Generic data model

By standardisation of an extensible list of relation types, a generic data model enables the expression of an unlimited number of kinds of facts and will approach the capabilities of natural languages.

The modelers need to communicate and agree on certain elements which are to be rendered more concretely, in order to make the differences less significant.

A model which explicitly includes versions of these entity classes will be both reasonably robust and reasonably easy to understand.

More abstract models are suitable for general purpose tools, and consist of variations on THING and THING TYPE, with all actual data being instances of these.

Such abstract models are on one hand more difficult to manage, since they are not very expressive of real world things, but on the other hand they have a much wider applicability, especially if they are accompanied by a standardised dictionary.

Developing High Quality Data Models (Morgan Kaufmann)