Explicit semantics

Summary

Explicit semantics makes the commitments of a graph inspectable: what kinds of entities exist, what a relation means, whether it is directed, what supports it, how certain it is and where it applies.

Implications for practice

A visually attractive line can create a false genealogy if its meaning is left implicit. The atlas already has typed relations; this release documents the semantic contract and makes it part of validation rather than a private implementation detail.

Key distinctions

• semantic type vs visual style
• relation meaning vs spatial proximity
• evidence source vs discovery source
• canonical identity vs label
• graph semantics vs algorithmic neighbourhood

Historical development

• semantic networks
• RDF and knowledge graphs
• typed graph data
• systems bodies of knowledge

Ideas it depends on

• distinction
• identity
• relation
• scope
• provenance

Further developments

• machine-readable graph
• validation rules
• inspectable evidence lines

Connections to practice

• data modelling
• knowledge graph design
• editorial review
• AI retrieval and constrained inference

Common confusions

• an ontology is neutral
• RDF automatically makes claims true
• a graph layout is the semantics

Further checks

• publish JSON Schema or SHACL-compatible constraints
• test semantic export and round-trip
• compare with Nodica and other graph tools

Recorded connections

Check the wording, direction, scope, sources, and status of a connection before relying on it.

• Explicit semantics formalises the node, edge and display vocabulary of Semantic network

  Status: accepted · Relation: formalises

  The claim concerns Nodica's RDF configuration and labelled predicates, not every semantic network.

  Locator: Nodica README, opening paragraphs and “Configuration” → “Settings” and “Labels”

  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)

• Nodica puts into practical form Explicit semantics

  Status: accepted · Relation: operationalises

  The wording is limited to the named public sources. Bibliographic inclusion and organisational association do not establish wider intellectual influence.

  Locator: Release 0.12 public practitioner and publication sources

  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)

• Ivo Velitchkov specialises in Explicit semantics

  Status: accepted · Relation: specialises in

  The wording is limited to the named public sources. Authorship, methodological development, conceptual dependence and practical use remain distinct claims.

  Locator: Release 0.13 public primary, institutional and publisher sources

  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)

• Conversation mapping makes conversational distinctions visible through Explicit semantics

  Status: provisional · Relation: operationalises

  This is a provisional semantic or practice crosswalk. It does not establish historical influence, equivalence, efficacy or universal applicability. Item-level source review and curator acceptance are still required.

  Locator: Interpretive comparison of the two maintained public descriptions and their cited source records

  • SCiO CF Resources v9 draft · No public link (pass4 legacy internal register audit)
  • SCiO Professional Accreditation and Competency Framework (checked)
  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
  • SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)

• Linear argument technique makes claims and reasons inspectable through Explicit semantics

  Status: provisional · Relation: operationalises

  This is a provisional semantic or practice crosswalk. It does not establish historical influence, equivalence, efficacy or universal applicability. Item-level source review and curator acceptance are still required.

  Locator: Interpretive comparison of the two maintained public descriptions and their cited source records

  • SCiO CF Resources v9 draft · No public link (pass4 legacy internal register audit)
  • SCiO Professional Accreditation and Competency Framework (checked)
  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
  • SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)

• Presentation design protects meaning through Explicit semantics

  Status: provisional · Relation: uses

  This is a provisional semantic or practice crosswalk. It does not establish historical influence, equivalence, efficacy or universal applicability. Item-level source review and curator acceptance are still required.

  Locator: Interpretive comparison of the two maintained public descriptions and their cited source records

  • SCiO CF Resources v9 draft · No public link (pass4 legacy internal register audit)
  • SCiO Professional Accreditation and Competency Framework (checked)
  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
  • SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)

• Public speaking communicates distinctions through Explicit semantics

  Status: provisional · Relation: applies

  This is a provisional semantic or practice crosswalk. It does not establish historical influence, equivalence, efficacy or universal applicability. Item-level source review and curator acceptance are still required.

  Locator: Interpretive comparison of the two maintained public descriptions and their cited source records

  • SCiO CF Resources v9 draft · No public link (pass4 legacy internal register audit)
  • SCiO Professional Accreditation and Competency Framework (checked)
  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
  • SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)

• Scientific theory and evidence depends on precise claims through Explicit semantics

  Status: provisional · Relation: complements

  This is a provisional semantic or practice crosswalk. It does not establish historical influence, equivalence, efficacy or universal applicability. Item-level source review and curator acceptance are still required.

  Locator: Interpretive comparison of the two maintained public descriptions and their cited source records

  • SCiO CF Resources v9 draft · No public link (pass4 legacy internal register audit)
  • SCiO Professional Accreditation and Competency Framework (checked)
  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
  • SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)

• Map analysis and narrative states what mapped lines mean through Explicit semantics

  Status: provisional · Relation: operationalises

  This is a provisional semantic or practice crosswalk. It does not establish historical influence, equivalence, efficacy or universal applicability. Item-level source review and curator acceptance are still required.

  Locator: Interpretive comparison of the two maintained public descriptions and their cited source records

  • An introductory systems thinking toolkit for civil servants (checked)
  • Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
  • SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)

Sources and passage locators

• Nodica: RDF graph visualisation with image-filled nodes (checked)
• SysBoK, from SCiO (checked)
• SCiO CF Resources v9 draft · No public link (pass4 legacy internal register audit)
• SCiO Professional Accreditation and Competency Framework (checked)
• An introductory systems thinking toolkit for civil servants (checked)

Cite this entry

Taylor, B. P. (2026). Explicit semantics. The Necessary Tangle, release 0.35. https://transduction.systems/entries/concept_explicit_semantics/

Include the release and review status when you quote or reuse this account.