Framework Glossary (Non-Normative)

This glossary is a non-normative interpretive aid. Janus Core Lite v0.2 Draft is the primary normative authority; if this page conflicts with the Core, the Core controls.

Semantic stability guidance: when a term in this glossary is changed, dependent Framework text should be reviewed and updated accordingly.

Conventions

• Capitalized tokens (e.g., AUDIT_LOG, OMISSION_DETECTED) denote canonical identifiers.
• RFC 2119 keywords reproduced here describe requirements sourced from the Core; this glossary creates no independent requirement.

Canonical terms

Adapter

A component that maps between Janus runtime interfaces and an external storage or transport surface.

Adapters do not define Core semantics; they implement a mapping.

AUDIT_LOG

An append-only log that records audit-relevant events, evaluations, and attestations needed to support review.

AUDIT_LOG entries MAY reference records from MANAGEMENT_LOG and SCHEMA_LOG when relevant, and MAY also represent governance events that do not originate in those logs (e.g., OMISSION_DETECTED).

An AUDIT_LOG entry MAY record:

• gate outcomes and their explanations (gates)
• risk classifications (e.g., R2) and escalation/handling outcomes
• explicit human accountability events (HUMAN_DECISION)
• omission findings (OMISSION_DETECTED) and their supporting omission evidence (E−)

AUDIT_LOG entries SHOULD preserve linkability to the originating expectations, scopes, and referenced artifacts.

contractRef

A stable reference to an external rule source that is outside the Janus repository (e.g., policy text, contract clause, regulation section, internal procedure).

contractRef is a reference mechanism only. It does not import external text into Core semantics.

E+ (explicit evidence)

The class of evidence explicitly recorded in a system of record.

E+ indicates that a claim or event is supported by a recorded artifact.

E− (omission evidence)

The class of evidence derived from a verified absence of an expected record or event.

E− exists only when the conditions defined in Core §5 are met.

E− is not counter-argumentation. It represents a verified omission relative to an explicit expectation.

gates

Framework-defined checks that mediate state transitions or outputs.

A gate consumes inputs (e.g., proposed actions, evidence sets, risk flags) and produces a decision (allow, block, require escalation) plus an auditable explanation.

HUMAN_DECISION

A canonical event indicating that a designated human authority has made or confirmed a decision.

It is the only canonical human-authority event. It is recorded in AUDIT_LOG and represents a prior human act. Its required content is defined in Core §4.

When a specification requires human accountability, the system MUST record a HUMAN_DECISION and MUST NOT substitute it with an automated inference.

Management

The superset organizational context in which decisions, actions, and accountability occur.

Examples include government, project, education, and business contexts.

MANAGEMENT_LOG

An append-only log of management-relevant events.

Typical entries include proposals, actions, domain decisions, assignments, exceptions, corrections to domain activity, and references to evidence artifacts. The canonical event HUMAN_DECISION is a governance event and is recorded in AUDIT_LOG, not in MANAGEMENT_LOG.

object_refs

The reference in a HUMAN_DECISION that identifies exclusively what was decided: records or events of MANAGEMENT_LOG, AUDIT_LOG, or SCHEMA_LOG. It is distinct from domain context (management_refs), evidence (evidence_refs), interpretive context (schema_ref), and competence (scope_ref). Its requirements are defined in Core §4.

OMISSION_DETECTED

The canonical governance event type that records an instance of E− meeting the conditions defined in Core §5.

An OMISSION_DETECTED event MUST include enough context to support E− (omission evidence), through the fields required by Core §6.

R2

A risk classification indicating that a matter requires heightened controls.

At minimum, R2 handling MUST require explicit escalation rules and MUST support human final authority where accountability is required.

Runtime

An execution environment that runs a Janus workflow or protocol implementation.

Runtimes are technical implementations of Core semantics and may use non-normative Framework guidance; they do not redefine the Core.

SCHEMA_LOG

An append-only log that defines schema declarations and schema versions used to interpret other logs.

If an event format or meaning depends on a schema version, the relevant SCHEMA_LOG entry MUST be referencable from the consuming record.

scope_ref

A reference whose meaning depends on the event type: in HUMAN_DECISION it declares the competence invoked over the objects decided; in OMISSION_DETECTED it is the deterministic search scope of E−. It never identifies the object decided or the evidence.