Research:Terms explained
Technical Terms Explained for Collaborators
This page explains a small number of technical terms that appear in the project documentation.
It is intended for collaborators who are not system architects and who are not expected to configure or maintain the system.
The purpose of this page is to support understanding, not to teach implementation.
How to Read This Page
If you encounter an unfamiliar term in another ICT document, you can look it up here.
You do not need to memorize these definitions. They are provided only to remove ambiguity.
General Modeling Terms
Entity
An entity is simply a type of thing that we talk about explicitly and consistently.
Examples:
- HeritageObject
- DigitalAsset
- Actor
- ResearchChapter
An entity answers the question:
- “What kind of thing is this?”
Attribute
An attribute is a property of an entity.
Examples:
- A HeritageObject has a title
- A DigitalAsset has a description
- An Actor has a name
An attribute answers the question:
- “What do we want to know about this thing?”
Relationship
A relationship describes how two entities are connected.
Examples:
- An Actor is director of a HeritageObject
- A DigitalAsset represents a HeritageObject
- A HeritageObject belongs to a ResearchChapter
Relationships may have additional information, such as role or certainty.
MediaWiki-Specific Concepts (Conceptual View)
The following concepts are part of the implementation, but collaborators do not need to use them directly.
MediaWiki
MediaWiki is the platform that provides:
- Pages
- Editing
- Collaboration
- Public presentation
In this project, MediaWiki is used as a structured research environment.
Forms
Forms are guided input screens.
They:
- Help users enter information consistently
- Hide technical complexity
- Reduce errors
Most collaborators interact with the system through forms.
Cargo
Cargo is the component that stores structured information reliably.
Conceptually:
- It acts like a structured notebook behind the scenes
- It ensures information is stored consistently
- It allows querying and reuse of data
Collaborators do not interact with Cargo directly.
Page Schemas
Page Schemas define:
- What information a page may contain
- How forms are generated
- How information is connected internally
Conceptually:
- They are templates for structure, not content
- They ensure everyone describes things in the same way
Tables
In documentation, the word table refers to a structured collection of information.
Conceptually:
- A table corresponds to an entity type
- Each entry corresponds to one entity
- Attributes become columns
Tables exist to support consistency and reuse, not to impose rigidity.
Files and Digital Assets
File
A file is a physical digital object:
- Image
- Scan
- Document
Files are managed by MediaWiki itself.
Digital Asset
A DigitalAsset is a conceptual wrapper around one or more files.
Conceptually:
- It groups files meaningfully
- It provides context
- It allows interpretation and annotation
Files are storage. Digital Assets are meaning.
Internal vs External Complexity
Some complexity exists in the system to support long-term research needs.
This complexity is:
- Internal
- Documented
- Managed centrally
Collaborators are not expected to understand or manage it.
The goal is for contributors to focus on:
- Historical content
- Interpretation
- Quality of information
Summary
If you remember only one thing from this page, it should be this:
The system uses technical tools internally so that contributors can work conceptually and intuitively.
Status
This page is intended as a stable reference for non-technical collaborators.