Definition
A Reference is a directed association from one Object to another. A Reference identifies a target Object but does not define the semantic nature of the association. The meaning of the association is defined separately by the Relationship specification.
Purpose
This document defines Reference within the OCOM Specification.
A Reference enables one Object to identify, locate, or associate with another Object without defining the business meaning of their relationship.
References support navigation, interoperability, traceability, and object connectivity throughout the OCOM ecosystem.
Business meaning
References enable Objects to interact without embedding implementation details.
They provide stable connections between Objects while preserving object independence and modularity.
Design principles
A Reference shall:
- identify a target Object
- remain independent of implementation technology
- support traceability
- preserve object independence
- support interoperability
- remain reusable
Core characteristics
Every Reference shall define:
- Source Object
- Target Object
- Reference Direction
A Reference may additionally define:
- Reference Type
- Reference Purpose
- Validity Period
- Status
Relationship to other specifications
Reference interacts with:
Reference provides connectivity between Objects without defining business semantics.
Compared with
Read as: OCOM term, the nearest concept in the other model, and how close they are. Similar means the two carry the same intent; Partial means they overlap but differ in scope or obligation; None means the other model has no counterpart. The verdicts are site-published editorial judgments, not normative.
- OCOM vs Knowledge Graph: Partial (Edge / IRI)
- OCOM vs Data Model: Similar (Foreign key)
Independence
The Reference specification does not prescribe:
- storage mechanisms
- pointer formats
- database keys
- communication protocols
- implementation technologies
Organizations remain free to implement References using any compatible approach.
Reference Direction
Every Reference is directional.
A Reference always originates from a Source Object and points to a Target Object.
Organizations may derive reverse references where appropriate.
Reference Types
Organizations may define Reference Types including:
- Internal Reference
- External Reference
- Cross-Domain Reference
- Cross-System Reference
- Historical Reference
Additional types may be introduced without affecting the Reference model.
Reference Validity
References may be:
- Active
- Deprecated
- Archived
- Temporary
Organizations may define additional validity states.
Reference Integrity
A Reference should point to an identifiable Object.
Organizations should define procedures for handling:
- missing references
- invalid references
- obsolete references
- migrated references
Reference integrity should be periodically validated.
Lifecycle
References may have their own lifecycle independent of the referenced Objects.
Creating, updating, or removing a Reference shall not change the identity of either participating Object.
Governance
Organizations shall define policies governing:
- reference creation
- modification
- validation
- retirement
- audit
Reference history should be preserved.
Auditability
Organizations should retain:
- source object
- target object
- creation history
- modification history
- retirement history
Audit records shall remain immutable.
Conformance
A compliant implementation shall:
- support directed References
- preserve reference traceability
- maintain reference integrity
- support governance
- remain technology independent
Provenance
Governance records: —
| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 20 July 2026 | Initial draft |