Definition

Ontology-grounded classification assigns a system, concept, or term to the smallest category whose defining properties are supported by evidence.

Material Classification Sequence

1. Inspect the direct mechanism and responsibility boundary.
2. Identify the applicable domain ontology.
3. Apply explicit decisive class criteria.
4. Use authoritative web verification when local evidence is incomplete.
5. Separate sourced facts from classification inference.
6. Select and define one stable term.
7. Record whether the term is standard, emerging, vendor-specific, internal, contested, or uncertain.
8. Preserve uncertainty instead of expanding the label.

Communication Boundary

Use ASD-STE100 Issue 9 as the target authoring standard. Do not claim formal conformance unless the complete applicable official writing rules and controlled dictionary have been checked for the output.

Structural Proof Boundary

The classification-record check proves that required fields, evidence references, criteria, and fail-closed uncertainty behavior are present. It does not prove that the selected ontology or category is semantically correct. Routine communication does not require a classification record.

Canonical Sources

• Policy: docs/ONTOLOGY_AND_TECHNICAL_ENGLISH.md
• Source register: docs/ONTOLOGY_AND_TECHNICAL_ENGLISH_SOURCES.md
• Valdris classification: classification/valdris-system-classification.v1.json