ReferencedTo

ReferencedTo is a term used in data modeling, knowledge graphs, and information systems to describe a directed relationship in which one entity references another. The relationship is typically represented as an edge from the referring resource to the referenced resource, and can denote citations, dependencies, links to external resources, or other forms of reference.

In RDF, property graphs, and database schemas, referencedTo may be implemented as a predicate named referencedTo or mapped to established predicates such as dcterms.references, prov:wasQuotedFrom, or skos:related, depending on the domain. The exact semantics vary by model, but the core idea is that the source points to the target as a resource being cited or relied upon. The relationship is inherently directional, indicating which resource is the reference and which resource is being referenced.

Usage considerations include ensuring clear directionality, avoiding ambiguous or problematic cycles, and capturing provenance or context. It is common to accompany a referencedTo edge with metadata such as the type of reference (citation, dependency, external link), the creation date, and any qualifiers that specify scope, version, or relevance. In practice, mapped standards or ontologies may be used to harmonize such edges across datasets.

Examples of usage include a scholarly article where Article A referencedTo Article B, a software module X referencedTo Library Y for external functionality, or a dataset D referencedTo a standard S for compliance. Related concepts include citations, references, dependencies, and provenance, with implementation details varying by data model and domain.