Field notes · Jonathan Malchow Vega
Same words, different work
Shared labels can conceal important differences.
Last reviewed
Look past the label
Two fictional job descriptions both mention an “AI inventory.” One asks a person to maintain the inventory. The other asks a person to review it. The object is the same; the responsibility differs. Treating those descriptions as equivalent would lose the distinction that matters.
Describe the action and object
When comparing information, record the action as well as the thing acted on. Maintain, review, recommend, and approve should not be collapsed merely because they appear beside the same noun. The surrounding sentence may also limit the scope or identify someone else as the decision maker.
Use vocabulary carefully
A controlled vocabulary can help connect alternative names. It still needs definitions and boundaries. W3C’s SKOS provides a model for representing concepts, labels, and relationships; using the model does not by itself establish that two real-world duties mean the same thing.
Try a small mapping
Choose five labels from a shared collection. Write a one-sentence definition and one example for each. Where two labels appear interchangeable, check whether the underlying work is actually the same. Keep uncertain mappings as questions until you have enough context to decide.
Further reading: W3C SKOS Reference.
Short answers
Do two job descriptions with the same words describe the same work?
Not necessarily. Two descriptions can mention the same object, such as an AI inventory, while one asks a person to maintain it and the other asks a person to review it. The object is the same, but the responsibility differs.
Why record the action as well as the object when comparing information?
Actions such as maintain, review, recommend, and approve should not be collapsed merely because they appear beside the same noun. The surrounding sentence may also limit the scope or identify someone else as the decision maker.
Does a controlled vocabulary or SKOS prove that two terms mean the same thing?
No. A controlled vocabulary can help connect alternative names, but it still needs definitions and boundaries. W3C’s SKOS provides a model for representing concepts, labels, and relationships, and using the model does not by itself establish that two real-world duties mean the same thing.
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Related in the DESCRIBED series: What belongs in a useful decision record? (Governance Simplified)