diff --git a/lib/iiif/presentation/abstract_resource.rb b/lib/iiif/presentation/abstract_resource.rb
index 0096959..0f9a213 100644
--- a/lib/iiif/presentation/abstract_resource.rb
+++ b/lib/iiif/presentation/abstract_resource.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ def initialize(hsh={})
         super(hsh)
       end
 
-
       # Options:
       #  * force: (true|false). Skips validations.
       #  * include_context: (true|false). Adds the @context to the top of the
@@ -71,9 +70,11 @@ def to_ordered_hash(opts={})
         end
         super(opts)
       end
+
+      # alias_method has to be included after to_ordered_hash is defined
+      alias_method :as_json, :to_ordered_hash
       
     end
-
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/iiif/service.rb b/lib/iiif/service.rb
index a21e530..c754300 100644
--- a/lib/iiif/service.rb
+++ b/lib/iiif/service.rb
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ def to_ordered_hash(opts={})
       export_hash
     end
 
+    # alias_method has to be included after to_ordered_hash is defined
+    alias_method :as_json, :to_ordered_hash
+
     def self.from_ordered_hash(hsh, default_klass=IIIF::OrderedHash)
       # Create a new object (new_object)
       type = nil
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index bdb8b63..2a9147a 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 require 'iiif/presentation'
 require 'simplecov'
 require 'coveralls'
-Dir["#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/*.rb"].each do |f|
+
+Dir["#{File.absolute_path(__dir__)}/support/**/*.rb"].each do |f| 
   require f
 end
+
 require 'vcr'
 
 VCR.configure do |c|
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/abstract_resource_only_keys.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/abstract_resource_only_keys.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/abstract_resource_only_keys.rb
rename to spec/support/shared_examples/abstract_resource_only_keys.rb
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/any_type_keys.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/any_type_keys.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/any_type_keys.rb
rename to spec/support/shared_examples/any_type_keys.rb
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/array_only_keys.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/array_only_keys.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/array_only_keys.rb
rename to spec/support/shared_examples/array_only_keys.rb
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/int_only_keys.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/int_only_keys.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/int_only_keys.rb
rename to spec/support/shared_examples/int_only_keys.rb
diff --git a/spec/support/shared_examples/json_format.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/json_format.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e2cc33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/shared_examples/json_format.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+shared_examples 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods' do
+  describe "#{described_class}.as_json" do
+    it 'should return a json representation of the object as a ruby hash' do
+      obj = described_class.new(fixed_values)
+      expect(obj.as_json).to eq JSON.parse(obj.to_json)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/string_only_keys.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/string_only_keys.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from spec/unit/iiif/presentation/shared_examples/string_only_keys.rb
rename to spec/support/shared_examples/string_only_keys.rb
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/annotation_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/annotation_spec.rb
index 5b9881e..397660b 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/annotation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/annotation_spec.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 describe IIIF::Presentation::Annotation do
 
+  let(:fixed_values) { {} }
+
   describe "#{described_class}.define_methods_for_abstract_resource_only_keys" do
     it_behaves_like 'it has the appropriate methods for abstract_resource_only_keys'
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/canvas_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/canvas_spec.rb
index fb65955..b34f203 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/canvas_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/canvas_spec.rb
@@ -42,5 +42,6 @@
     end
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/collection_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/collection_spec.rb
index 4fc1a68..c3f0a1d 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/collection_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/collection_spec.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
   describe '#validate' do
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
 
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/image_resource_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/image_resource_spec.rb
index 70013e8..45411fb 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/image_resource_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/image_resource_spec.rb
@@ -10,4 +10,15 @@
     it_behaves_like 'it has the appropriate methods for integer-only keys'
   end
 
+  let(:fixed_values) do
+    {
+      "@context" => "http://iiif.io/api/presentation/2/context.json",
+      "@id" => "http://www.example.org/iiif/image",
+      "label" => "p. 1",
+      "height" => 1000,
+      "width" => 750,
+    }
+  end
+  
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/layer_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/layer_spec.rb
index e9da757..072b3c2 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/layer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/layer_spec.rb
@@ -34,5 +34,7 @@
     it_behaves_like 'it has the appropriate methods for any-type keys'
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
+
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/manifest_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/manifest_spec.rb
index 4aa60a8..550558d 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/manifest_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/manifest_spec.rb
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ def initialize(hsh={})
 
   let(:fixed_values) do
     {
-      'type' => 'a:SubClass',
-      'id' => 'http://example.com/prefix/manifest/123',
-      'context' => IIIF::Presentation::CONTEXT,
+      '@type' => 'a:SubClass',
+      '@id' => 'http://example.com/prefix/manifest/123',
+      '@context' => IIIF::Presentation::CONTEXT,
       'label' => 'Book 1',
       'description' => 'A longer description of this example book. It should give some real information.',
       'thumbnail' => {
@@ -86,4 +86,5 @@ def initialize(hsh={})
     it_behaves_like 'it has the appropriate methods for any-type keys'
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/range_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/range_spec.rb
index 1cb257a..af9f8e5 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/range_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/range_spec.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
   describe '#validate' do
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
 
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/resource_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/resource_spec.rb
index 3c46c42..98555a3 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/resource_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/resource_spec.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 describe IIIF::Presentation::Resource do
 
+  let(:fixed_values) do 
+    {
+      '@id' => 'http://www.example.org/iiif/book1/resource',
+      # '@type' => 'sc:Range',
+      'label' => 'Introduction'
+    }
+  end
+
   describe "#{described_class}.define_methods_for_abstract_resource_only_keys" do
     it_behaves_like 'it has the appropriate methods for abstract_resource_only_keys'
   end
@@ -12,5 +20,6 @@
     it_behaves_like 'it has the appropriate methods for string-only keys'
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/sequence_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/sequence_spec.rb
index 526f99d..560e93b 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/sequence_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/presentation/sequence_spec.rb
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ def initialize(hsh={})
     end
   end
 
-
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
+  
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/iiif/service_spec.rb b/spec/unit/iiif/service_spec.rb
index be7d1ca..86460b3 100644
--- a/spec/unit/iiif/service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/iiif/service_spec.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 describe IIIF::Service do
+  
+  let(:fixed_values) { {} }
 
   describe 'self#get_descendant_class_by_jld_type' do
     before do
@@ -25,4 +27,6 @@ def self.singleton_class?
     end
   end
 
+  it_behaves_like 'it has symmetric as_json and to_json methods'
+
 end