Provenanceand

Provenanceand is a term used to describe a theoretical framework for representing and analyzing the provenance of digital artifacts across heterogeneous systems. It emphasizes integrating multiple provenance sources and perspectives into a single, navigable model, enabling researchers and practitioners to trace origin, custody, and transformations with greater comprehensiveness.

The term functions as a portmanteau of provenance and, signaling an inclusive approach to combining facts from different domains. It is used primarily in discussions about data lineage, digital art, and software supply chains, where artifacts may have complex histories spanning organizations, systems, and time.

Conceptually, provenanceand draws on established provenance models such as the W3C PROV family (PROV-D, PROV-O) and RDF-based representations, but it advocates a layered or modular composition. A typical provenanceand model may include a primary lineage graph augmented by contextual or alternative provenance graphs (for example, legal ownership, modification history, and custody logs) linked via explicit conjunction points denoted by conjunction relationships.

Applications include tracking the authenticity of digital artwork, ensuring traceability in supply chains for electronics and chemicals, auditing software build processes, and documenting the evolution of scientific datasets.

Limitations include potential increases in data volume, privacy and confidentiality concerns, and the need for interoperable standards to avoid fragmentation. Critics warn that over-aggregation can obscure uncertainty rather than clarify it.

See also: provenance, data lineage, PROV, digital provenance, provenance in art.