id: https://nde.nl/ontology/hc/class/ApproximationStatus
name: approximation_status_class
title: ApproximationStatus Class
prefixes:
  linkml: https://w3id.org/linkml/
  hc: https://nde.nl/ontology/hc/
  schema: http://schema.org/
  crm: http://www.cidoc-crm.org/cidoc-crm/
  rico: https://www.ica.org/standards/RiC/ontology#
  skos: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#
imports:
- linkml:types
- ../metadata
- ../slots/approximation_level
- ../slots/has_or_had_label
- ../slots/has_or_had_description
- ./SpecificityAnnotation
- ./TemplateSpecificityScores
- ../slots/specificity_annotation
- ../slots/template_specificity
default_prefix: hc
classes:
  ApproximationStatus:
    class_uri: hc:ApproximationStatus
    description: >-
      Status indicating the level of approximation or uncertainty for a value.
      
      **PURPOSE**:
      
      ApproximationStatus captures structured uncertainty information for values
      like dates, quantities, and measurements where precision varies. This
      replaces simple boolean "approximate: true/false" with richer modeling.
      
      **UNCERTAINTY LEVELS**:
      
      | Level | Label | Description | Example |
      |-------|-------|-------------|---------|
      | EXACT | Exact | Known with certainty | "1880-03-15" |
      | APPROXIMATE | Approximate | Close but not exact | "circa 1880" |
      | ESTIMATED | Estimated | Calculated/inferred | "estimated 1875-1885" |
      | UNCERTAIN | Uncertain | Significant doubt | "possibly 19th century" |
      | UNKNOWN | Unknown | Cannot be determined | "date unknown" |
      
      **CIDOC-CRM ALIGNMENT**:
      
      CIDOC-CRM models time-span precision through E52_Time-Span with fuzzy
      boundaries. ApproximationStatus provides a complementary vocabulary for
      expressing certainty levels.
      
      **USE CASES**:
      
      1. **Date Uncertainty**: Founding dates known only to decade
      2. **Quantity Estimates**: Collection size approximations
      3. **Location Precision**: Address known only to city level
      4. **Historical Events**: Uncertain timing of organizational changes
      
      **EXAMPLE**:
      
      ```yaml
      event_date: "1880"
      is_or_was_approximate:
        approximation_level: APPROXIMATE
        has_or_had_label: "circa 1880"
        has_or_had_description: "Founding date known only to year from secondary sources"
      ```
    exact_mappings:
      - crm:E52_Time-Span
    close_mappings:
      - rico:DateType
    related_mappings:
      - skos:note
    slots:
      - approximation_level
      - has_or_had_label
      - has_or_had_description
      - specificity_annotation
      - template_specificity
    slot_usage:
      approximation_level:
        range: ApproximationLevelEnum
        required: true
        description: >-
          Level of approximation/uncertainty for the value.
      has_or_had_label:
        range: string
        required: false
        description: >-
          Human-readable label for the approximation status.
        examples:
          - value: "circa 1880"
            description: Approximate date label
          - value: "approximately 10,000"
            description: Approximate quantity label
      has_or_had_description:
        range: string
        required: false
        description: >-
          Explanation of why the value is approximate and how uncertainty
          was determined.
        examples:
          - value: "Founding date derived from secondary sources, exact day unknown"
            description: Provenance of uncertainty
    comments:
      - ApproximationStatus replaces simple boolean approximate field
      - Provides structured uncertainty modeling for dates, quantities, etc.
      - Aligned with CIDOC-CRM E52_Time-Span precision concepts
      - Used by is_or_was_approximate slot
    see_also:
      - https://www.cidoc-crm.org/Entity/e52-time-span/version-7.1.3
    examples:
      - value:
          approximation_level: EXACT
          has_or_had_label: "1880-03-15"
        description: Exact date with full precision
      - value:
          approximation_level: APPROXIMATE
          has_or_had_label: "circa 1880"
          has_or_had_description: "Founding date known only to year from newspaper accounts"
        description: Approximate date with explanation
      - value:
          approximation_level: ESTIMATED
          has_or_had_label: "estimated 1875-1885"
          has_or_had_description: "Date range inferred from building construction records"
        description: Estimated date range
      - value:
          approximation_level: UNKNOWN
          has_or_had_label: "date unknown"
          has_or_had_description: "No founding records survive"
        description: Unknown date
    annotations:
      specificity_score: 0.30
      specificity_rationale: >-
        Approximation status is broadly useful across contexts where
        uncertainty needs to be expressed.

enums:
  ApproximationLevelEnum:
    description: Levels of approximation/uncertainty for values.
    permissible_values:
      EXACT:
        description: Value is known with certainty
      APPROXIMATE:
        description: Value is close but not exact (circa, roughly)
      ESTIMATED:
        description: Value is calculated or inferred
      UNCERTAIN:
        description: Significant doubt about accuracy
      UNKNOWN:
        description: Value cannot be determined