The Core Domain Framework (CDF) is the domain architecture layer of the Meta Mesh Ontology (MMO). It defines a set of intermediary ontological classes that connect the Meta Mesh Ontology with all domain-specific MMO modules.
The CDF provides the semantic scaffold that anchors every knowledge domain within the MMO ecosystem. It ensures that concepts across medicine, culture, environment, economy, and other fields are semantically interoperable, BFO-compliant, and mutually consistent.
Through abstraction and clear domain separation, the CDF enables:
- Stable alignment between upper ontology (BFO) and domain ontologies
- Cross-domain interoperability through shared superclasses
- Scalable modular integration under unified meta-ontological rules
The MMO is structured across three architectural layers:
Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) -> Meta Mesh Ontology (MMO) -> Core Domain Framework (CDF) -> Domain Modules
The CDF defines the semantic interface between the meta-ontological layer (MMO Core) and the domain-specific modules. All MMO modules derive their top-level structure and inheritance rules from the CDF.
The framework specifies eight disjoint but extensible superdomains, representing the full spectrum of human knowledge:
- Knowledge – epistemic structures, information, reasoning
- Culture – symbolic systems, language, and meaning
- Health – biomedical and psychological entities and processes
- Nature – environmental, planetary, and ecological systems
- Technology – artifacts, infrastructures, innovation
- Economy – production, value, and exchange systems
- Governance – institutions, policy, and regulation
- Society – social relations, demography, and community structures
Each domain acts as a semantic anchor for related MMO modules and external ontologies.
The CDF is built on strict meta-ontological design standards to ensure scalability and semantic precision:
- BFO-compliant class hierarchy
- Two-Part Definition Rule (genus + differentia) for every class
- Disjoint and exhaustive superdomain taxonomy
- Inter-domain mapping via metam:isRefinementOf and metam:isMappedTo
- Rich metadata using rdfs:comment, rdfs:isDefinedBy, and provenance annotations
All registered modules are:
✅ RDF/XML (OWL) syntax-validated
✅ FAIR-compliant (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
✅ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
✅ Mapped through persistent URIs (PURLs) for long-term access
Registry validation ensures that each ontology module is logically consistent and interoperable within the broader MMO network.
The CDF provides the foundation for:
- Developing new MMO modules within a consistent semantic framework
- Aligning external ontologies (e.g., SNOMED CT, ISO 37120, SOHO) with BFO categories
- Structuring data integration pipelines and semantic reasoning models
For examples of how domain modules extend the CDF, refer to the Modules Registry.
➡️ https://github.com/MetaMeshOntology/modules-registry
If you refer to the registry in your work, please cite:
Meta Mesh Ontology - CDF
Version 1.0.0 (2025-10-25)
MetaMeshOntology GitHub
https://github.com/MetaMeshOntology
Contributions are welcome! Please open issues or submit pull requests via GitHub. All changes should conform to the naming conventions, definition rules, and modular structure of the MMO system.
To get involved or reach out to the maintainers, join our Slack Workspace.
Maintained by the Meta Mesh Ontology Team.
Shield:
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
