the sui generis database rights.
Wikipedia articles consist mostly of free text, but also include structured information embedded in the articles, such as "infobox" tables (the pull-out panels that appear in the top right of the default view of many Wikipedia articles, or at the start of the mobile versions), categorization information, images, geo-coordinates and links to external web pages. This structured information is extracted and put in a uniform dataset which can be queried.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “DBpedia” is online database project of structured data extracted from Wikipedia. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through DBpedia, online and database, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “online database project of structured data extracted from Wikipedia” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q465. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2021 and 2007.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “DBpedia”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow DBpedia primary sources, DBpedia archive and DBpedia research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “DBpedia”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “DBpedia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.