Research Method Tags Data Spec

Canonical file: _data/research_method_tags.yml

Purpose

• Define a single source of truth for:
  • method families
  • detailed method tags
  • display-group subsets for UI contexts
  • software-to-tag crosswalks

Top-level schema (current)

• version (integer)
• canonical_name (string)
• description (string)
• last_updated (date string)
• registry_rules (object)
• method_family_order (array of method-family IDs)
• method_families (array of objects)
• tags (array of objects)
• display_groups (object)
• quick_tag_sets (object)
• software_to_tag_map (object)

Method family object

• id (string, stable key)
• label (string)
• short_label (string)
• description (string)
• example_tags (array of tag IDs)
• requires_any_tags (array of tag IDs; optional soft constraint used by validator warnings)

Tag object

• id (string, stable key)
• label (string)
• method_family (method-family ID)
• scope (enum from registry rules)
• analysis_type (enum from registry rules)
• data_modalities (array of strings)
• aliases (array of strings)
• keywords (array of strings)

• priority (core

  supporting

  emerging)

• requires_any (array of tag IDs; optional soft co-tag constraint used by validator warnings)
• usage_notes (string; optional assignment guidance)

Publication-level linkage location

Paper linkage is stored in publication front matter, not in this taxonomy file.

Recommended fields in _publications/*.md:

• method_families (array of method-family IDs)
• method_tags (array of tag IDs)

• method_tag_confidence (high

  medium

  low, optional)

Maintenance rules

• Keep IDs stable; treat renames as migrations.
• If adding/removing method families or tags, update:
  • method_family_order
  • any affected display_groups
  • quick_tag_sets if relevant
  • software_to_tag_map if tool coverage changes
• If paper-linkage mappings change, update publication front matter in _publications/*.md.
• Validator behavior:
  • no deprecated alias fallback; publication front matter must use canonical method IDs
  • unknown IDs, family mismatches, missing co-tag constraints, and orphan method families are hard failures