SBVR11 — Use of the Signifier "Fact Model"

The signifier "fact model" should never be used in SBVR to include behavioral (deontic) elements of guidance. That usage makes no sense to business people, who would not expect anything labeled "fact[s]" to include rules. The origin of the idea meant by "fact model" and "conceptual model" predates any handling of deontic elements of guidance. In other words, deontic elements of guidances were not anticipated or treated by earlier approaches. We are just now catching up to the problem. The current definition of "fact model" (and "conceptual model") is: "combination of a conceptual schema and, for one possible world, a set of facts (defined by semantic formulations using only the concepts of the conceptual schema)". The resolution of this issue must involve at least the following: 1. Selection of a new signifier for the meaning expressed by the above definition. As a strawman, I would propose "Possible World Model". That sounds like something of concern to (only) tool engineers, which is appropriate, since the notion would not interest business people. 2. To suit the signifiers "fact model" and "conceptual model" the current definition must be modified to exclude facts pertaining to deontic elements of guidance. 3. All appearances of these signifiers in SBVR must be reviewed to determine which concept was actually meant. The meaning then given for the signifiers "fact model" and "conceptual model" is one that would be important to business people. If not significant for clause 8 (or 9 or 10), it can be moved to clause 11.

With ‘fact model’ (and ‘conceptual model’) moved to Clause 10 (Issue 13138), the confusion that came from the use of “fact model” is removed. (The definition and uses of “fact model” and ‘conceptual model’ are now all contained within the Clause 10 material, which is where these terms are used.)
This Resolution adds the synonym ‘concept model’ to the existing concept 'body of shared concepts" to provide a business-friendly term