We have defined the formalism of the functional entity, an encapsulated data resource
that acts as a QA system. A functional entity is a generalisation of the entity for
sources of knowledge that are non-relational, or for which the standard processes of
single entity modelling are difficult to achieve. A functional entity permits the
modelling of any source in response to a request for information by returning a tuple of
a consistent nature, while black boxing the inner working in both design and use.
We enumerated a typology of nine functional entities generated from two established
principles to produce a modelling framework that can depict all existentially quantifiable
relations, and demonstrated a satisficing extension to that framework (non-Aristotelian
functional entities) for those situations that do not permit such relations. We discussed
the system of knowledge mixins for qualifying the relations, and finally, we presented an
adjunct to the framework, cartographic functional entities, to permit formally verifiable
recursive and allorecursive (Pigott and Hobbs, 2001) documentation.
The encapsulation and occlusion of the functional entity permits us to show the
logical relations that exist between parts of a distributed knowledge management
system. This enables the physical design to be deferred or resources to be replaced with
others that return the same answer at a functional level. This is very useful in high-level
planning, as knowledge management systems require that there be no destruction of the
material recorded for a system as it is built. When the individual components of a wide
area system are placed under the hegemony of different organisations, or even different
professions, a high-level map is necessary in order that some form of mutual
understanding underwrite the progress of the KMS development. While this paper has
emphasised the use of the FERD in conceptual analysis of organisational knowledge
networks, the same tools can equally be used to model personal knowledge systems and
knowledge systems for recording general cultural collections involving physical
artefacts, documents, media and online web resources.
The establishment of standard types of functional entities can provide a framework
for the methodical conversion of the declarative design level to the imperative
implementation level. We can identify consistent paths to follow (including design,
documentation and verification strategies), common traps to avoid, and a way of
ensuring a cross-system quality assurance that is currently not available with
heterogeneous KM systems. We have discussed some of these in Pigott and Hobbs (2009)