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For example, if some topic (Ex: Texas) is of type /location/citytown, I also see that there is a type "/location/location" attached to the same topic. In addition, here as the topic is the name of a city or town, it is also by default a general location, right? So, would that conclude if a topic has a type /location/citytown, then it would by default have /location/location also as a type associated with the same topic?

In summary, does Freebase have a hierarchical representation of the types in a way that lets us understand that if something is a /location/citytown, then it is also a /location/location, and so on for other cases too?

London guy
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1 Answers1

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There isn't a hierarchical representation as such, but types have a /freebase/type_hints/included_types property which specifies the types which the Freebase web client will automatically include when a type is asserted. You can see these listed in the web client or fetch them with an MQL query.

Important points to note here are that these are hints only: nothing enforces the fact that a /location/citytown must be a /location/location, and that it is only the web client which automatically adds the included types - if you are creating topics by any other means, you'll have to add the included types yourself.

Philip Kendall
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  • Thanks Philip, just one clarification here - what do you mean when you say if I create topics by other means. Does it mean that the web client automatically adds the included types when topics are automatically created by Metaweb? – London guy Jan 04 '13 at 11:29
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    No, the included types will be "manually" added by whatever pipeline Google are using to add topics (which they haven't made public). – Philip Kendall Jan 04 '13 at 12:27
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    I'd say "yes, the web client does automatically included types to topics added using it." However, as Philip says, most topics are created using different mechanisms and then you're responsible for adding the included types yourself. Note also that sometimes the included types aren't always appropriate. Person is an included type for Author, but it should be removed for corporate authors if added automatically. – Tom Morris Jan 04 '13 at 14:08