Quick Reference

Note

Derived from canonical docs/CONVENTIONS.md in the dfo-salmon-ontology repo.

Essential elements (minimum)

OWL terms (classes and properties)

  • rdfs:label "..."@en
  • IAO:0000115 "..."@en
  • rdfs:isDefinedBy <https://w3id.org/gcdfo/salmon>
  • optional provenance: IAO:0000119 and/or dcterms:source

SKOS concepts (controlled vocabulary terms)

  • skos:prefLabel "..."@en
  • skos:inScheme :YourScheme
  • recommended: skos:definition "..."@en
  • rdfs:isDefinedBy <https://w3id.org/gcdfo/salmon>
  • optional code: skos:notation "CODE"^^ex:CodeDatatype

Naming conventions

  • Classes: PascalCase (e.g., EscapementMeasurement)
  • Properties: lowerCamelCase (e.g., aboutStock)
  • SKOS concepts: PascalCase (e.g., SonarCounting)

Key decision rule: SKOS vs OWL

  • use SKOS for code lists, picklists, and lexical hierarchies
  • use OWL for logical class models and inferencing
  • avoid modeling the same concept as both unless explicitly approved

Non-negotiables

  • keep ontology schema separate from instance data
  • use full canonical IRIs
  • do not put codes in labels
  • use provenance fields consistently

Quality gate checklist