Glossary

This glossary defines terms used throughout the PublicSchema handbook.

Application profile

A constrained use of a broader vocabulary or schema for a particular implementation, exchange, credential, jurisdiction, or program. An application profile may make optional PublicSchema properties required for a specific boundary.

Boundary contract

The externally visible agreement for an API, export, event, credential, or file exchange. A boundary contract names fields, values, formats, examples, validation rules, and version policy.

Canonical code

A controlled vocabulary value used as the shared reference value. Local codes can map to canonical codes.

Concept

A meaningful entity or relationship type in PublicSchema, such as Person, Household, Program, Enrollment, Identifier, or PaymentEvent.

Credential subject

The claims object inside a credential that describes the person, household, organization, enrollment, payment, entitlement, or other subject of the credential.

Concept mapping

A mapping between a source entity and a PublicSchema concept.

Controlled vocabulary

A defined set of allowed values for a field. PublicSchema vocabularies include labels, definitions, codes, URIs, and sometimes references to external standards.

Credential

A portable, cryptographically verifiable set of claims issued by one party and presented by a holder to a verifier. PublicSchema can define compatible claim meanings and validation shapes.

Crosswalk

A table mapping values, fields, concepts, or codes from one system to another. In PublicSchema adoption, crosswalk often means a local code set mapped to a PublicSchema vocabulary.

Data model

The structure a system uses to store, process, and exchange data. A data model can be conceptual, logical, physical, or implementation-specific.

Canonical export

An API payload, event payload, file, view, or extract that uses PublicSchema-compatible meanings at the system boundary.

Definition Excel

A downloadable workbook that presents a PublicSchema concept with metadata, properties, and referenced vocabularies in a format useful for human review.

Extension

A local concept, property, vocabulary value, or constraint added outside the PublicSchema canonical namespace.

Evidence

Documentation, examples, standards, system behavior, mappings, policies, or implementation experience used to justify a term, mapping, vocabulary value, or governance decision.

Field mapping

A mapping between a source field and a PublicSchema property.

Gap

A documented mismatch between source and target. A gap may be a missing field, missing concept, incompatible value, type mismatch, cardinality mismatch, or lifecycle mismatch.

JSON-LD

A JSON-based format for linked data. PublicSchema uses JSON-LD contexts and exports to connect data fields to stable semantic identifiers.

JSON Schema

A validation language for JSON data. PublicSchema provides JSON Schemas for validating JSON records and credential payloads.

Mapping

A documented relationship between source and target terms, fields, concepts, or values. A mapping should include match level, notes, version information, and review status.

Match level

The type of relationship between mapped items. PublicSchema commonly uses exact, close, broad, narrow, related, and no match.

Maturity

The review status of a term or artifact, such as draft, candidate, or stable.

Namespace

A URI space that identifies ownership of terms. PublicSchema canonical terms live in the PublicSchema namespace. Local extensions should use a local namespace.

Property

A reusable attribute or relationship that can appear on one or more concepts, such as given_name, date_of_birth, enrollment_status, or payment_amount.

Profile

A constrained package or application of PublicSchema for a specific implementation, jurisdiction, exchange, credential, or procurement requirement.

PublicSchema-compatible

Able to map, export, validate, or exchange data using PublicSchema meanings. Compatibility does not require copying PublicSchema's internal structure.

Semantic interoperability

The ability of systems to exchange data while preserving meaning. Field names, value codes, relationships, and definitions must be understood consistently.

SHACL

Shapes Constraint Language, a validation language for RDF data. PublicSchema can provide SHACL shapes for linked data workflows.

Source system

The system, schema, API, file, standard, or dataset being mapped from.

Target

The model or artifact being mapped to. In this handbook, the target is often PublicSchema.

Term

A named concept, property, vocabulary, vocabulary value, credential type, profile item, or extension that can be referenced and governed.

Template Excel

A downloadable workbook for data entry or testing, with PublicSchema property identifiers and vocabulary dropdowns.

Validation report

A record of validation checks, sample data, errors, warnings, accepted deviations, and unresolved issues.

Validation shape

A schema, shape, rule set, or profile used to check whether data conforms to an expected structure, value set, or boundary contract.

URI

A stable web identifier for a term, vocabulary value, schema, context, or artifact.

Value crosswalk

A crosswalk between local values and canonical PublicSchema vocabulary values.

Vocabulary-backed property

A property whose allowed values come from a controlled vocabulary.

Version

A recorded release or source state used to make mappings, validation, and package review reproducible.

Next

• Use Introduction for the full handbook framing.
• Use Templates and Checklists for practical artifacts using these terms.