Conceptshref

Conceptshref is a notation used in information architecture and knowledge representation to denote a reference from a concept to an external resource, definition, or annotation. It is designed to be concept-centric, separating the identity of a concept from its document location, so that a single concept can be linked across multiple documents or systems without duplicating resources.

Notation and syntax: A conceptshref can be expressed as a CURIE-like prefix or as a full URI. Examples include conceptshref:ex:Person and conceptshref:schema:Person, or a URI form such as https://example.org/concepts/Person. The important property is that the reference remains stable even if the consuming document moves.

Use cases: In knowledge graphs, conceptshrefs are used to annotate nodes with persistent references to definitions, taxonomic placements, or external datasets. They enable cross-system interoperability and reusability of semantic concepts across corpora and tools.

Relation to standards and challenges: Conceptshref is compatible with CURIEs, IRIs, and RDF-style linking. It is not a formal standard itself; adoption depends on governance of namespaces and tooling. Potential limitations include namespace fragmentation, ambiguity about scope, and the need for resolvers to maintain availability.

See also: CURIE, URI, RDF, OWL.