Graph modeling represents a domain through addressable nodes, typed relationships and properties chosen to answer specific questions and support specific operations.
Graph modeling makes many-to-many relationships, paths, provenance and evolving context explicit where folders and rigid trees obscure them.
activecanonicalv1.0.0
Definition
Graph modeling identifies the important entities in a domain and expresses meaningful connections between them. A model is judged by the questions it can answer, the constraints it can enforce and the changes it can absorb.
Graphs and folders
Folders impose a primary containment path. Graphs allow an artefact to relate simultaneously to a project, person, technique, source, place, rights record and publication. Folder views can still be generated as useful projections.
Electronic Artefacts position
VASTE uses graph modeling for runtime concerns, while the Knowledge Hub uses it for semantic publication. Vestiges applies the same discipline to cultural knowledge and human know-how.
Limitations
Graphs can become unreadable when relation types are vague or when weak associations are published indiscriminately. Modeling requires predicate governance, provenance and pruning.
References
See Knowledge Graph, Entity Identity, VASTE and Ontology.