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Published

absence

vr.tr.absence · thing-q19829125

Let an agent represent absence explicitly, distinguishing unknown from absent and recording reasons and periods of absence.

Thing Registry Cross-cutting context XCT.TME
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Meaning What is absent.

What

Thing or person.

Subject

What is absent.

  1. What or who is absent? definition
  2. Since when? measurement

Absent or unknown

Distinction.

Distinction

Absent versus unknown.

  1. Is it truly absent or simply unknown? boundary
  2. How is that recorded? action
Records Documentation.

Recording

Dates and reasons.

Recording

Absence records.

  1. How is the absence recorded? provenance
  2. Who can see the reason? boundary

Missing data

Nulls.

Missing data

Missing data handling.

  1. How are missing values handled in the data? definition
  2. Could they bias results? boundary
Work and school Rules.

Rules

Leave and attendance.

Rules

Absence rules.

  1. Which leave or attendance rules apply? provenance
  2. What notice is needed? boundary

Fairness

Management.

Fairness

Fair treatment.

  1. Is absence being managed fairly and lawfully? boundary
  2. Are disability-related absences protected? boundary
Reasoning Inference.

Inference

What absence shows.

Inference

Inference limits.

  1. Does absence of evidence justify a conclusion here? boundary
  2. What further evidence is needed? action

Privacy

Sensitive reasons.

Privacy

Privacy.

  1. Is a sensitive reason being disclosed? boundary
  2. Is there a lawful basis? boundary

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Cross-cutting context
Entry kind
thing
Plane
XCT
Domain
XCT.TME
Other names and narrower kinds
retired, acyclicity, unfairness, inaccessibility, incompleteness, of the natural world separate from humans, partially ready to use, knowledge gap, conformance, smoothness, parental absence, archival silence

What it is Filled

The state of something not being present or not existing, such as absence from work or school, missing data, or the lack of a property.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent represent absence explicitly, distinguishing unknown from absent and recording reasons and periods of absence.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Not present or not existing
  • Different from unknown
  • Reasons may be sensitive
  • Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Share the reasons for a person's absence, such as illness, beyond those entitled to know.
  • Treat missing data as zero or as a known value.
  • Penalise a person for an absence without the responsible person's decision.

Only with a human decision

  • Taking disciplinary action over absence.
  • Reporting a child's absence from school to authorities.

May

  • Record absences from work or school as the responsible organisation requires.
  • Flag missing data and explain how it is handled in an analysis.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Absence records can reveal health, family or religious matters.
  • Missing data handled carelessly can bias results against those who are absent from it.

Who is affected

  • Workers and pupils
  • People missing from data

Owners Filled

Steward

The employer or school records absences; the dataset owner answers for missing data.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q813912 - registry parent class

related

  • condition - state
  • unknown - no information
  • record - documentation
  • health - sickness absence

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.absence
  • Wikidata: Q19829125 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19829125)

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

Not applicable

Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Absence records and leave calendars
  • Empty or null fields
  • Statements of non-existence
  • Gaps, empty fields, absence records.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • record absence with dates and reasons
  • distinguish absent from unknown
  • manage absence at work or school
  • handle missing data

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Treating unknown as absent
  • Disclosing sensitive reasons
  • Unfair absence management

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Employment law on leave and sickness absence
  • School attendance law
  • Data protection for health reasons

Context of use required Filled

  • Recording what is missing or who is away.
  • absence from work or school
  • missing data
  • lack of a property
  • retirement and leave

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q19829125: absence - identity and sense of the item
  2. Cambridge Dictionary: absence - The condition of something not existing or not being present.

Open questions

  • Should absence types be separate entries?
  • How should null values be represented?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases such as unfairness; should they be removed?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q19829125/spec.json