Classifications, Attributes & Taxonomies

HSDS allows any major entity to have attributes attached. These attributes can be either properties of the entity, or classifications of the entity.

For services, the service_taxonomy table is used for this.

For all other entities, the link_taxonomy table is used.

Scope of HSDS

HSDS is focussed on providing information about services; it is not designed to be a taxonomy interchange format. Therefore, the features provided by HSDS are intended to be sufficient for users to transfer enough information about a taxonomy to make the data about services be useful, but no more.

If, in a particular context, it’s helpful to transfer more information than HSDS has in scope, then HSDS is extensible, and you’re welcome to add additional information beyond the schema.

Terminology

Classification and description is an area in which terms are used inconsistently across domains and applications. Therefore, we define here certain terms which are used in the standard.

These definitions may be different from those that you’d use in your context, in which case we’d suggest prepending the term “OpenReferral” or “HSDS” to disambiguate. For example, if you’d call an “attribute” a “property”, then you might refer to an “HSDS Attribute”.

Vocabulary

A vocabulary is the set of words that are used in a language, which may have multiple meanings.

For example, the English language has around 170,000 terms in its vocabulary. The word “crane” can refer to a piece of machinery, a type of bird, or the action of overextending one’s neck in an attempt to see something that is otherwise obscured.

Alternatively a vocabulary of codes might be created for a particular purpose - such as “ES1098” and “87HG42”

Taxonomy

A taxonomy is a structure of terms drawn from a vocabulary which can be used to describe attributes of something.

For example, a taxonomy designed for use in the construction industry, called “construction machinery” might say that a particular piece of machinery is a “crane”, or an “86HG4”

In such a case, to say that a particular machine is a “construction machinery”->”crane” is meaningful.

Embedded Taxonomy

An embedded taxonomy is a taxonomy where the dataset contains the definition of the taxonomy terms used in the data; ie, to find out what a term means, you look within the dataset. It can be a clone of an external taxonomy, if licensing allows.

Data packages using HSDS shouldn’t contain any unused taxonomy terms, in particular if providing those terms would result in a package that comprises more taxonomy data than service data.

External Taxonomy

An external taxonomy is where the taxonomy is held outside of the data and the dataset ships with just references to the taxonomy; ie, to find out authoritatively what a term means, you look elsewhere.

Taxonomy Term

A taxonomy term is a particular instance of a term from a vocabulary which is given a particular meaning by a taxonomy.

For example, a taxonomy term might be “86HG4”, which the taxonomy describes as lifting equipment. It might be a child of “ES1098”, which is heavy machinery.

Attribute

An attribute is some property, fact, or assertion that is made of a thing.

For example, a particular piece of machinery might have some attributes:

  • Painted yellow

  • Has a government-issued plate declaring it to be ID “JG36QAK” and allowed to be driven on public roads

  • Is of type “crane”, from the taxonomy “construction machinery”

Attributes in HSDS are asserted by applying a taxonomy term to an object.

Applying a taxonomy term to an object

To apply a taxonomy term to an object, three things are required:

  • An entry in the taxonomy term table, containing the term

  • An entry in the relevant table, containing the entity

  • An entry in the relevant link table, linking the two

Example

(Note: only fields required for the example are shown)

services

First of all, some services.

id

name

description

89652

Kitten Time

Time with kittens

89654

Puppy Time

Time with puppies

taxonomy_terms

Then, some taxonomy terms.

id

term

description

taxonomy

918

stress

A service that helps with stress

http://taxonomy.example/

1045

WORKPLACE

Services that help in the workplace

My Local Taxonomy

programs

And finally, a program.

id

name

2767-ANIMAL-THERAPY

Animal Therapy Programme

service_attributes

We then use the service_attributes table to link the services with the appropriate taxonomy terms.

id

service_id

taxonomy_term_id

1

89652

918

2

89652

1045

3

89654

918

4

89654

1045

other_attributes

And finally, we use the other_attributes table to link the program with the appropriate taxonomy term.

id

link_id

link_type

taxonomy_term_id

1

89652

program

918

2

89654

program

918

This page is non-normative, which means that it doesn’t form part of the standard; if there is any ambiguity, the standard takes precedence. This page may be updated at any time in response to community demand.